A handful of top golfers are in danger of missing the cut line at the 2021 Masters on Friday.
Unforgiving conditions at Augusta National left many struggling to stay in contention through Round 1. Only 12 golfers entered Friday under par with several top players flirting with the cut line, which is projected around 3-over par, including Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. That’s in stark contrast to November’s Masters, which saw a bevvy of low scores thanks to soft conditions that led to Dustin Johnson setting a new course record.
Meanwhile, the top of the leaderboard so far in 2021 features runaway leader Justin Rose along with 11 others under par, with Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth among that group. Johnson is right on the cut line at 2 over through 18 holes.
In all, about 50 of the 88 players will remain in the 2021 Masters field on Saturday.
Here’s everything you’ll need to know about the Masters cut line, rules and results as players jockey to make the weekend.
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Masters cut rules
There is a rule change in play to make the cut at the Masters in 2021. Only the top 50 players (plus ties) on the leaderboard will remain for Saturday and Sunday, a new hard cut put into place by Augusta officials in 2020 to keep the weekend field small.
Since 2013, any player within 10 strokes of the clubhouse leader after 36 holes would have advanced to Round 3 in addition to the top 50 automatic qualifiers.
The new rule ensures the Masters cut is now the most difficult of golf’s four majors. The top 60 players make the cut at the U.S. Open, while the top 70 players make the cut at the PGA Championship and The Open Championship.
Masters cut line 2021
The cut line is projected at 3-over par, meaning 32 players would miss the cut at the end of the second round.
- Projected cut: 3 over
- Players within cut: 56
- Notables in danger: Brooks Koepka (+5), Phil Mickelson (+3), Rory McIlroy (+7), Jason Day (+9)
How many make the cut at the Masters?
The initial 88-player field will be whittled down to the 50 (including ties) by the time second round concludes Saturday morning.
Masters live leaderboard
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