Field will be crowded this weekend with 63 making cut

Today’s third round will be a little more crowded than usual.

Sixty-three golfers will tee off, tied for the second-most ever to make the cut. The same number of golfers played the weekend in the 1992 Masters Tournament. That year, 83 players were in the field as Fred Couples won. This year, 94 completed two rounds, and Couples is tied for first.

K.J. Choi, who appeared to be on his way to being a regular Masters contender, was among the 31 sent packing early.

“It’s golf. In golf, [things go] wrong sometimes,” said Choi, who had three double bogeys, six bogeys and only two birdies after No. 8 on Thursday. “There’s a next year.”

Some former Masters champions were sprinkled throughout the missed-cut list. Mike Weir (2003), Sandy Lyle (1988) and two-time winner Tom Watson were among those falling short.

Watson, 62, missed it this year by two shots, with bogeys at 17 and 18 giving him a 2-over on Friday.

The 1977 and 1981 winner said he’s not sure how many more times he’ll compete in the Masters.

“I don’t know,” he said. “That’s a good question.”

The cut could easily have been 4-over, as Jason Dufner and Lee Westwood came to 18 at 6-under. But Dufner bogeyed and Westwood double bogeyed the final hole.

Trevor Immelman, the 2008 champion, benefitted, as he played his way into the weekend after looking doomed through 12 holes on Friday.

He was 8-over but notched three birdies over the final six holes to make it.

Other golfers were also pleased to see the weekend.

Martin Kaymer, former world No. 1, hadn’t played on the weekend in Augusta in all four previous trips.

Though he didn’t sparkle with his 3-over score, he found some relief in finally surviving the first two rounds.

“A little bit. But the way I play golf, I had [15] greens in regulation today. If you shoot 3-over par, it’s very frustrating. I’d say I had a lot more chances to shoot a lower score,” he said. “It’s a shame, but I’m playing the weekend.”