By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) -Jon Rahm mounted a charge when the weather-hit second round of the Masters resumed in rainy and chilly conditions at Augusta National on Saturday to finish two shots back of the halfway lead held by LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka.
Five-times champion Tiger Woods, walking the hilly course on his rebuilt leg, bogeyed the closing hole and finished right on the three-over-par cut line, tying Gary Player and Fred Couples for most consecutive cuts made at the Masters (23).
Spanish world number three Rahm, who had a chance at a third consecutive birdie when play was suspended on Friday with his ball safely on the 10th green, picked up right where he left off as he took advantage of the softened course conditions.
Following a pair of routine pars, Rahm birdied from 10 feet at the par-three 12th, picked up another stroke at the par-five 15th where his third shot stopped four feet from the cup to get within one of Koepka before a bogey at 16.
Rahm dropped his first shot of the day at the par-three 16th where he three-putted from 85 feet but birdied 17 with a putt from just off the green before a closing bogey for a three-under-par 69 that left him at 10 under on the week.
Koepka completed his round in ideal early conditions on Friday as he shot a five-under-par 67 to reach 12-under 132, tying the third-lowest score through two rounds in Masters history, before play was interrupted.
There were 39 players who did not complete their rounds on Friday and they returned early on Saturday in rainy and windy conditions with temperatures around 48 Fahrenheit (8 Celsius).
Woods, who has never missed a Masters cut as a professional, struck his first shot of the day to withn three feet at the par-three 12th but missed his birdie putt.
Woods birdied the 15th but closed with two consecutive bogeys for a 73 that left him one shot outside the cut until a Justin Thomas bogey at the 17th moved the line in Woods’ favour.
Amateur Sam Bennett (68) finished his round on Friday and was alone in third place, four shots back of Koepka. Collin Morikawa (69) and first-round co-leader Viktor Hovland were a further two shots back.
Couples, aged 63, became the oldest player to make the cut in Masters history after a second-round 74 left him at one over.
World number two Rory McIlroy, a pre-tournament favourite, finished his round on Friday and missed the cut.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, Georgia; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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