Masters 2023 results, highlights: Jon Rahm in hot pursuit of Brooks Koepka atop leaderboard after up-and-down Round 2 finish

Sam Jarden

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Masters 2023 results, highlights: Jon Rahm in hot pursuit of Brooks Koepka atop leaderboard after up-and-down Round 2 finish image

Round 2 is (finally) in the books at Augusta, as the field has now completed 36 holes and cuts have been made.

LIVE: Updates, highlights from Round 3 at the Masters

After inclement weather suspended play on Friday, it resumed Saturday, meaning several groups had to stretch their 18 holes over two days.

As leader Brooks Koepka sat comfortably in the clubhouse, Jon Rahm did his best to close the gap in the leaderboard. Rahm had a topsy-turvy final four holes, as he went birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey on 15, 16, 17, and 18. He finished the day at 10-under through 36 holes, in sole possession of second place.

Arguably the biggest story of the tournament, however, sits in sole possession of third. Amateur Sam Bennett is wowing at his first Masters, as he looks to become the first amateur player to ever win golf's most prestigious tournament. With the way he's playing, he has a legitimate shot to do so.

MORE: Watch the Masters live on Fubo (free trial in US) 

Elsewhere, Tiger Woods made the cut for a shared record 23rd consecutive Masters, tying Gary Player and Fred Couples, who incidentally became the oldest player to make a Master cut Saturday at 63 years old. Woods will play through the weekend, and it will be interesting to see how teeing off twice in one day affects him physically.

The Sporting News tracked all the key moments from Round 2 of the 2023 Masters Tournament: 

Masters leaderboard 2023

  Player Score (hole)
1. Brooks Koepka -12 (F)
2. Jon Rahm -10 (F)
3. Sam Bennett (a) -8 (F)
T-4 Collin Morikawa -6 (F)
T-4 Viktor Hovland -6 (F)

Click here for the entire 2023 Masters leaderboard

Masters live updates, highlights from Round 2

(All times Eastern.)

Saturday, April 8

11:10 a.m.: Round 3 play will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET, with players set to go off the first and 10th tees in threesomes. The lead group featuring Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Sam Bennett will go off No. 1 at 1:06 p.m., with Tiger Woods, Thomas Pieters and Sungjae Im set to start from No. 10 at the same time. 

Follow updates and highlights from Round 3 here.

10:35 a.m.: Cameron Young was able to save par on 18 to stay at 5-under.

10:34 a.m.: Thomas bogeys on 18 to move to 4-over, and he's going to miss the cut. Thomas is visibly upset by his finish.

10:32 a.m.: Rahm now finishes at 10-under for the first two rounds, following a bogey on 18. He'll begin Round 3 two strokes off of Koepka for the lead.

10:29 a.m.: Cameron Smith isn't the one to solve 17 here, as he hooks it off the fairway into the trees. It's been hard on everyone. Sungjae Im's drive on 18, meanwhile, ends up a hair off the fairway. He's a 3-over, so he and Thomas BOTH must birdie to push the cutline to 2 over.

10:17 a.m.: Im looked displeased with himself on his second shot on 17, and he's going to have some tough work to save par. 17 has been a bear all day for the returning players.

10:12 a.m.: Thomas is going to bogey 17 to move to 3-over, pushing that to the cutline. Woods will make it if this holds.

10:11 a.m.: What a shot from Jon Rahm here on 17! Incredible chip to birdie for the second time in three holes as he approaches No. 18 just one stroke off of the lead. Hard to overstate how impressive he's been in this weather.

9:59 a.m.: Woods' day ends at 3 over, meaning he needs either Thomas or Im to finish the day at 3 over.

9:54 a.m.: Rahm misses wide on his opportunity to save par there.

9:52 a.m.: Woods is about to putt to remain at 2 over, but it's going to be tough. His approach didn't quite land where he wanted it to.

9:37 a.m.: Tiger continues to flirt with the cut line. He bogeys on No. 17 to go into the final hole 2 over. He absolutely needs a par on No. 18.

