In pouring rain on Saturday morning, which greatly complicated the debates and which will continue all day, Rahm, world N.3, got closer to the leader Koepka, who had already finished his 2nd round on Friday (-12).

Rahm made three birdies on Saturday, but conceded two bogeys, moving to 10 under par, two points behind Koepka, while the 3rd round will continue this Saturday at 11:30 am local time.

The rest of this 87th Masters promises a great clash between Rahm, who can, in case of victory, become world N.1 again, and Koepka, one of the 18 members of the LIV engaged in Augusta. The PGA is fighting an uphill legal battle on this competitive circuit created last summer and funded by Saudi Arabia, and which offers its participants record prizes of $ 25 million per event.

LIV golfers are in any case allowed to participate in Grand Slam lifts, which do not depend on the PGA.

Current world No. 118, Koepka, a four-time Major winner, would become, if successful, the lowest-ranked player to win the Masters since the introduction of the ranking system in 1986.

Spain's Jon Rahm gauges the distance before putting on the 18th hole of the 2nd round of the Masters at Augusta, April 8, 2023 © ROSS KINNIRD/Getty/AFP

Scottie Scheffler, current world N.1, is relegated to 27th position, after a bad score of 75 (+3) on Friday.

Narrowly cut for Woods

In 49th place, Tiger Woods (+3) narrowly made the cut. He passed it for the 24th time in 25 participations at the Masters, having failed only once, while he was still an amateur, in 1996, a year before his first title on the same course of Augusta.

With a birdie on the 15th hole and bogeys on the last two holes, the golfer with 15 Majors, including five Masters, finished his 2nd round at +1.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (+5), world N.2 and who could have recovered the place of World N.1 in case of victory, misses the cut at the Masters for the second time in three years.

In the standings, American Collin Morikawa, two-time winner of Majors, and Norwegian Viktor Hovland, who made a birdie and a bogey on Saturday, share 4th place, six strokes behind Koepka.

Handshake between Tiger Woods (right) and Xander Schauffele before the resumption of the 2nd Round at the Masters in Augusta, April 8, 2023 © Christian Petersen/Getty/AFP

In third place, surprise, is a 23-year-old amateur, Sam Bennett, certainly champion of the United States in this category, four units from the leader.

Another surprise, more anecdotal, Fred Couples, 63 years old and winner of the Masters in 1992, became the oldest golfer to pass the cut at the Masters, finishing his 2nd round at 74 (+2), after a 1st round at 71 (-1).

Finally, South African Louis Oosthuizen, one of the LIV representatives, withdrew due to injury, while he was 7 shots above par, after 17 holes of the 2nd round.

The 2nd round had to be interrupted on Friday after a storm, with gusty winds, heavy rain and lightning, hit the course in Georgia, causing three trees to fall near hole N.17, but no one was injured.

© 2023 AFP