AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tyrrell Hatton had just completed 18 holes of a nearly perfect performance from tee to green on Friday at the Masters. He had hit all 18 greens in regulation, becoming only the third player in the last 30 years to achieve this feat. He had played his lowest round ever at Augusta National, a 6-under 66 – playing his way back into the tournament in the process. He stands at 4-under after 36 holes, tied for seventh place, and will have a late tee time for Saturday's third round.
Naturally, in his post-round analysis, he couldn't help but mention his only misstep: a three-putt bogey on the final hole, the sole blemish on his scorecard. That's just Hatton's way. Absolutely 'on brand.' 'Today was a great day,' he said. 'Walking up 18, I was actually pretty confident that I couldn't mess it up so badly that I wouldn't shoot my best score here. Of course, I tried with a three-putt, which was disappointing to say the least. But yeah, I certainly wouldn't have taken 6-under before the start.'
It was a day anyone in the field would have gladly accepted, especially with how Hatton handled his irons and wedges. No long putts were needed for the 66. It was just one birdie chance after another. He converted the short ones. A great chip at the par-5 second hole set up a 7-foot putt. A wedge from 61 yards (56 meters) at the third hole landed 10 feet away. Back-to-back birdies! He birdied the par-4 seventh hole with another great approach shot to 8 feet, then two holes later his shot from 113 yards (103 meters) landed 9 feet away. He made the turn at 4-under.
His tee shot at the 155-yard (142-meter) par-3 12th hole landed 8 feet away. He nearly holed his third shot at the par-5 15th for an eagle. There was a tap-in birdie there. Then at the par-3 16th hole, another great tee shot, this time to 6 feet. The only approach shot he might have wanted back was on the final hole, perhaps one club too many, and that left him with a tricky 43-foot putt. His 6-foot par putt lipped out.
'I created a lot of opportunities,' said the Legion XIII star. 'I would've liked to see more putts drop. I don't feel like I really holed that many putts, certainly not outside of about 7 or 8 feet (2.1, 2.4 meters).' Indeed, his putting performance could have been more productive; he could have turned the 66 into something even more special. He nearly holed a couple of 20-plus footers (6-meter-plus putts) on the front nine and had two birdie chances within 16 feet (4.8 meters) on the back nine. Nevertheless, once the annoyance over the final bogey fades, he'll gladly remember his best day ever at Augusta National.
He went on the