9:31 a.m.: The downslope on No. 15 is just brutal. A shot from Justin Thomas landed around the hole and nearly ended up in the water. Jon Rahm, meanwhile, adjusted perfectly and lands within feet of the pin. He looks like he'll end up a stroke behind Koepka with three holes left.

9:25 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay hits an incredible shot on No. 16, within a few feet of the pin. That's the best shot so far this morning, and it isn't especially close.

9:18 a.m.: Young birdies while Rahm and Thomas settle for par. Good bounceback for Young and he's back in fourth place.

9:15 a.m.: Patrick Reed bogeys on No. 18 and finishes his day(s) with a 70. He goes into Saturday at 3-over.

9:13 a.m.: Potentially big moment here on 14, as Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Young will all putt for birdie. Thomas is trying to get to even on the tournament, Rahm wants to get to within a stroke of Koepka, and Young wants sole possession of fourth place.

9:09 a.m.: Tiger Woods had a huge moment, birdying on No. 15 to move to 1-over on the tournament, inside the projected cut line. It came after he hit the flag on his third shot on the Par 5 hole, recreating an iconic moment in the 2013 Masters when that shot ended up in the water.

9:07 a.m.: Justin Thomas does an on-course interview here talking about the conditions. He says he was up at 4:45 a.m. He also talks about the softer green and how preparation becomes moot when the course is this wet.

9:02 a.m.: Despite difficult green conditions, Rahm is able to save par after he used a putter just outside of the green. He remains within two strokes of Koepka.

8:58 a.m.: Young very nearly saved par there, but came up just short. Would have been an unbelievable par on an otherwise disastrous hole.

8:53 a.m.: Young played his fourth ball there after finding it in the straw, and hits it wide of the green. He's going to play for a six here on the Par 5 hole. Rahm's shot nudges up against Young's in a fun bit of serendipity.

8:46 a.m.: Cameron Young with an absolute debacle on No. 13. He lost a ball in the pine straw and he'll try to shoot out of it again. That is immensely frustrating after he just moved into fourth.

8:39 a.m.: The rain is starting to hammer these players a bit more, and visibility is low. Really tough conditions for these players. 13 sees a few hooks but Rahm does stay on the fairway.

8:34 a.m.: The restart seems to have served Cameron Young well. He birdies again to move into sole possession of fourth place at 7-under par for the weekend. Huge shot there as he continues to move. Rahm also birdies on No. 12 to get to 10-under, well within striking distance of Koepka.

8:30 a.m.: Hovland spent a bogey earlier, but he salvages it with a birdie to get back to 6-under and tie with Morikawa again. Solid comeback for Hovland there.

8:28 a.m.: Great putt from Xander Schauffele to birdie on a long putt. Solid work there.

8:26 a.m.: Rahm stuck one on the Par 3 12th here as he continues to try to jump up the leaderboards. He's trying to make a move, having birdied on Nos. 8 and 9 before hitting par on 10 and 11.

8:21 a.m.: Jon Rahm nearly hits an incredible shot but he just missed the cup on No. 11. He should be able to close out for par after a rough first shot.

8:13 a.m.: Rahm is trying to shoot himself out of a bit of a mess. He drove one into the trees and shot it to the right of the green. That's a salvageable lie after a tough opening drive.

8:10 a.m.: 63-year-old Fred Couples is trying to become the oldest player to make the cut at the Masters. Couples is even on the 18th hole as he continues that journey. An incredible tournament for him.

8:06 a.m.: 65-year-old Sandy Lyle finishes his day on No. 18 to close out his 42nd Masters start. This weekend wasn't always fun for him, but it's a capper on a prestigious career.

8 a.m.: The Masters have returned following yesterday's suspension. It's a misty morning at Augusta National, and we kick off with a putt for birdie from Jon Rahm that lies just left. Tiger Woods tees off next.

7:35 a.m.: One player who will not return to the course is Louis Oosthuizen, who withdrew due to an unspecified injury after completing 17 holes Friday. The 2012 Masters runner-up is the second LIV Golf player to withdraw, following Kevin Na's departure due to illness after nine holes Thursday. 

7:15 a.m.: Second-round play is set to resume at 8 a.m., but of course the weather will be top of mind for everyone all day. Rain chances remain extremely high throughout the day, but the hope will be to at least finish the second round in the morning and take it from there. 

