At Masters, missed-cut heartbreak comes with a microphone

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Fred Couples stood at the podium and winced, thinking about what could have been.

“I mean, I had a good time,” he said. It was clear he meant that. It was also clear he was still thinking about Augusta National’s 15th hole, where he’d made 9 on Thursday and 6 on Friday, singlehandedly dooming his chance at the cut line.

“I’ve never wedged it into the water there,” he said. “Now it’s water, water, water every time I look at the goddamn thing, and I don’t know why.”

He shook his head.

“What’s a nine? Is that a quad? Quad-double-double, wow.” That was in reference to his deflating Thursday finish. When he teed off on 15 he was two under par. When he walked off 17 he was six over. “That’s 8-over [on three holes]. I think that’s almost impossible to do, but I did it.”

But he made something clear despite his disappointment.

“You would have to be an idiot not to love Augusta National,” he said. “There are great courses all over the world, but there are none of them like this.”

THE CRUELEST, COOLEST THING that only happens on Friday at the Masters is this: we actually hear from the golfers who miss the cut.

In a typical week the golfers who shoot the lowest scores are the ones who talk to the media. Those who don’t? They’re generally permitted to trunk-slam in peace. But this week there’s more media, infrastructure and consequence to a missed cut, so it’s worth hearing about. It’s perhaps that much crueler that the one week pros are asked about their missed cuts is the week that missing the cut hurts the most — but so it goes at one of three small podiums just outside Augusta National’s scoring area.

That’s where, on Friday morning, you could have heard a heartbreaking admission from Andrew Novak, who’d just bogeyed two of his last three holes to cost himself a weekend tee time.

“Yeah, I mean, I was kind of coming up 18 thinking, ‘This could be the last time I ever get to play here,’” Novak said.

Long-term, he said, getting back to this place and earning a spot in this tournament will be motivating. But in real time?

“Yeah, this is my favorite week of the year. This is the best tournament I’ve ever played in. Just makes it a little bit more disappointing that I’m not going to have two more rounds to play in it,” he said.

Tom McKibbin came through a short while later, having just signed for a second-round 76 that cut his first-ever Masters short. The Northern Irishman admitted that he wasn’t sure what he was feeling, exactly. But he was feeling a lot.

“I don’t know. A bit annoying. Fun. Yeah, it was a bit of everything. Probably a little bit of every emotion,” he said. Mostly he described it as feeling different.

“I think it’s probably the first time I’ve come to a place and sort of felt that feel to try to not miss it again,” he said. “It’s definitely the best golf tournament that I’ve ever played.”

Anybody who has ever been to Augusta National can speak to its dreamworld quality. For one week, you’re at the center of the sporting world — with unlimited chicken sandwiches at your fingertips and an immaculate golf course in every direction. It’s a far smaller fraternity who actually gets to play the event, and nobody’s dream week ends halfway through.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, the preparation was unbelievable,” said Min Woo Lee, in disbelief after 78-77. “You would think I would be winning the tournament the way I was [playing] leading up to the event.”

BEFORE THE MAGIC NUMBER WAS DECIDED, those on the bubble hoped they’d done enough.

“I mean, it’s tough to say. Should be fine,” said Danny Willett after posting his two-day total of five over par. “Fingers crossed we get a bit of wind blowing through and we should be all right.”

“It’s not over yet,” said Harry Hall several groups later after he, too, posted five over. He called his chances 50-50. “Hopefully I’ll be around on the weekend. I’ll stay positive and see how it goes.”

But Willett’s wind never arrived. The greens stayed receptive. The cut settled at four over par, sending the two of them — plus 35 other players — home early.

Like them, Aldrich Potgieter was forced to move on to the next. It seems impossible that there could be another tournament in just a week. But sure enough…

“I’ll just enjoy the time with [my family], and then they fly back on Monday back to South Africa, and then we’ll go to RBC,” he said. “Looking forward to an elevated event next week, so we’ll try and get the game ready for that.”

In fairness, not everybody talked. As the day grew late and the property’s attention re-routed to the six-shot lead belonging to Rory McIlroy, two pros saw their tournaments suddenly go up in smoke. Akshay Bhatia needed par at the last and made double bogey. Bryson DeChambeau needed bogey and made a horrifying triple. But Bhatia wasn’t asked to speak, and by the time a reporter put in a request for DeChambeau, he was already out of sight, headed at high speed for the parking lot.

The end of their tournaments arrived abruptly, and it was only fitting that their exits did too. But others seemed happier to linger and reflect, even in disappointment.

“Special place to be. I had a lot of fun out there,” said Casey Jarvis. “Obviously a disappointing day, trying hard to make the cut. Unfortunately, that’s golf, but yeah, really happy to be here.”

As for his weekend plans?

“I’ll come watch. I’ll watch Rory. Maybe I’ll learn something, you know.”

Some amateurs were able to separate the good from the disappointment, even in real time.

“We chatted a decent amount, and he’s such a nice guy,” said high schooler Mason Howell, who played alongside McIlroy. “Yeah, I mean, that was such a special moment for me to play with my idol. Other than making the cut, that was everything I dreamed it would be.”

“I think it exceeded my expectations. I had a blast,” said Jackson Herrington, who has long-term plans for his return. “I’ll be back and will be getting one of these green jackets on.”

In the short-term?

“Maybe if I’m allowed to come out and practice, I’ll be out here tomorrow,” concluded Herrington. “It’s the best place on earth. I know that.”

Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.

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