Par on 18th keeps Howell on course
Charles Howell made it to the weekend this year.
That's something. He wasn't happy about his play Friday, but he made the cut for the first time since 2004. He stands at 8-over-par 152 after 36 holes at the Masters Tournament.
His 77 on Friday was just enough for the Augusta native to make the cut in his sixth Masters.
His par on No. 18 wasn't the toughest shot, given its spot on the green, but it was made much more difficult given what was riding on it.
Making the cut at the Masters is a big thing in Howell's world.
"When he needed to pull off a great shot on 18, he did," playing partner Justin Rose said. "He knew he was up against missing the cut down to the last hole, and he hit a great 5-iron around the corner to about 15 feet. He set up an easy two-putt there on that green to make the cut.
"Really, that was my memory of the day for him. When he needed to make a great shot to save himself for the weekend, he did. That was great work holding on to his par and the weekend at the end."
It was an eventful day for Howell at the tournament he wants to win more than any other. He got as low as 2-over par on the front nine, starting off in the last group of the day. Bogeys on Nos. 6 and 8 stopped his momentum, though.
Howell declined to speak with the media afterward. He is in a 15-way tie for 46th place.
"It was a tough day out there," Rose said. "It was so easy to let shots slip away. He was just unfortunate with a couple of tee shots on 11 and 17. He just clipped trees and the balls came ricocheting back, and those things obviously set up bogeys."
Howell hit Ike's tree with his tee shot on the 17th. The large pine tree was named for President Eisenhower, an Augusta National Golf Club member who frequently ran into tree trouble on No. 17. Rose said the ball ricocheted back towards the tee.
That hole has been Howell's nemesis. He bogeyed No. 17 both days.
Howell hit 18 of 36 greens and 13 of 28 fairways. He three-putted four times.
Another Augusta native, Larry Mize, didn't fare as well.
His 78 Friday wasn't good enough to avoid the cut, which he made last year. That marked the first time he made the cut in five years.
Mize wound up alone in 90th place after 36 holes. He shot 83-78 to finish at 17-over 161. It is his worst opening two rounds at the Masters.
"I'm tired," Mize said. "It's been two long days, and I played poorly. It's frustrating to play poorly. We're all competitors here. But I'll be back. Oh, yeah."
Reach Jeff Sentell at (706) 823-3425 or jeff.sentell@augustachronicle.com.
