Masters Payout 2020: Latest Projections for Top Prize-Money Earners
Nov 14, 2020
Dustin Johnson tees off on the seventh hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Moving day at the Masters is complete, and Dustin Johnson (-16) has again put himself in position for the green jacket and a hefty payday if he can hold off the field Sunday during the final round. The 2020 Masters purse is $11.5 million, equal to what it was last year and the second-highest among major PGA tournaments.
The eventual winner will take home 18 percent of that—or roughly $2.07 million. The $1.24 million second-place prize is higher than nearly every other payout for winning non-majors throughout the year, though you won't get the illustrious jacket with it. According to CBSSports.com's Kyle Porter, the third-place purse of roughly $782,000 is actually worth more than the entire field received when Jack Nicklaus won the tournament in 1986.
T-2nd: Abraham Ancer, Cameron Smith, Sungjae Im; $858,666
5th: Dylan Frittelli; $460,000
6th: Justin Thomas; $414,000
T-7th: Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Sebastian Munoz; $359,416
T-10th: Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy; $276,000
During his 13-year career, Johnson has been about as good as a golfer can be while winning just one major championship: the 2016 U.S. Open. In August, he led the PGA Championship after 54 holes, only to falter down the stretch and finish tied for second two strokes behind Collin Morikawa. It follows a trend for DJ, who finished tied for second at last year's Masters while also finishing second in the 2019 PGA Championship.
Despite being ranked the world's No. 1 golfer at some point in each of the last four years—and 100 weeks in total for his career—Johnson's repeated second-place finishes have overshadowed one of the best careers in recent memory.
Hot on his tail heading into the final day are Cameron Smith (-12), the 45th-ranked player in the world and winner of the 2017 and 2018 Australian PGA Championship; Abraham Ancer (-12), whose best finish in a major is a tie for 16th in the 2019 PGA Championship; and Sungjae Im (-12), the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
And within striking distance but needing an excellent Sunday round are Justin Thomas, Dylan Frittelli, Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm and Sebastian Munoz.
Despite showing promise in the first two rounds, Tiger Woods' even-par 72 dropped him into a tie for 20th, and Rory McIlroy's five-under 67 shot him into a tie for 10th, but he's likely too far off the pace to catch Johnson, who carded a seven-under 65 in one of his more dominant rounds of golf in recent memory.
Masters 2020: Dustin Johnson Takes Commanding Lead at 16 Under Entering Sunday
Nov 14, 2020
Dustin Johnson waits to putt on the ninth hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Dustin Johnson has pulled away from the field with one round remaining at the 2020 Masters tournament.
The No. 1 player in the world finished the third round 16 strokes under par after carding a 65 on Saturday, one of the best showings we have seen at this event in years:
Dustin Johnson: 16-under, tying Jordan Spieth for lowest 54-hole score in the history of #TheMasters
Johnson's score of 65 is the lowest third round by a 36-hole leader since Tiger Woods in 1997.
It's enough to give Johnson a four-stroke lead over Sungjae Im, Abraham Ancer and Cameron Smith, all currently tied four second place.
It's still far from over at Augusta National Golf Club with four players within five strokes and big names like Justin Thomas (-10), Jon Rahm (-9) and Rory McIlroy (-8) among those in striking distance heading into the final 18 holes.
There was a five-way tie for first place after 36 holes between Johnson, Thomas, Rahm, Smith and Ancer. However, one man stood apart from the field in Round 3.
Johnson kicked off the round with an eagle on No. 2, his second of the week, and kept it going with back-to-back birdies to sit at four under for the round through four holes.
Dustin Johnson: 47 GIR (87%) through 3 rounds this week. That is the most for any player through 3 rounds of #TheMasters since Tiger Woods in 2001 (48) the week he finished the Tiger Slam.
On the other hand, his victory is far from secure based on his history:
The stat you're about to hear way too many times over the next 24 hours: Dustin Johnson has held four previous 54-hole leads at major championships. He's 0-for-4 in trying to convert for victories.
Ancer also continues to surprise in his first appearance at the Masters. The 29-year-old is currently at 12 strokes under par for the tournament after his 69 in Round 3. Smith also refuses to go away sitting at under 12.
