AUGUSTA, Ga. — Jon Rahm went from fighting for the green jacket a year ago to fighting back from below the cut line at the Masters.
The reigning champion was 6 over Friday and in danger of missing the weekend after a three-putt double bogey on the par-4 14th hole at Augusta National Golf Club. But during a roller-coaster finishing stretch, Rahm made a pair of birdies along with a three-putt bogey at No. 17 before a par at the tough final hole left him 5 over for the tournament, and one shot inside the 36-hole cut line.
The cut moved from plus-5 to plus-6 as the last groups finished amid brutal wind that sent scores soaring. That brought a group of 11 into the weekend on the number, including former Masters champs Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott.
Tiger Woods wound up making the cut easily for a record 24th consecutive time. The five-time Masters winner was at 1 over after a second-round 73.
Justin Thomas melted down for the second straight year and missed the cut by one. The two-time PGA Championship winner went double bogey-double bogey-bogey-double bogey over his last four holes, taking him from par and in the thick of the championship hunt to 7 over and out of it entirely.