Birdies continue to elude Brian Gay

Brian Gay is taking care of the golf part, and his mother and his wife are taking care of badge distribution for relatives and friends at the Masters Tournament.

Neither task is simple.

“We have a spreadsheet,” Gay’s wife, Kimberly, explained Satur­day. “We’ll be evaluating it at all times based on who is the nicest. I’m kidding!

“We’re having fun with it. We’ve been able to accommodate everybody who’s been able to come.”

Brian Gay spent part of his early childhood in Louisville, Ga., and his parents and relatives still live in the town about 45 miles from Augusta.

He said players receive eight complimentary passes and can buy four more for a total of 12 daily at the Masters.

“You think at first you’re not going to have enough, but somehow, some way, it seems to all work out,” said Kimberly, who has nearly 20 people to accommodate over Masters Week. “We’re happy to have a problem of trying to work it out on the weekend.”

Brian Gay earned his second invitation to the Masters by winning the 2013 Humana Challenge, and he made his first cut Friday after rounds of 72-74.

Gay, who had his Mas­ters debut in 2010, said he was happy to be playing with a chance to move up the board.

His problem Friday – a paltry total of birdies (one) – continued with his second consecutive round of 74 to move him down to 4-over.

“I made a couple of good par saves the last two days, but my birdie opportunities I’m not making,” Gay said. “I need to birdie more of the par-5s. I just
haven’t holed much. I feel like I’m playing pretty good every day but I haven’t made enough birdies.”

He thought the greens were drying out and the wind was not an issue, and the pin placements were “probably not as tough as yesterday, but pretty close.”

Still, he made only one birdie, on the par-5 13th after a solid tee shot put him in position to target the green instead of laying up. On the green in two, he missed a long, uphill eagle putt and settled for birdie.

Bogeys were registered at No. 9 and, for the second round in a row, Nos. 11 and 14.

“It’s hard to get it close,” Gay said. “A lot of holes, unless you’ve got a wedge coming in there, it’s tough to get the ball on the right level or the right section to get a good look.”

He finished strong by making a 12-foot putt for par on No. 17 and a 10-foot par putt on 18. That hole could have been much worse, as his tee shot hit a branch and fell straight down onto the fairway.