Meanwhile, fans could expect a late charge from some players who have shown they can post low numbers, including McIlroy, Thomas and Brooks Koepka:
Since 2015, Rory McIlroy has been +28 in the first round of majors. He's -56 in rounds 2-4.
It's the biggest gap in golf—it's not even close—and it explains why one of the best players in golf has gone without winning a major for so long. https://t.co/WOvayTDqcEpic.twitter.com/WBapcr0Yw1
Tiger Woods has played well but is likely out of contention after struggling to find birdies in the last two rounds. A Round 3 score of 72 puts him in a tie for 20th at under five for the week.
Bryson DeChambeau is also far off the lead (-3), although he can work his way into the top 10 if he plays well in the final round.
The championship will still come down to Sunday as Johnson tries to close out his second career major title.
Masters 2020: Live Updates for Leaderboard Scores on Saturday
Nov 14, 2020
Dustin Johnson, right, talks with Justin Thomas as they approach the 13th green during the first round of the Northern Trust golf tournament, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, in Paramus, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Golf fans waited 19 months for Tiger Woods to defend his fifth Masters title, but a star-studded weekend leaderboard suggests it was worth the wait.
Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Rose are just a sampling of the high-profile players with a chance to chase down the green jacket this weekend. And yes, Tiger still holds an outside chance to surge toward the lead, as well.
Let's check out all of the important details for Saturday's third round. That's followed by a preview of moving day in the year's final major tournament.
A rain delay early in the opening round combined with a lack of daylight at this point of fall has meant the Masters has been playing catch-up all week. Several golfers had to play around 27 holes Friday, and others are in the process of doing the same on Saturday after the second round finished earlier in the day.
It's added an element of an endurance test to the already difficult challenge of conquering Augusta.
Perhaps the biggest question heading into the remainder of Saturday, and also into the final round, is whether the course is going to dry out enough to give Augusta some of the bite it's lost after Thursday's rain softened up the grounds and made the greens more inviting.
If it remains soft, it figures to play into the hands of the bigger hitters like Rahm and Johnson. If those approach shots begin getting more tricky, it should benefit the more accuracy-minded contenders like Rose, Patrick Cantlay and Abraham Ancer.
Thomas, who's seeking his second major title after winning the 2017 PGA Championship, may be in the best all-around form to handle what could be changing conditions over the final two days.
If players continue to tame Augusta throughout the remainder of Saturday's action—several finished the second round on pace to challenge the all-time Masters record of 18 under—you can bet tournament officials will lay out some menacing pin positions for Sunday.
The amount of variables makes it difficult to consider any contender a clear favorite. The door is wide-open for a player like Cameron Smith, who's shown an uptick in form since the start of October after going 10 months without a top-10 finish following his win in January's Sony Open.
A couple of former Masters champions, Danny Willett and Patrick Reed, also belong in the conversation, and it's impossible to deny another weekend comeback from Woods would be a tremendous story.
Sit back and enjoy the show. An exciting finish is on the horizon at Augusta.
Masters 2020 Leaderboard: Live Look at Saturday Scores and Overall Predictions
Nov 14, 2020
Dustin Johnson watches his tee shot on the 14th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Business has picked up at the Masters after four players ended Friday tied for first place and four others were one shot behind that group.
If there's been one bit of bad news at Augusta, Georgia, to this point, the three-hour rain delay on Thursday has impacted the schedule for each of the past two days. After 44 players were forced to finish their first round Friday, 48 players were still on the course yesterday when darkness halted the action.
Fans can follow all of the action for the rest of the second round and all of the third round on the Masters' website. The second round resumed at 7:30 a.m. ET this morning, while the third round began at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Justin Ray of the Golf Channel highlighted the weight of the history suggesting only those within shouting distance of the leader after 36 holes have a shot at winning:
19 of the last 21 Masters winners were at or within 4 shots of the lead after the 2nd round.
No Masters winner has been worse than T-12 through 36 holes since Jack in 1986.
While the stage appears to be set for a dramatic two days at Augusta, Dustin Johnson would seem to have a leg up on the competition based on his performance on this course dating back to 2018:
The record for most consecutive rounds under par at #TheMasters is 10 by Tiger Woods (2000-02).
