Tyrrell Hatton wrapped up the second round with a career low at the Masters and admittedly said he enjoyed playing so well.
“It was nice to be at that score and not hacking it round and over par like I generally do around here. I guess it was nice for a change,” Hatton said after the round.
The Englishman shot 6-under 66 on Friday and is currently tied for fourth place in his 10th Masters appearance.
“I gave myself lots of opportunities,” Hatton said. “I would have liked to have seen more putts go in. I don’t feel like I actually holed that many putts certainly outside sort of 7, 8 feet. Hopefully I can do a bit better on that front over the weekend, but overall it was a good day.”
Calling it a “good day” is an understatement. Hatton had seven birdies and hit all 18 greens in regulation — he’s just the third player since 1997 to accomplish the extraordinary feat at the Masters. But he’s not letting the historic day go to his head with so much golf left in Augusta.
“It was nice to have a good day,” he said, “but that means nothing when you step on the first tee tomorrow and we still have 36 holes to go.”
Hatton knows the course at Augusta National Golf Club is unforgiving and that it’s important to stay patient and adjust when necessary. On Friday, he showed he’s capable of doing just that.
“I would say over the last few years I’ve generally driven the ball much better here, which has been great. Yes, you kind of know where you can and can’t miss, but it’s also, like, you need to try and play your own game,” Hatton said.
After he bogeyed No. 7 during the first round, he was able to tally a birdie on the 450-yard par 4 during the second round on Friday.
“I was absolutely headless on 7 yesterday, because I had gone from essentially having a very good birdie opportunity to not only has it gone back in the bunker at speed, it’s gone onto the flat, and then it’s semi-buried itself. I was, like, sick, I’ve got no chance. Not good,” Hatton said.
After the cut on Friday, the field will be narrowed to the top 50 players and ties, and Hatton knows that’s when the heat really turns up.
“I know it’s going to be tough, so the more greens I can hit and hopefully hit it on the right spots on those greens, then it will make my life a little bit easier,” Hatton said. “There’s always going to be someone that deals with it very well, and they’ll be putting on a green jacket on Sunday. Yeah, I’ll just try and do the best I can and see if I get a bit of luck for a change.”
As for where he’d like to be at the end of the third round on Saturday? Not bogeying the final hole for the third day in a row would be nice.
“I would love to be walking up 18 tomorrow at 7 under,” he said, “and hopefully I don’t three-putt the last again and I’ll come off a little bit happier.”