Biggest surprises and disappointments heading into weekend at Masters

The 2016 Masters is halfway over. If the first two days are an accurate indicator, Saturday and Sunday will not only be an absolute grind but also completely unpredictable, which is exactly what we want at the Masters.

So, what were some of the best surprises over the first 36 holes at Augusta? What were some of the biggest disappointments?

Before we buckle down and head into the weekend of the Masters, let’s answer those questions.

Surprise: Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth is leading. He’s one of the best golfers in the world, so how can we really be surprised?

Well, if take a step back and view this in a big picture kind of way, it’s pretty remarkable.

Spieth has a chance to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only men to win consecutive Green Jackets. His 2015 victory already put him into an elite group with Craig Wood, Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus, and Raymond Floyd as the only wire-to-wire champions in tournament history.

Spieth can now become only the fourth to win two Masters Championships and the first to win wire-to-wire twice, consecutively or otherwise. He’s already tied with Arnold Palmer as the only other golfer in history to lead six rounds running at Augusta.

So, while it’s not surprising that Spieth is winning, it is surprising when we view the last two years as a whole and realize that he’s doing things that are almost unprecedented in the 80-year history of this great tournament.

Disappointment: Phil Mickelson

In addition to being a favorite entering the week, Mickelson was in contention through the sixth hole on Friday, sitting at one-under par.

After that, it was a pure disaster. Mickelson made double-bogey on the seventh, 15th, and 16th holes. He also made bogey on eight, nine, and 11.

Mickelson did make a birdie on 17 to give himself a chance at making the cut, but it was not in the cards.

In and of itself, it’s not surprising to see a golfer just a few months short of his 46th birthday miss the cut at the Masters. It also wouldn’t have been too disappointing for Mickelson to make the cut and fade over the weekend.

But the fact that he went from contender to out of the mix over only 12 holes of golf has to be a true disappointment for the three-time champ.

Surprise: Bryson DeChambeau

The last hole was a disaster for DeChambeau, but he’s still in the thick of things heading into the weekend, only four strokes back.

While Jim Nantz did speak highly of DeChambeau’s chances at Augusta, it’s still a genuine surprise to see an amateur playing so well. But the reigning U.S. Amateur champion has game and is showing it off at the Masters.

For a reference on how good this is, consider the amateur career of Tiger Woods at the Masters. Tiger is one of the most decorated amateurs in history and played at Augusta twice before turning pro. In 1995, he tied for 41st place and in 1996, Woods missed the cut.

DeChambeau is really heading into territory that hasn’t been ventured into for quite some time, but can he continue to stay hot?

Disappointment: Bubba Watson

Bubba had won the Masters in 2012 and 2014. Fans of symmetry certainly liked his chances in the even year. Heck, even those who find the even and odd year results to be purely coincidental had to like Watson’s chances. In addition to his two wins, Bubba entered the 2016 Masters having never missed a cut at Augusta.

That streak continues, but it’s only because of a few bogeys from Spieth coming in. Watson will play the weekend, but that’s about all he can say.

Bubba shot two rounds of 75. His second nine on Thursday was especially colorful, as Watson made five bogeys and one double on his way to a five-over 41 after making the turn at two-under.

He may not be too broken up about his bad performance, but there’s no positive way to spin it. The first two days have been a disappointing performance from one of the world’s best.

Surprise: Danny Lee

Danny Lee enters the weekend at two-under and in contention, thanks largely to an opening round 68.

While Lee has turned himself into a fine player over the last few years, his performance is a surprise. He didn’t enter with an abundance of history at Augusta National, having only missed the cut once, all the way back in 2008.

Experience tends to be very helpful at Augusta, especially when the conditions are difficult.

Lee did struggle a little on Friday, most notably finishing with two bogeys.

Still, a guy who wasn’t on many pundit’s short lists will enter the weekend as a factor, which is certainly a pleasant surprise.

Disappointment: Jason Day

At a glance, Day’s placement doesn’t look that bad. At one-over par it will be very hard for him to catch Spieth, but it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see Day make some noise over the weekend.

What is stunning is that through the first 13 holes of the tournament, Day was in great shape at five-under. By the time he finished the 17th hole, he was at even par.

Augusta’s second nine has been just brutal to the world’s No. 1 golfer thus far. He’s played the inward half at eight-over, quite the contrast to his front nine score of seven-under par.

Day will have a chance to rectify a disappointing Thursday and Friday with a strong Saturday and Sunday. Still, given that he entered as the world’s No. 1 player and one of the clear favorites, the second nine struggles are certainly disappointing to see.

Surprise: Scott Piercy

Entering the week, Piercy’s history at Augusta was a little deeper than Lee’s, but not by much. He made the cut in 2013, but finished well out of the running in a tie for 54th.

Still, Piercy got off to a nice start with a two-under 70 on Thursday. Perhaps more impressive was his 72 on Friday in conditions that had most of the contenders dropping shots to par.

Piercy entered the week as the 48th ranked golfer in the world and was certainly not a favorite. Still, if the conditions remain difficult, his ability to grind will come in handy over the final 36 holes. Expect him to be a factor over the last two days.

At the very least, Piercy’s skills at grinding through majors will certainly come in handy in June at Oakmont’s U.S. Open.

Disappointment: Rickie Fowler

Entering the week, Fowler was five-for-five in cuts made at Augusta and had recorded consecutive Top-12 finishes. This was a great opportunity for him to earn his first major victory, or at the very least to be a significant factor on Sunday afternoon.

It was not to be.

Fowler never got on track after that bad start, shooting an 80 in the opening round, playing his way out of the tournament.

A truly stunning performance from one of the world’s best players.