Dustin Johnson has 9 in a row (active streak); Rahm 8 in a row (active streak, round in progress).
Johnson did the bulk of his damage Thursday when he opened with a 65. The South Carolina native looked like he was on his way to another round in the 60s on Friday, but back-to-back bogeys on No. 14 and 15 forced him to settle for a 70.
DUSTIN JOHNSON CAN'T BE STOPPED‼️
DJ birdies every hole at Amen Corner to give him a three-stroke lead at #TheMasters
Abraham Ancer was among the foursome tied for the lead after Friday's play was suspended. The 29-year-old finished the second round with a 67 as he attempts to become the first player since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win the green jacket in his first career appearance in the tournament.
Round 3 could be the difference-maker for Ancer based on his performance this season. In 16 measured rounds, his third-round scoring average of 72.75 ranks 223rd on the PGA Tour. That average has been hurt thanks to a 79 on Saturday at the U.S. Open and a 77 at the Zozo Championship.
Justin Thomas could be the biggest threat to Johnson over the next two days. The 27-year-old showed excellent mental fortitude in the second round after starting the day with a double-bogey on his first hole.
I feel for Justin Thomas. Because I’ve been there. And you don’t ever want to be where I’ve been when you’re playing The Masters. pic.twitter.com/u3Su6YmsZP
The course has been player-friendly through the first two days. If that trend continues through Sunday, Thomas' closing stretch in the second round could be what catapults him to his first Masters victory.
Masters 2020: Predictions, Live Stream and TV Coverage Hub for Saturday
Nov 14, 2020
Dustin Johnson tees off on the 18th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Moving Day at The Masters is shaping up to have golf's most notable players fighting for the lead.
For starters, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas finished their second rounds Friday tied for the lead at nine under with two other players.
Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama and Tommy Fleetwood are among those fighting for their first major victories within touching distance of the leaders. Meanwhile, previous major winners Justin Rose, Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka are lurking and could surge to the top of the leaderboard with low rounds.
If the top players live up to their billing, we could witness a finish similar to the one at this year's PGA Championship, which featured a handful of golfers in contention for the victory on the final nine holes.
Masters Saturday Coverage
TV: CBS (1-5 p.m. ET)
Live Stream: CBSSports.com and Masters.com
Predictions
Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas Land in Final Group for Sunday
Johnson and Thomas could be in the best position of the marquee players to land in Sunday's final group.
The 2016 U.S. Open champion and 2017 PGA Championship winner battled through mistakes in the second round to work into a four-way tie with Abraham Ancer and Cameron Smith.
Even if they do not begin the third round in first place, the pair of experienced stars should reach the top of the leaderboard with relative ease.
Johnson was the model of consistency on the front nine Friday, as he recorded eight straight pars. He then delivered a birdie on the par-four ninth. In the first round, the 36-year-old played bogey-free golf and shot seven under with five birdies and an eagle at No. 2.
If he breaks out to a consistent start with a few birdies mixed in, Johnson could head to the back nine with confidence and the lead.
Thomas produced three runs of birdies on two holes or more in the opening two rounds. His longest stretch was four birdies from Nos. 15-18 in the second round.
His biggest advantage could come on the second hole, where he has two birdies. If he also records an early birdie or two, he may hit the double-digit under-par mark.
If the early starts are combined with either consistent rounds or the ability to bounce back from dropped shots, the pair of one-time major champions should put themselves in Sunday's final group, whether it be two or three players depending on how fast Saturday's round wraps up.
Tommy Fleetwood Puts Together Another Low Round
Fleetwood has a penchant for going low on weekends to earn top-10 major finishes.
The 29-year-old's most recent top-10 major finish—at The Open in 2019—featured three rounds in the 60s, including a low scorecard of 66 on Saturday.
At the 2017 U.S. Open, the Englishman moved up with a third-round 68, and he shot a final-round 63 a year later at the same tournament.
Fleetwood enters Saturday off a six-under 66 that brought him to within two strokes of Johnson and Thomas.
Even though he has not earned a top-10 placing at Augusta, Fleetwood has produced a low third-round score, carding a 66 on Saturday in 2018.
