Hideki Matsuyama Survives Augusta With A Sharp 2-Under Friday, Keeps Green Jacket Chase Alive

Hideki Matsuyama stayed alive at Augusta National with a solid second round that pushed him safely inside the cut line at the Masters. The 2021 champion followed an even-par opening round with a 2-under 70 on Friday, leaving him tied for 16th and in position to remain part of the weekend conversation.

Matsuyama’s scorecard showed both control and some risk. He posted six birdies in the round, but four bogeys kept him from climbing even higher on the leaderboard.

Strong response after a cautious start

The Japanese star opened the tournament with an even-par round, which left him needing a sharper second day to avoid pressure heading into the weekend. He delivered that answer with a steadier performance that included scoring runs on both the front and back nine.

Matsuyama made birdies in bunches, with consecutive gains at Nos. 2 and 3 as well as again at Nos. 14 and 15. Those stretches helped offset the dropped shots and kept him comfortably below the projected cut line.

Consistent Masters record continues

Friday’s round extended one of the most reliable streaks in Masters play. Matsuyama has now made the cut in each of his past 12 appearances at Augusta National, a run that dates back to 2015.

During that stretch, he has also produced nine top-25 finishes, underscoring how often he has remained competitive at the season’s first major. Last year, he finished tied for 21st, and this year’s early positioning suggests another weekend run is still realistic.

Recent form adds context

Matsuyama arrived at Augusta with some useful momentum from two top-10 finishes in recent weeks at the WM Phoenix Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Those results indicated that his game was trending in the right direction even before the first tee shot on Masters week.

That background matters at a course where precision and patience often separate contenders from players who fade after a slow start. Matsuyama’s second round showed enough quality to keep him in the field and close enough to the leaders to matter if the putter and irons sharpen over the weekend.

Key numbers from Matsuyama’s second round

The opening two rounds leave Matsuyama within striking distance as the Masters moves into the weekend, and his long track record at Augusta suggests he remains capable of making another charge.