Mize comes close, but fails to make cut

It was close – a 7:01 p.m. putt from Jason Day on No. 16 close – but Augusta native Larry Mize won’t be playing this weekend.

Trying to make the cut for the first time since 2009 and only the fourth time since 2000, Mize had a 5-over that left him one shot over the cut line when Day took the lead at 6-under.

Friday was a frustrating round for Mize, 54, even before he knew he wouldn’t make the cut, as he shot 4-over 76.

“I’m probably going to miss the cut by a shot or something, and I didn’t think I played very well,” Mize said after his second round. “So I still believe I can get up in the mix a little bit. As long as I can do that, I’ll keep playing.”

The 1987 Masters champion called his play sloppy – he went through a seven-hole stretch in which he got five bogeys. His two birdies of the round – on Nos. 8 and 13 – failed to keep him afloat.

“I played a little better in the back,” Mize said. “I just threw too many shots away again like I did (Thursday).”

Mize was on the bubble to make the cut after he went through his rough patch. His hope grew as the lead went to just 5-under toward the end of Friday’s play.

Then, Day made his birdie putt.

Even though Mize missed the cut, that doesn’t signal to him that he’s no longer competitive. He said that when he gets to the point that it takes good play to get him to only 78s or 80s, it’ll be time to stop.

With age, Mize said, there’s less of a margin for error.

“As you get older, we’ve got to be that much more on our game than when we were younger,” Mize said. “For any of us to play well and win here, we got to be clicking on all cylinders, I think.”