On Friday, the Englishman rolled in seven birdies, including three straight on Holes 2-4. If he takes advantage of those holes again, he could be on the way to replicating his previous low third rounds at majors.
Masters Tournament 2020: Mobile Updates for Saturday Leaderboard Scores
Nov 14, 2020
Dustin Johnson walks on the 17th green during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Abraham Ancer, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas ended Friday tied at nine-under for the first-place lead at the Masters.
Inclement weather on Thursday morning caused a near three-hour delay and forced the Masters to play catch-up amid limited light in mid-November. Forty-eight golfers were still on the course Friday when play was halted for darkness.
However, the Masters is scheduled to finish the third round before Saturday evening as previously scheduled, setting up what should be an excellent ending on Sunday given the packed and star-studded leaderboard.
The fall foliage at Augusta National Golf Club has also been a sight to see as well:
Here's a look at how to catch all of the action, including live scores. You can also review the top-20 leaderboard after play ended Friday as well as the day's top highlights.
How To Catch the Action
Live Scoreboard: Masters' official website. That scoreboard also features a hole-by-hole shot tracker for all 91 players in the field.
The 27-year-old Australian, who is looking for his first major win, proceeded to birdie Nos. 16 through 18 to go five-under on the final four holes of his round.
Smith and Abraham Ancer are the only golfers who have shot four-under 68 or better over the first two rounds.
Tiger Woods Remains at 4-Under
The defending Masters champion and 15-time major winner didn't have the best second round, but on the bright side, Tiger Woods has eight holes to make up some ground after Friday's action was called for darkness with him on the 11th hole.
Woods made some clutch shots to stay at four-under and keep the leaders within sight, including a birdie on No. 8 and a fantastic bunker shot on No. 2 that he nearly holed out for an eagle:
Woods can still make some moves on Amen Corner before his round ends: He notably made birdies on Nos. 13 and 15 on Thursday.
DJ Continues Torrid Pace
Dustin Johnson has been fantastic through two days.
His seven-under 65 on Thursday stands as the tournament's best round so far. DJ's second round didn't go as well (two-under 70), but his first-round start enabled him to enter the weekend tied for first.
Johnson's shot of the day occurred at the 11th, as he smashed an approach out of the pine straw and knocked home a birdie to move to eight-under:
DJ was 10-under during the second round after birdies on the 11th through 13th holes, but he fell back to Earth with bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15. He's clearly in the mix for his second major win and first green jacket, however.
Amateur John Augenstein Makes Cut at 3-Under Thanks in Part to Chip-in Eagle
John Augenstein, a 23-year-old amateur golfer who attends Vanderbilt, will play the Masters this weekend after safely making the cut at three-under.
Augenstein shot an even-par 72 on Friday after a three-under 69 on Thursday. He avoided the cut line by four shots thanks in part to this beauty at No. 13:
Augenstein is likely out of contention for a green jacket, but a top-20 finish is certainly possible for the only amateur in the field to make the cut.
Mickelson Hanging Around
Fan-favorite Phil Mickelson is only four shots off the lead at five-under after shooting three-under 69 on Thursday and two-under 70 on Friday. He's been largely brilliant over the first two days and has put himself in position to make a Saturday charge and contend for the major on Sunday.
Mickelson's shot of the day occurred at the par-three 16th, when he stuck his tee shot and rolled in a birdie putt to move to three-under:
The 50-year-old is looking for his fourth green jacket this weekend. He'd be the oldest player to ever win a major, with the current record holder being 48-year-old Julius Boros at the 1968 PGA Championship.
Rory McIlroy Bounces Back
Rory McIlroy began his second round in serious danger of missing the cut after shooting a three-over 75, but he's now positioned himself to get hot on moving day and put himself in contention following a six-under 66.
McIlroy did most of his work on the back nine, making four birdies en route to posting a spotless second-round scorecard.
Koepka Searching for Major No. 5
Brooks Koepka has won two U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, but he hasn't taken home a green jacket yet. He was in contention last year before finishing in a three-way tie for second, one shot behind Woods.
At five-under, Koepka has some work to do to catch up to the four-man group ahead of him at nine-under, but he's been on point so far. Notably, Koepka went eagle-birdie on Nos. 15 and 16 in his first round.
