Masters Mayhem Highlights Why Golf Is Better With Halfway Cuts

Saturday at the 2023 Masters won't be forgotten in a hurry. Severe weather was promised in the build-up to the 87th edition of the iconic tournament and it arrived on Friday afternoon, bringing three trees crashing down and meaning almost half the field were left to complete their second rounds on Saturday under a Georgia deluge. 

Cameron Young described the conditions as "basically impossible", but as the players suffered, patrons in attendance and those tuning in around the world were treated to some enthralling action, as a host of the game's biggest names battled to make the Masters cut. 

In this age of LIV Golf and PGA Tour designated events, it was a stark reminder of why cuts are so important to professional golf.

Among those fighting to stick around for the final 36 at Augusta National was Tiger Woods. At two-over with seven holes left when play resumed at 8am local time, his chances of winning a sixth Green Jacket were already as good as gone, and if there's anyone who doesn't need to put any unnecessary strain through their body, it's the 47-year-old with a near-bionic right leg.

Yet Woods fought for every shot and eventually tapped in to finish three-over and make his 23rd consecutive cut at Augusta National to equal the Masters record. It was remarkable.

Behind Woods, Justin Thomas and Sungjae Im were locked in similar battles. Thomas began his day at two-under before the weather got the better of him and left him needing a par at the last to scrape through. As his 10-footer pulled up short, the anguish was written all over his face.

In the next and final group on the course, Im needed to get up-and-down from 26 yards on Augusta's brutal closer to join Woods in the house at three-over. To his immense credit, he did it. His reward? A third-round tee time with the 15-time Major champion.

For all that the play of Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and amateur Sam Bennett has been a joy to watch so far, that grind to eek everything possible out of a round of golf is just as entertaining and certainly far more relatable.

"Further evidence you should not do away with cuts, it's a big part of 72 holes," veteran Sky Sports Golf commentator Ewen Murray said. 

"I agree 100 per cent," Butch Harman added. "These new tournaments they're talking about with 70-80 players, no cuts, for a lot of money, there's something about a cut.

"Look at the excitement of the last hour just to make the cut. None of them had a chance to get to the lead. It was just to make sure they could be here for the next two rounds."

Speaking of these 80-player tournaments with no cuts for guaranteed money, or "designated events" as they're to be known, as host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, Woods admitted discussions over the format are "ongoing".

"I certainly am pushing for my event to have a cut," he said. "I think that maybe the player-hosted events may have cuts. These are things that Jack and I are still in discussion with Jay and the board and the tour and the rest of the guys. That still is in flux. 

"I still think that there needs to be a penalty for not playing well, and to have that -- every event shouldn't be always guaranteed 72 holes. I think that there should be a cut there. But we are trying to figure that out. And you know, what designated events those are going to be, how many are there going to be, that's still ongoing. But that conversation is still being had."

Let's hope the conversation goes well.