Masters 2017: Bubba Watson misses first-ever cut at Augusta

Bubba Watson will have to take his pink ball and go home early for the first time in his Augusta career after the two-time Masters champion failed to overcome a terrible four-bogey start to his second round.

In addition to the Masters titles, Watson owns a bunch of so-so finishes, but the guy — who bravely goes where no Masters player has gone before by using a mini-golf ball on Bobby Jones’ hallowed fairways — had never missed a cut in nine starts at Augusta.

That streak came to an end this year, as Watson began Friday’s second round with four straight bogeys and five in his first six holes. He appeared to right the ship with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 8 and 9, but three more bogeys in his final five holes, including one on 18, deep-sixed his chances to advance to the weekend.

Watson finished his second round with a 6-over 78 and 8-over for the week — two strokes south of the cut line.

The 53 players making the cut, at 6-over or better, were players with the top 50 scores and ties, as well as anyone within 10 shots of 36-hole co-leaders Charlie Hoffman, Sergio Garcia, Thomas Pieters, and Rickie Fowler (4-under) after two rounds.

Another player whose horrid beginning doomed his chances of making it to Saturday was Danny Willett. The defending champion turned in a 78 after starting the second round with a god-awful quadruple-bogey 8 on the treacherous first hole.

Willett became the first player since Mike Weir in 2004 to miss the cut the year after winning a green jacket. And, as it is with the tradition unlike any other, Willett will have to hang around until Sunday night to slip the green jacket over the shoulders of this year’s winner.

Other notables missing the cut and who are free to move about the country include:

Branden Grace, thanks to this beauty, joined 58-year-old Larry Mize, Jason Day, and six others who just made the cut on the number:

Jordan Spieth, despite a 9 on the 15th hole and a 75 on Thursday, bounced back impressively with a 69 to get to even-par for the week and ensure himself a Saturday tee time. The 2015 Masters winner began the day 10 shots off the lead and ended the round just four back.

As for Watson, his play this week was not surprising to anyone who has followed the incredible disappearing man in 2017. Shedding a bunch of weight by cutting out “everything that tastes good,” as he recently told Golfweek’s Jeff Babineau, has the 38-year-old in better shape physically, but it’s wreaked havoc with his game.

“The adjustment has been losing about 20 pounds and getting out of whack with ball position, with everything, chipping, putting, driving, irons, everything,” Watson said during last month’s match play tournament.

Match play yielded Bubba’s first top-10 finish since a T10 at the Tour Championship in September. The MC at Augusta appeared to be a prospect Watson was expecting.

“No matter what happens,” Watson said during the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, “I can still miss the cult at the Masters, I’ll still be there the following year. So I’m good.”

Still, Bubba being Bubba, the polarizing nine-time PGA Tour winner just couldn’t slam his trunk without a parting salvo aimed at his pals in the press.

Never change, Bubba.