The official forecast: 

Friday, April 7

6 p.m.: Here's one final look at the surreal scene that unfolded earlier this afternoon when three Georgia pines toppled to the ground in front of the 17th tee:

5:54 p.m.: So, that announcement concludes an unusual and eventful Friday at The Masters. Almost half of the field will be back on the course bright and early tomorrow morning to finish the second round. Others, like leader Brooks Koepka and amateur Sam Bennett, will be able to sleep in and get some rest ahead of the start of their third round. The temperature is expected to drop considerably overnight, so the tournament will have a much different feel the rest of the way. 

5:50 p.m.: Tournament organizers have officially suspended play for the rest of the day. The golfers who still need to complete their second round will do so tomorrow morning starting at 8 a.m. It has also been confirmed that no one was injured when three towering trees crashed down in front of the 17th tee box.

5:06 p.m.: I don't think we've ever had a day quite like this at the Masters. It's hard to imagine they'll resume play today with the situation that has unfolded in the last half an hour, but we'll have to wait for an official announcement. 39 players have still yet to finish their second round, including Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Cameron Young. 

4:52 p.m.: Very scary situation as several large trees have come crashing down in front of the 17th tee box. ESPN's Scott Van Pelt just told viewers that, thankfully, no injuries have been reported. But this is a serious issue, and these trees will need to be cleared before play can resume. 

4:42 p.m.: It seems high winds from the storms rolling through have already started causing some major problems at Augusta. One of the course's famous Georgia pines came tumbling down just moments before the horn sounded. The tree was located between the 16th green and the 17th tee, and it appears to have fallen in front of the tee box on the 17th hole. We can only hope everyone is ok.

4:23 p.m. WEATHER DELAY: Woods gets up and down for par after missing the green at No. 11, and moments later horns ring out once again to bring play to a halt. We have entered our second weather delay of the afternoon. At this point, it's hard to say what the forecast looks like for the rest of the day, but they seem to be shuttling players back to the clubhouse — which isn't a great sign. 

4:14 p.m.: How about this up and down from Cameron Smith? He makes the bold choice to use a three wood out of the fairway bunker on No. 8, and it pays off after he knocks it on the green and sinks the eagle putt. Sensational.

4:05 p.m.: Rahm just got a huge break on the 9th hole after his drive bounced out of the trees back into the fairway. And he takes full advantage, hitting an iron shot to about 15 feet and draining the putt for his second consecutive birdie! Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, I suppose. 

3:53 p.m.: Despite driving it into the fairway bunker on No. 8, Rahm is able to lay up and wedge it close for his first birdie of the day. That gets him into a tie for second place at -8.

3:45 p.m.: This is going to be a long, tough afternoon for everyone out on the course right now. It seems like everyone towards the top of the leaderboard is either backing up or stuck in neutral, with no one capable of closing the gap Koepka has built. The fact he and Bennett were able to finish their second rounds earlier today could be huge. 

3:33 p.m.: Rahm buries a fairly lengthy par putt on the 7th hole to stay at -7. His second round has started with seven consecutive pars. 

3:28 p.m. PLAY RESUMED: A roar goes up from the patrons as airhorns are blown again, signaling the resumption of play. Wasting no time, Woods knocks in a short birdie putt at the par 5 8th hole to move back to -2 and inside the cut line. 

3:24 p.m.: Good news, golf fans. Play is going to resume shortly after a very brief delay. The players are moving back into position from their sheltered areas, and we should be back underway here momentarily. 

3:08 p.m. WEATHER DELAY: And there's the sound we've been dreading all day. Air horns ring out across the grounds at Augusta National, and play has officially been suspended. Storms have moved into the area making it unsafe for players to continue — for now. Fingers crossed we'll be able to see more golf this afternoon. 

3:02 p.m.: McIlroy bogeys two out of his last three holes, including the 18th, and his week is almost certainly over. What a massive disappointment for the No. 2 ranked player in the world. He was one of the biggest favorites heading into the tournament, but he's going to be on an early flight home. 