More mini-hot streaks like that will launch Koepka into contention, which would be a scary sight for the leaders.
Masters 2020: Definitive TV Schedule and Live-Stream Guide for Saturday
Nov 14, 2020
Bryson DeChambeau watches his second tee shot on the third hole after his first ball was lost during the second round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Four players share the lead at the 2020 Masters, which has added "daylight" to the list of challenges facing the field.
The airhorn rang out at Augusta National Golf Club at 5:30 p.m. ET Friday—same as Thursday—with a little more than half of the players on the course. Hideki Matsuyama (through 15) and Jon Rahm (12) are the leaders among those yet to complete their second rounds at eight under par.
Matsuyama and Rahm are one shot behind co-leaders Abraham Ancer, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Justin Thomas.
ESPN and CBS will split Saturday's TV coverage, while ESPN+ and Masters.com will have streams available for the busy day.
Saturday TV Schedule and Live Stream
2nd Round TV: ESPN at 7:30 a.m. ET
3rd Round TV: CBS from 1-5 p.m. ET
Live stream: ESPN+ and Masters.com
DeChambeau Hovering Near Cut Line
Leading up to the tournament, Bryson DeChambeau found himself as the focus of one storyline: Could the Masters favorite ride his driver to a comfortable victory?
Through two days, that answer is a hard no.
After a double bogey on the 13th plagued his opening round, DeChambeau encountered some trouble early Friday. Spotters lost his drive on No. 3, which forced him to take a penalty and return to the tee. He ended with a triple bogey.
Bryson hit the ball so far that literally no one was able to properly track it pic.twitter.com/iIdtegQUAS
That sparked a slide for DeChambeau, who bogeyed the next two holes and carded a 39 on the front nine. Following a bogey on No. 10, he found himself at two over par.
In fairness, he exited the course on a better note.
DeChambeau dropped in a birdie on the 12th and positioned himself for an eagle at 13. While it's a 17-footer—unlikely but entirely possible—a two-putt birdie would send DeChambeau back to even par, which is the projected cut line.
With five holes remaining in the second round thereafter, he would at least be expected to make the cut. But there's no question it's a much different conversation than anticipated for DeChambeau.
Phil Confident; Tiger in the Hunt
Because of their popularity, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods will always be players of interest at Augusta. Woods won the tournament in 2019, yes, but he and Mickelson both struggled at the PGA Championship and missed the U.S. Open cut this year.
But heading into Saturday, both are legitimate contenders for the green jacket. Mickelson is five under through 36 holes, and Woods is four under with eight holes remaining in his second round.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods
Mickelson is feeling particularly strong.
"I'm driving like a stallion," Mickelson said following his two-under 70 on Friday, per Rex Hoggard of GolfChannel.com.
Mickelson noted his frustration and disappointment with his putter, saying he's left eight-10 shots on the green. That is partially reflected by three bogeys in each of his first two rounds.
Woods, meanwhile, atoned for a couple mistakes but will be aiming for a more productive Saturday morning.
After missing an eagle on No. 2 by a literal inch, he bogeyed the third and saved a par on the sixth. Tiger dropped a shot on the seventh but responded with a birdie on No. 8, once again taking advantage of the par fives. Doing the same on Nos. 13 and 15 would be a major boost entering the third round.
Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter, @Kenyon19_BR.
Masters 2020 Tee Times: Pairings and Predictions for Saturday
Nov 13, 2020
Justin Thomas flips his ball in the air after a birdie on the 15th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas are among the co-leaders heading into the weekend at the 2020 Masters.
As most players have completed two rounds at Augusta National Golf Club, four are atop the leaderboard. Along with Johnson and Thomas, Abraham Ancer and Cameron Smith sit at nine under par.
Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele are among the players waiting to finish their rounds. Darkness suspended play at 5:30 p.m. ET, and the second round will resume Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET.
While the cut line isn't finalized, the top 50 players (plus ties) will advance to the third round. Currently that includes all those at even par.
Hole 13: Jon Rahm (-7), Louis Oosthuizen (-7), Bryson DeChambeau (+1)
Hole 16: Hideki Matsuyama (-8)
* denotes 10th-tee start
Second round will resume at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday. Full tee times and pairings for the third round will be available on Masters.com after the second round concludes.
