AUGUSTA, Ga. — The “Mad Scientist” will have to go back to his lab to figure out how to get out of Augusta National Golf Club’s vast bunkers.
Needing only a bogey on the 18th hole Friday to play this weekend in the 90th Masters, LIV Golf League captain Bryson DeChambeau made a mess of it, carding a triple-bogey 7 that left him with a 36-hole total of 6-over 150, two worse than the cut line.
DeChambeau didn’t talk to reporters after the round.
DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open winner, arrived at the 18th tee at 3 over after making four birdies and three bogeys in the second round. He posted a 4-over 76 in the first round.
DeChambeau pushed his 287-yard drive into the trees down the right side. His ball came to a rest under a massive magnolia tree. He punched his ball down the fairway, and it rolled into a greenside bunker on the left.
That’s when DeChambeau’s problems worsened. His third shot from the back of the bunker didn’t clear the lip, and his ball rolled back to his feet. He got out of the sand on his fourth shot, but his ball leaked back down the green and onto the fairway.
On DeChambeau’s fifth shot, he chipped 12 feet past the hole. He missed the double-bogey putt when his ball died about a foot from the hole, crushing his hopes to make the cut.
DeChambeau, 32, was coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes at the Masters, including a tie for fifth last season, when he played in the final group with winner Rory McIlroy during the final round.
DeChambeau survived playoffs in his past two starts in the LIV Golf League, defeating Richard T. Lee in Singapore and Jon Rahm in South Africa.
That made him a popular pick to win his first green jacket, but DeChambeau was never in contention.
In Thursday’s first round, he needed three shots to get out of a greenside bunker on the 11th hole and made a triple-bogey 7.
Other notable golfers who missed the 36-hole cut included two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (5 over), reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun (5 over), former Masters champion Zach Johnson (6 over) and Akshay Bhatia (6 over).
Robert MacIntyre (7 over), Cameron Smith (7 over) and Min Woo Lee (11 over) also won’t play this weekend at Augusta National.