2:52 p.m.: Bennett blasts a birdie putt on the 18th green way past the hole, but he's able to coax the comebacker in for par to finish Round 2 with a four-under 68. What a day for the amateur! He's four shots off the lead, but he finds himself in solo second place with 36 holes remaining. 

2:49 p.m.: Woods hits a poor tee shot on the par 4 7th hole, and after punching out from behind a tree he catches a bad break when his ball trickles into a fairway divot. He can't save his par from there, and a bogey drops him to +3 and outside the projected cut line. He missed some early opportunities which could come back to haunt him.

2:43 p.m.: Scheffler had a really rough day today. That shocking four-putt double bogey on the 9th hole threw him all out of sorts, and a bogey at the 18th drops him to -1 overall at the halfway mark of his tournament. His three-over 75 today is the worst round of his Masters career. 

2:35 p.m.: Hovland's wayward tee shot on the par 3 6th hole costs him after he can't get up and down from over the green. That's his first bogey of the week, and it drops him to -6, six shots off the lead. Woods hit a beauty in there close, but his birdie putt slides by the right edge and he'll have to settle for another par.

2:30 p.m.: McIlroy is fighting hard to try and work his way back inside the cut line. His birdies on the par 5 13th and 15th holes have pulled him back to +3, just one shot outside of the projected cut line. If he can get one more birdie c coming in, there's a good chance he'll at least be around for the weekend.

2:15 p.m.: Woods and Hovland are both off to uneventful starts with pars on each of their first five holes. Their playing partner, Xander Schauffele, has struggled early and is +3 for his round so far. This afternoon wave is facing a very different test from what Koepka and the morning wave did earlier today, and scores will almost certainly be noticeably higher for the late starters. 

1:52 p.m.: Raindrops are beginning to fall around Augusta National. The competitors will keep on playing through it until the thunder starts, at which point play will be suspended. The best case scenario is that the heavy stuff holds off until closer to 7 p.m., allowing the entire field to finish out the second round today. But that's probably wishful thinking. The forecast calls for some storms to arrive before that.

1:46 p.m.: We might have a superstar in the making here with Sam Bennett. He just rolled in a gorgeous birdie putt on the 14th hole to move into second place on his own at -8. This is shaping up to be one of the greatest amateur performances at Augusta in a very long time. 

1:37 p.m.: One name it seems like we haven't heard much about so far is Phil Mickelson. But the 52-year-old is going to be up there near the top 10 heading into the weekend after posting a three-under 69 today. He sits at -4 overall for the tournament. Very impressive stuff from the three-time Masters winner.  

1:22 p.m.: Amateur Sam Bennett continues to play some absolutely fantastic golf. After a beautiful wedge shot, he rolls in a birdie putt on the 13th hole to move into a tie for second place. He's completely outplaying his playing partner, defending champion Scottie Scheffler. If he keeps this up, he could be looking at a spot in the final group tomorrow. 

1:12 p.m.: Woods makes a routine par on the first hole after hitting the green and two-putting. Meanwhile, on the other side of the course, Jason Day just double bogeyed the 15th hole after chunking a wedge shot into the pond in front of the green. That drops him back to -7, leaving Koepka with a five-shot lead. 

1:05 p.m.: Hovland is already in a world of hurt just three shots into his second round. After flying the green with his approach, he hits his pitch shot way long and faces a very long par putt. But hold on, he knocks it right in the back of the cup to avoid his first bogey of the week! What a save for the Norwegian! He remains at -7.

1:00 p.m.: Koepka makes a stress-free par on the 18th hole to post a five-under, 65 in Round 2. He can now sit back and relax as the rest of the field is forced to deal with the nasty weather ahead. It might be a long time before he hits his next shot in this tournament. 

12:58 p.m.: As far as the weather goes, it looks like storms will begin rolling in sometime around 3 p.m. That means Woods and Hovland will hopefully be able to get about nine holes in before conditions deteriorate.

12:54 p.m.: Fore, please. Now on the tee: Tiger Woods. He starts his round just one shot inside the cut line at +2, with a challenging round ahead of him to make the weekend. Also a part of the 12:54 p.m. group is Viktor Hovland, who now finds himself five shots behind Koepka after being tied for the overnight lead. 

