As amateur Brandt Snedeker (Stats | Bio) approached the 18th hole, he thought he would have a shot to play with and still make Friday's cut at the Masters Tournament. At least he was hoping.

It turned out Snedeker did have that extra shot, and he needed it. Snedeker made his sixth bogey of the day on No. 18, but at 4-over par, he sneaked in right at the cut line.

Snedeker and Casey Wittenberg (Stats | Bio) were the only amateurs to make the cut, and both are at 4-over par for the tournament. But when Wittenberg came off the 18th green, the cut was unclear.

"You know, if I was going to miss the cut this week, I was going to miss the cut," he said.

"But I wasn't going to stop trying. I just gutted and grinded it out and hopefully I'll make it."

His even-par 72 got him in and also tied him with Nathan Smith (Stats | Bio) for low round of the day by an amateur.

Smith bounced back from 78 in the first round, but ended up 6-over.

Amateurs Nick Flanagan (Stats | Bio) and Gary Wolstenholme (Stats | Bio) also missed the cut. Flanagan shot 2-over-par 78 to finish 8-over, and Wolstenholme shot 76 to finish at 9-over.

Smith played with Arnold Palmer (Stats | Bio) in front of the thousands of fans who followed and cheered for Palmer at every hole. But he said that didn't affect him until maybe the 18th hole.

He went into No. 18 on the cut at 4-over. But his second shot went into a bunker and he ended up three-putting for a double bogey, which knocked him out of the tournament.

Snedeker didn't play as well as he did Thursday, when he shot 73 and was the low amateur. He played better on the front nine Friday with 38, but he couldn't pull off his feat from the day before on Amen Corner. His birdies on Nos. 11-13 helped him to a 33 on the back nine in the first round, but he bogeyed, parred and birdied the same holes Friday.

Overall, Snedeker was happy with the way he played.

"It's just a testament to how much I really hung in there mentally," he said. "I mean, I was 4-over after the first six holes the first day and I finished 4-over for the tournament in the first 36 holes."

Wittenberg had to finish four holes from the first round Friday morning. The day didn't start out too well for the 19-year-old Oklahoma State student. He bogeyed No. 15, double-bogeyed No. 16 before two pars on the final two holes to finish the first round at 4-over-par 76.

The second round didn't start that smoothly either. Wittenberg double-bogeyed the first hole to go to 6-over before making a birdie on No. 5. He bogeyed No. 6 and finished the front nine 6-over. Birdies on Nos. 13 and 15 were the difference for Wittenberg.

"Every time I play it I get a little bit better, so hopefully I can take something out of today and play a little bit better tomorrow," he said.

Snedeker tees off at 11:30 a.m. today with Fredrik Jacobson (Stats | Bio) , while Wittenberg starts at 11:40 a.m. with Justin Leonard (Stats | Bio) .

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3219 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com