Saturday Predictions
Players will be fighting the cut line early Saturday, and DeChambeau is among the biggest names in that category.
His frustrating day included a triple bogey and four other bogeys, and the horn sounded with DeChambeau at one over par. But a birdie on No. 12 and an eagle opportunity on No. 13 to begin Saturday has the U.S. Open champion in good position to reach the weekend. We anticipate he'll overcome a rough afternoon to make the cut.
Jordan Spieth (through 10 holes) and Jason Day (starting from the 10th hole) are exactly on the projected the cut line of even par. They should be able to make the cut, but truly competing for a green jacket would require a surge Saturday morning. That's unlikely for Spieth and Day.
The bigger story, though, is the other players in DeChambeau's group: Jon Rahm and Louis Oosthuizen.
When play resumes, both Rahm and Oosthuizen—sitting at eight and seven under, respectively—have a terrific chance for a birdie at No. 13. If they knock in those putts, Rahm and Oosthuizen can reach 10 under par through two rounds. Our expectation is that happens.
And then, the race for a green jacket is on.
Tee times and pairings won't be official until the second round concludes. Still, we know the afternoon will feature the co-leaders and both Patrick Cantlay and Sungjae Im, who are eight under. Three Englishmen—Danny Willett, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose—are all seven under.
Rose is a decent candidate to rise.
Although most of the leaders have scored well on par-fives, Rose only has three birdies through two rounds. While that very much could be called a negative, those are major scoring opportunities Rose can convert to boost his round.
Webb Simpson is slightly under the radar but is also worth watching. Following an opening-round 67, he slipped to three under par. However, he'll begin Saturday with a makable eagle at No. 15, which could propel him to a top-10 score through 36 holes.
Rahm, Oosthuizen, Johnson and Thomas should stay near the top of the leaderboard and enter Sunday as the top contenders.
Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
Masters 2020: Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas Among Co-Leaders After Friday
Nov 13, 2020
Dustin Johnson watches his bunker shot on the second hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The sun set on Augusta, Georgia before the second round could be completed at The Masters on Friday but a full day's worth of action put the lead back up for grabs with a four-waytie for first place when play was called.
Abraham Ancer, Cameron Smith, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson each sit at nine under par through 36 holes for a share of the lead. More than 45 players were still on the course when the round was halted due to darkness and will finish up beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday.
Johnson spent most of the day alone in first place before trouble on the 14th and 15th holes gave the field a chance to catch up.
Here's a look at what the leaderboard looks like as Round 2 hits pause.
The Masters Friday Leaderboard
T1. Abraham Ancer (-9)
T1. Cameron Smith (-9)
T1. Justin Thomas (-9)
T1. Dustin Johnson (-9)
T5. Patrick Cantlay (-8)
T5. Sungjae Im (-8)
T5. T7. Jon Rahm (-8)
T8. Danny Willett (-7)
T8. Tommy Fleetwood (-7)
T8. Justin Rose (-7)
T8. C.T. Pan (-7)
T8. Louis Oosthuizen (-7)
Notables: T18. Phil Mickelson (-5), T22. Tiger Woods (-4), T27. Rory McIlroy (-3), T45. Bubba Watson (-1), T45. Tony Finau (-1), T49. Collin Morikawa (E), T49. Jordan Spieth (E), T61. Bryson DeChambeau (+1), T76. Matthew Wolff (+3)
Johnson appeared ready to run away with the second round with a bogey-free front nine on Friday. Three birdies in Amen Corner brought his score down even more to 11 under with five to play until trouble began. A missed putt from 32 feet out for eagle became a missed birdie putt from 14 feet out with his subsequent par save coming to a halt just inches from the cup.
It was Johnson's first mistake of the tournament. He followed up with his second on the ensuing hole as his second shot on No. 15 went into the water. The back-to-back bogeys brought him close enough back to the pack for the field to make a charge for first place.
Despite bogey's on No. 10 and No. 13 to begin his round, Thomas, who began on the back nine, found his rhythm with four consecutive birdies at the turn. A Double bogey on No. 1 took some of the shine off his round, but Thomas would make up for it with three more birdies to earn a share of the lead heading into moving day.