12:47 p.m.: Koepka drains a knee-knocker for par on the 17th hole to keep his scorecard perfect on the day. He follows that up by bombing one down the 18th fairway. He has a chance to extend his lead even further at the halfway mark of his tournament. 

12:38 p.m.: Jason Day lays up on the par 5 13th hole, but a beautiful wedge shot sets up another birdie for the Aussie. He moves to -9 and continues to nip at the heels of Koepka, who is playing just a couple of holes ahead of him.

12:28 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler just suffered what Jon Rahm did on his first hole yesterday: a four-putt double bogey. After hitting the green in two on the par 4 9th hole, he took four strokes to get it in the hole from there, missing back-to-back putts from inside a few feet. That drops the defending champion to -2, ten shots behind Koepka out in front. 

12:20 p.m.: This is turning into a catastrophic week for Rory McIlroy. He just dropped another shot to fall to +4, two shots outside of the projected cut line. He entered the week as one of the biggest favorites to win the green jacket, but at this rate he won't even make it to the weekend. A major shocker. 

12:15 p.m.: Koepka is on cruise control right now. He left an eagle putt on the 15th hole just short, but he taps in for birdie to move to -12 and stretch his lead back to four shots. 

12:13 p.m.: Jason Day chips in for birdie on the 11th hole to get to -8! That's a huge bonus from where he was playing from, and it moves him into solo second place. 

12:07 p.m.: Collin Morikawa knocks it just off the edge of the green in two and calmly two-putts for his birdie on the par 5 8th hole. That moves him to -6 and within five shots of Koepka in the lead. 

11:50 a.m.: Koepka converts an easy two-putt birdie on the par 5 13th hole to move to -11. He is still bogey-free today, and it looks like he could finish his round and post a nice little score before the weather starts to wreak havoc this afternoon. 

11:46 a.m.: Another bogey for McIlroy drops him to +3 and outside the cut line. He's just completely out of sync, and it looks like his quest for the career grand slam is going to continue for at least another year. Really surprising to see him struggle like this considering the year he has had so far. 

11:36 a.m.: Jason Day just rolled in a nice birdie putt on the 9th hole to move to -7 and into a tie for second place. The Australian is a former world No. 1 but hasn't won anywhere in the world in nearly five years. That could be some story.

11:30 a.m.: Rory McIlroy is really struggling in the early going and is now in danger of missing the cut completely. He is +2 through his first first four holes today, leaving him +2 overall for the tournament. It will certainly change throughout the day, but right now that is on the projected cut line. 

11:21 a.m.: Koepka strings together a few routine pars to remain at -10. He has looked rock solid so far, and he certainly is getting the luck of the draw in terms of teeing off early before the expected rain this afternoon.

10:57 a.m.: Collin Morikawa birdied at No. 4 to move to 5-under for the tournament, getting his day well underway.

10:38 a.m.: Per the broadcast: Koepka is the fastest player to get to 10-under par at the Masters since Jordan Spieth in 2016. He barely missed going to 11-under on nine, but he'll have to settle for par.

10:35 a.m.: A look at Koepka's impressive eighth hole here that resulted in an eagle and moved him to 10-under.

10:24 a.m.: Koepka follows up with an eagle of his own to move to 10-under on the tournament, continuing his incredible play. Koepka looks locked in here in this second round.

10:21 a.m.: Huge shot for Willett! He hits an eagle on eight to move to 4-over. Willett is playing for the weekend now, perhaps this will move him in the right direction.

10:19 a.m.: Bennett's strong putting game.

10:12 a.m.: Dustin Johnson had a Ken Griffey Jr.-esque swing, taking a hand off the club, but he somehow stayed on the fairway on three. Ridiculous shot. Meanwhile, Sam Bennett birdies his first hole of the day to get to 5-under for the tournament. His incredible weekend continues.

10:05 a.m.: Gary Woodland hooks his shot for par well left, so he's looking for bogey here. Willett, meanwhile, does save par to stay at 6-over. It's been a tough day for him so he's hoping to end the first nine strong.

