Evin Priest
Augusta, Georgia: A devastated Min Woo Lee had left no stone unturned in his Masters preparation but Australia’s top-ranked golfer almost assured himself of a missed cut at Augusta National.
Lee looked set for an early exit from the year’s first major at 11 over par, while his countryman Jason Day continued to pile pressure on pacesetter Rory McIlroy and clubhouse leader Justin Rose.
Reigning Masters champion McIlroy had climbed to seven under par through six holes of his second round, while Day was five under through nine.
Augusta National heartbreak kid Justin Rose (70, 69) posted the clubhouse lead from the morning wave a year after his second playoff loss at the Masters was dealt by good mate McIlroy.
US Open champion Wyndham Clark (68) and Tyrrell Hatton (66) each posted four-under totals.
While Australian fans waited to see how Day would fare on the back nine, Perth native Lee carded disappointing rounds of 78 and 77.
World No.25 Lee was bewildered having arrived at the April major buoyed by three solid chances to win PGA Tour titles this year.
With the Masters cut line format being the top 50 and ties, projections at 3.30pm Augusta local time were that it would fall at four over. Lee was next to no hope.
“Yeah, pretty disappointed; making two birdies out here is … not going cut it,” Lee said, after making a birdie at the par-3 12th on day one and par-3 sixth on day two. They were no match for nine bogeys and two double bogeys.
“I didn’t have my best [golf] at all. Didn’t drive it well and didn’t approach it [with the irons] as good as [I have been and] yeah, it was just pretty average. Onto next week.”
Lee has been Australia’s most in-form male golfer by a considerable margin in 2026. The big-hitting 27-year-old hadn’t finished worse than tied 38th on the PGA Tour in seven starts, while two of his top 10 results have come at elite Signature Events – the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the brutal Bay Hill. Lee was tied third in Houston, his last start before Augusta.
“Yeah, I don’t know,” Lee said of his Masters tilt. “I mean, the preparation was unbelievable. You would think I would be winning the tournament the way I was leading up to the event.
“It’s not like I was nervous or anything. I just kept hitting the same shot which was weird. Yeah, it’s … very disappointing. I thought I had great preparation and good momentum coming into this tournament. Had a lot of people supporting me to play well. Yeah, a little bummed that I couldn’t get anything going.”
Next best of the Australians was Adam Scott who was sitting well at even par until a double bogey at the 18th gave him a 74 that sank his total to two over.
“Feel like now I’ve got a lot of work to do on the weekend,” a frustrated but optimistic Scott said after. “If I was even, I would be feeling like I’m a legitimate shot at the weekend.”
Meanwhile, at five over, Cameron Smith sat outside the projected cut line through 11 holes and the 2022 British Open winner was trying to avoid a sixth missed cut in a row at the majors stretching back to the 2024 British Open.
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