It was the type of recovery Bryson DeChambeau chased all afternoon but couldn't find. The 2020 U.S. Open champion played one of the more discouraging rounds in any of his major appearances this season by going four over par through five holes. A triple bogey on No. 3, in particular, seemed to derail his day almost as soon as it began.
Bryson DeChambeau finished with a triple bogey on No. 3 after losing his tee shot in the rough. He followed with a bogey on No. 4 and sits two shots below the projected cut line.
DeChambeau immediately lost his first shot in the rough and had to go back to the tee box for a second attempt. He took a seven on a par four and followed up with two more bogeys on No. 4 and No. 5 before he was able to even out his game. The 27-year-old's round paused on hole No. 13 at three-over on the day and one stroke back of the projected even-par cut line.
Of the 48 players still on the course when the horn sounded at just after 5:30 p.m. ET, ten were within two shots of the cut including former Masters champion Larry Mize (one over), Henrik Stenson (one over) and Gary Woodland (two over). They'll have to quickly make up ground Saturday morning then turn around and head back on out for the third round immediately after should they make the cut.
Defending champion Tiger Woods (four under) had just made the turn onto the back nine when play was halted. He's safely under the cut line with eight to play in the second round and will be back on the course early Saturday looking to move up the leaderboard.
Masters 2020 Leaderboard: Latest Scores and Standings From Friday at Augusta
Nov 13, 2020
Dustin Johnson watches his tee shot on the 14th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The 2020 Masters may be shaping up to be an extension of the head-to-head showdown we saw at the FedEx Cup between Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas.
Johnson and Thomas have shared the lead or held it outright at some point during Friday's second round.
The two golfers benefited from the completion of the first round on Friday morning to kick-start their respective days and start the second round in good shape.
A majority of the players currently sitting in the top 10 are ones who both finished up the first round and started the second round Friday morning.
Paul Casey, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Tiger Woods are among those trying to make up ground during Friday's afternoon session.
The players teeing off during Friday's afternoon session are expected to come back Saturday morning to finish the second round due to the lack of sunlight at Augusta National Golf Club.
At one point in the second round, Johnson was at 10 under.
The one-time major champion surged in front of the pack with three consecutive birdies on the back nine to open his second round.
Johnson came back to the field with back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 14 and 15, but he still made the turn to the front nine on top of the leaderboard.
Thomas joined him for a moment by reeling off four straight birdies on the back nine, but he gave back two shots with a double bogey at No. 1.
Although Thomas fell behind Johnson momentarily, he worked his way back up the leaderboard on the front nine, where he put up five birdies in the first round.
Johnson and Thomas were linked together throughout the FedEx Cup and were the top two contenders to win the end-of-season trophy that Johnson captured at the Tour Championship in September.
A handful of surprises have occurred alongside Johnson and Thomas from the morning wave of Friday tee times.
Dylan Frittelli garnered the most attention of the unlikely stars after he worked up to seven under to tie Casey for the first-round lead. The South African experienced an up-and-down start on the front nine to open up the second round, but he has rebounded well and is back up to his 18-hole score.
Sungjae Im, Abraham Ancer and amateur John Augenstein are among the golfers with rounds of multiple strokes under par.
The player to watch from the rest of the morning wave is Brooks Koepka, who has moved up to five under behind a four-birdie surge to open the second round. If the four-time major winner gains one or two more strokes before he finishes Friday, he could be one of the top contenders for the green jacket.
The low scores throughout Augusta suggest the players in the afternoon wave will be able to take advantage of the course as well.
That bodes well for Casey, Simpson and Schauffele, who all lost their advantage due to the Thursday afternoon/Friday morning surge.
Casey and Schauffele are both scheduled to tee off at 2:19 p.m. ET and will likely make it through nine holes and possibly one or two more before darkness falls on Georgia.
Woods' threesome, which starts at 2:30 p.m. ET, will be one of many that will return for Saturday morning play.
At the moment, the projected cut line sits at one under, so the golfers that finish there Friday may have to wait around until the second round ends Saturday for their statuses to be determined.
