Double bogey on No. 15 kills Jason Day’s momentum in Round 2 of 2023 Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. – As Brooks Koepka pulled away from the field Friday at the Masters there was one player who appeared to be keeping pace until a late collapse.

Jason Day was 9 under through 13 holes, just three shots behind Koepka, when his drive at the par-5 15th hole found the left rough and his third shot from an awkward lie fell well short of the green and into a water hazard.

Day doubled the 15th hole and finished with another bogey at No. 18 for an even-par 72 and a 5-under total, seven shots behind Koepka.

Full-field scores from the 87th Masters Tournament

“I had really good momentum going into 15 and just had three bad holes,” Day said. “I’m actually very disappointed with how I finished. Being decently close to where Brooks was going into the weekend, you never know how it goes, and obviously going from 9 to 5 [under] was a bit of a kick in the gut.”

Day was among this week’s favorites thanks to his play this season, including six top-10 finishes and a jump from 112th to finish 2022 in the world ranking to 35th. That progress, however, didn’t help the Australian’s mood following his late struggles at Augusta National.

“It feels good, but today kind of ruins it for me,” Day said. “I’ve just got to give myself time. I’ve just got off the golf course and I’m thoroughly annoyed with myself, and I’m sitting here answering questions, and that can be difficult because it’s in the heat of the moment.”