Jim Furyk, Martin Kaymer among notable names missing Masters cut

Jim Furyk entered Masters Tournament play coming off strong practice rounds, but missed opportunities set him back just enough to end his week early.

Furyk shot 1-over-par 73 on Friday to finish 3-over, one stroke off the cut that fell at 2-over. It was just the third time in Furyk’s 19 Masters appearances that he missed the cut.

The 44-year-old finished in the top 25 each of the past four years after missing the cut in 2010. His two-round total of 147 is his highest since that year.

“I’m disappointed because I really had good practices Monday through Wednesday,” Furyk said. “I felt really good about my game. I really couldn’t have asked for more from Monday to Wednesday, and it didn’t translate to the last couple days.”

Furyk bogeyed four of the first 11 holes Friday before birdies on Nos. 13, 15 and 17 gave him a chance to make the weekend. He played the par-5s 1-over Thursday and struggled making putts Friday, including three-putts on Nos. 3 and 7 for bogeys.

“I actually played a lot better today than yesterday and didn’t get anything out of it, so that’s frustrating,” Furyk said.

Martin Kaymer, the 2014 U.S. Open champion and winner of The Players Championship, found himself scrambling from the beginning Friday to reach the cut, and he fell short at 7-over by shooting 75.

Kaymer is one of the more decorated players to miss the cut. Aside from the two big wins in 2014, he won the 2010 PGA Championship and made his third Ryder Cup appearance last year. He entered the week ranked 14th in the world.

It was Kaymer’s first missed cut at the Masters since 2011.

Tom Watson, 65, drew memories of his two Masters victories after shooting 71 in the first round, but a second-round 81 knocked him out of the weekend.

Watson shot 40 on the front nine Friday and finished with triple bogey on No. 18 to miss the cut for the fifth consecutive year.

“Shooting under par and having a chance to make the cut, that was the high,” Watson said. “The low was today with the way I played. I just didn’t perform today.”

Fred Couples finished at 9-over to miss the cut for the first time since 2009. He rebounded from an opening-round 79 with 74 Friday, but the hill was too steep to climb. It was just his third missed cut in 31 Masters.

Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer missed the cut at 3-over after a bogey on No. 15. Other notable names to miss the weekend were J.B. Holmes, Brandt Snedeker and Billy Horschel.