9:56 a.m.: Mike Weir is teeing off alone no longer. At 10:36 a.m. he'll be alongside Michael McDermott, who is serving as a marker.

9:51 a.m.: Dustin Johnson hits for par on his first hole of the day to get things rolling. Koepka tees off on the seventh hole in the meantime.

9:47 a.m.: Phil Mickelson is through four holes, and his scorecard is chalk thus far. He's hit nothing but pars to this point to remain at 2-under for the tournament. So far it's been a solid tournament for him despite recent struggles.

9:36 a.m.: Koepka hits for par on five to stay at 8-under for the day. As he does that, Dustin Johnson is teeing off on the first hole.

9:31 a.m.: A lot of focus on Koepka this morning, but he deserves it. His approach on five is outstanding, and he has a chance to birdie here with a mid-range putt.

9:27 a.m.: Sam Bennett had an incredible first round on Thursday, shooting a bogey-free 68 4-under for the day. He'll look to take that momentum into Friday.

9:25 a.m.: Three good drives on the Par 4 fifth hole have Koepka, Woodland, and Willett in striking distance. They're all on the fairway looking to improve upon their scores. Willett especially needs to put together a few excellent holes. 

9:19 a.m.: On another long putt for birdie, Koepka comes up just short of the hole. It should be an achievable par. Woodland, meanwhile, hits a short ball on his birdie putt and is a bit frustrated with himself

9:10 a.m.: Koepka, Willett, and Woodland all save par on the third hole. A lot of struggle to get there but good work all around.

9:07 a.m.: Koepka and Woodland are trying to finesse the third hole here, and they're approaching it very differently. Koepka slightly overshot on a chip whereas Woodland laid up short. This hole has been very difficult through the first and change.

8:55 a.m.: Co-leader Brooks Koepka was first on the course among those near the top of the leaderboard after Round 1, and he's off to an auspicious start. Koepka has taken over the lead after a birdie at No. 2 and now sits alone at 8 under. 

7:40 a.m.: The weather is shaping up to be a major storyline Friday, with afternoon rain and thunderstorms expected in Augusta. Here's the PGA Tour's official forecast for the day, which doesn't bode well for players with afternoon tee times (notably, Tiger Woods): 

7:35 a.m.: The hole locations for Round 2 are out: 

What channel is Round 2 of the Masters on today?

  • TV channel: ESPN
  • TV broadcast times: 8 a.m. ET - finish
  • Live stream: Masters.com, ESPN+

The conclusion of The Masters Round 2 will be televised on ESPN beginning at 8 a.m. ET. The network will carry all the action as players complete their second rounds. Once the second round is in the books, coverage will shift to CBS for Round 3 starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Masters.com will provide free live streaming coverage of the tournament throughout the day beginning at 8:00 a.m. and running through the conclusion of Round 3 at around 7:30 p.m.

ESPN+ will carry a simulcast of ESPN's broadcast from 8 a.m. until the conclusion of Round 2. Live streams will then be available on the CBS Sports app and Paramount Plus once CBS has taken over broadcasting duties for Round 3 at 3 p.m.

MORE: Full TV schedule for the 2023 Masters Tournament 

Here is the full breakdown of the Masters TV schedule (all times Eastern): 

Date  Time (ET)  TV channel 
Thursday, April 7 3-7:30 p.m. ESPN, Fubo
Friday, April 8 3-7:30 p.m. ESPN, Fubo
Saturday, April 9 8 a.m.-TBD ESPN, Fubo
Saturday, April 9 3-7 p.m. CBS, Fubo
Sunday, April 10 2-7 p.m. CBS, Fubo

Masters tee times for Round 2

All 39 players who still have to complete their second round will resume play at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday morning. Once they have all finished, tee times will be announced for Round 3, which will take place on Saturday afternoon.  

Sam Jarden

Sam Jarden Photo

Sam Jarden joined Sporting News as an intern in 2020 and returned as a content producer in 2022. In between, he spent a year and a half at Turner Sports, managing the social media accounts for Bleacher Report, NBA on TNT, NBA TV and others. A proud UNC alumnus, he spends his free time following the Tar Heels, Buffalo Bills and Newcastle United FC, and has been known to occasionally hit the links.