Masters 2024 projected cut: Tiger Woods eyes record as defending champ Jon Rahm sweating

Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm are among the golfers who face a nervous second round as they look to make it to the weekend at the 2024 Masters. Woods is chasing history at Augusta National, while reigning champion Rahm has left himself with work to do on day two.

A select group of 89 players started the competition on Thursday, but not all will advance to the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday. That’s because some will fall short of the cut, designed to whittle down the field even further.

Since the 2020 edition, the top 50 players (including ties) after days one and two progress into the final stage of the tournament, with any player outside that quota cut from the pack. But for legendary golfer Woods, there’s an extra pressure riding on this year’s Masters.

While the 15-time major winner is unlikely to challenge for the green jacket, Woods can secure his own bit of history at the 2024 Masters by breaking the record for the most consecutive times a golfer has made the cut. Heading into this year’s edition, the American was level with Gary Player and 1992 champion Fred Couples on 23 cut appearances, with a top-50 finish this time around making Woods the outright record holder.

After the early stages of day two, Woods remains well placed to make the cut, with the veteran one over par having birdied holes three, six and eight. However, the current holder of the green jacket, Rahm, has been left sweating after his first-round showing. The Spaniard entered day two one over par, but went up to two over par after a bogey on the third.

Granted, the 29-year-old still holds a solid chance of making it through to day three, given the projected cut is likely to be five over par. But, hopes of retaining the green jacket have all but faded away because of his poor showing.

Elsewhere, three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson is also hoping for a better showing in the second half of his round two outing, with the 53-year-old two over after six. Whereas, Shane Lowry is another big-name player at risk of missing out on the cut, with the Irishman three over par after his second-round outing.

There are no such fears for the PGA Tour world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who has shone out on the course so far. The bookies’ favourite to win in Georgia, Scheffler has been the early pacesetter, along with fellow countryman Bryson DeChambeau.