An excellent second day in Augusta: Jordan Spieth made history, his mentor Ben Crenshaw ended his own, and a series of big names scrambled to stay in the conversation. Here's how Round 2 at the Masters played out.
Rory McIlroy
Grade: C
World Ranking: No. 1
Score: 71-71 (-2)
I wish I could put two grades in this thing. One for Rory McIlroy's front nine (F) and one for his back nine (A). We saw why he is the best in the world at finishing with four birdies and an eagle on the back nine, when at one point he was outside the cut line. While McIlroy doesn't have a prayer of completing the career grand slam, he can still salvage a top-5 finish if he bears down over the next two days.
Henrik Stenson
Grade: D-
World Ranking: No. 2
Score: 73-73 (+2)
Henrik Stenson hit two more fairways than Thursday, one more green, and the same amount of putts (30). Yet he shot the exact same score (73) that he did in Round 1. He's the No. 2 player in the world and played like he didn't learn anything from the first day. Not acceptable. The one saving grace is that he made the cut and will play on the weekend. I expect more from him and he better expect more from himself.
Bubba Watson
Grade: B-
World Ranking: No. 3
Score: 71-71 (-2)
After talking to someone close to Bubba Watson, I realize how affected he was, not from the poll itself, but by how some in the media called him "the most hated golfer on the PGA Tour" which isn't even close to the truth. Defending champ or not, shooting under par two days in a row with that on his mind should be applauded. Putter is getting warmer and if it gets hot, look out.
Jordan Spieth
Grade: A+
World Ranking: No. 4
Score: 64-66 (-14)
It's your world, kid. We're all just squirrels trying to find some nuts (which would be a neat trick around Augusta National since there are no squirrels on the property). How he followed up a 64 with a bogey-free 66 at a place he had never broken 70 is still baffling to me. But he's that good. And even if he were to fall completely apart this weekend he is the best chance of an American becoming No. 1 in the world again.
Jason Day
Grade: D
World Ranking: No. 5
Score: 67-74 (-3)
After putting himself in a good position after Round 1, Jason Day went from making seven birdies to only managing two. That, along with having five more putts than he had on Thursday, he shot himself out of the tournament. You know that saying, "you can't win the tournament, but you can lose it." Well, Day just lost it.
Adam Scott
Grade: C+
World Ranking: No. 6
Score: 72-69 (-3)
I wanted to give him a B, but as I looked at Adam Scott's front nine scores I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Yes, he improved in all categories from his first round, but unfortunately only one birdie on the front nine just doesn't warrant a B grade from me for a guy who has a green jacket.
Dustin Johnson
Grade: A
World Ranking: No. 7
Score: 70-67 (-7)
Even with the bogey on the 18th, Dustin Johnson went -7 on the par fives. Doing something like this is the definition of the kids' saying "like a boss." I wanted to give him A+, but he did have a bogey and missed half the greens for the day. I guess with 23 putts you can miss what you want. Well DJ, you're in a good spot if Jordan slips a little and you keep crushing these par fives.
Jim Furyk
Grade: C
World Ranking: No. 8
Score: 74-73 (+3)
Because I know this course is way too long for him, it's hard to grade Jim Furyk even if he is No. 8 in the world. He did improve by hitting five more greens than Round 1, but the club that was so helpful Thursday took the day off Friday. Thirty-four putts will get that club fired in most cases, but Furyk is a bulldog. It's what makes him the best grinder of this era. He can shoot even par or better around this place, and a good grade is waiting for him when he does.
Sergio Garcia
Grade: F
World Ranking: No. 9
Score: 68-74 (-2)
Sergio Garcia got worse in every category (fairways hit, greens hit and putts) from Round 1 to Round 2. He's actually fortunate to have done so well on Thursday, or he wouldn't have the chance to improve over the weekend. It's time to put the nose to the grindstone and move the right direction on moving day.
Jimmy Walker
Grade: C-
World Ranking: No. 10
Score: 73-72 (+1)
I used to love the song "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life." Jimmy Walker could change the word "DJ" to "putter," and he'd be correct. Only managing an even-par 72, Walker was horrific off the tee, hitting only four fairways. It caused him to miss seven greens. But that putter saved his round with 26 putts on the day. Walker goes into the weekend at one over and no chance of winning.
Ben Crenshaw
Grade: A
World Ranking: No. 1551
Score: 91-85 (+32)
I'd be lying if I told you I didn't cry watching Carl Jackson walk onto the 18th green to have one last embrace with his boss, Ben Crenshaw. Carl, suffering from cancer, just wasn't strong enough to carry that bag one last time around this special place with his man. But, that hug! Anyway. The score doesn't matter, what matters is how it was shot. And that one word best describes what Ben is to Augusta -- grace.
Phil Mickelson
Grade: B+
World Ranking: No. 22
Score: 70-68 (-6)
Not a great front nine (one birdie, one bogey) but Phil Mickelson showed his gumption on the back, shooting a bogey-free 32 and putting himself on the fringes of a chance to win another green jacket. Some special stuff would have to happen for Phil to pull it off, but the last time I wrote him off completely at the 2013 Open Championship, he ended up holding a trophy and I had to shoot an "I'm stooped" video blog.
Billy Horschel
Grade: F
World Ranking: No. 22
Score: 70-78 (+4)
An eight-shot swing between Thursday and Friday, and the FedEX Cup winner from 2013-14 Bill Horschel can spend the weekend re-counting that cash, because he won't be playing golf at the Masters any more this year. It's a shame, too, because he was paired with Spieth, so you would think he could have drafted off Spieth's brilliance. That's a big fat nope.