Golf
Michael Collins, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Michael Collins' Round 2 Open grades

Golf

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Since not everyone got an opportunity to finish the second round, I can grade based only on the holes that were played. Not to worry, of course; they still shall be graded. It's The Open, so as it should be, Mother Nature made a serious appearance. Sometimes it's the course that tests you, sometimes it's the elements. Whichever is the case, here are the grades for Day 2 at The Open.


Rory McIlroy
Grade: N/A
World ranking: No. 1
Score: N/A

McIlroy injured his ankle playing soccer with friends and is missing The Open. Hopefully we'll see the top-ranked golfer in the world at the PGA Championship.


Jordan Spieth

Grade: B
World ranking: No. 2
Score: 67-Round 2 incomplete (-5)

Through 13 holes, Spieth is doing what makes him great. He is grinding and not letting what could be a bad round happen because of the weather conditions. He made three birdies and three bogeys, and is even at 5 shots back after he had to stop because of darkness. Spieth is still what I would consider lurking. His grade for the day is spot-on for doing what needs to be done.


Bubba Watson

Grade: C
World ranking: No. 3
Score: 71-Round 2 incomplete (E)

I have to say, I'm proud of the fight Bubba showed before his day came to an end. After putting three bogeys on the card and landing outside the cut line, he made back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15, and he's on the cut line. With a steady finish in the morning, he'll be around for the weekend.


Dustin Johnson

Grade: A
World ranking: No. 4
Score: 65-Round 2 incomplete (-10)

The regular-person clothes are off and the superhero costume is now being fitted. Only one bogey in that wind and four birdies? Even though his group finished only 13 holes, he's still got a par 5 to finish. He missed only four fairways and two greens, and with 22 putts, he is right where you'd expect.


Rickie Fowler

Grade: C+
World ranking: No. 5
Score: 70-71 (-1)

Fowler missed two more fairways than Thursday, but hit the same amount of greens. He had two fewer putts than in Round 1, and because of that he shot 1 under and will be here for the weekend.


Jim Furyk

Grade: B-
World ranking: No. 6
Score: 73-71 (E)

Get what you can on the front and hang on for dear life on the back. If you read Caddie Confidential you'd know that was the rule around here, and it really held true for Furyk. He went bogey-free on the front nine and shot 3 under. Yet Furyk needed a birdie on the final hole to get in at even to give himself a spot in the weekend field. He's got to find a way to make a par at No. 17 this weekend.


Henrik Stenson

Grade: C
World ranking: No. 7
Score: 73-70 (-1)

Stenson hit every fairway on the front nine and had only 12 putts for a very nice opener. But he bogeyed No. 10, which was one of the easiest holes on the course, then parred out from No. 13. He's around for the weekend, which is always good.


Justin Rose

Grade: A-
World ranking: No. 8
Score: 71-68 (-5)

Rose teed off under decent midday conditions, and took full advantage with three birdies on the front side. As as conditions worsened, he made three more birdies on the back. He gets the minus because he hit only 12 greens. He gets the A because he shot 5 under and played with Nick Faldo in his last Open at St. Andrews.


Jason Day

Grade: C+
World ranking: No. 9
Score: 66-Round 2 incomplete (-8)

The bogey on the second lowered the grade initially, but Day still has seven holes left to play in Round 2. Playing with Tiger is never easy, but Day and Louis Oosthuizen are holding their own admirably.


Sergio Garcia

Grade: C-
World ranking: No. 10
Score: 70-Round 2 incomplete (-3)

Do you enjoy making things difficult on yourself? One over on the front nine? And yet with four holes to play to finish your round, you are 2 under on the back nine. I'm confused, fascinated and disturbed all at the same time.


Mother Nature

Grade: A-
World ranking: N/A
Score: N/A

The fact that she dropped the worst of the rain during the darkness and into the morning of Friday -- allowing so much golf to be played -- deserves a hat tip and nod. If that front had come through when play was underway, we might be here until Monday. And as lush as this course is, the wind and temperatures here are exactly what you want and expect for this championship. Well done, lady!


St. Andrews grounds crew

Grade: A+
World ranking: N/A
Score: N/A

In what could have been an absolutely disastrous day, a frenetic crew busted its behinds to get what was a completely unplayable course into not only playable, but championship readiness. If they don't get a little bonus for what they did in such a short amount of time, something's wrong.


Hideki Matsuyama

Grade: A
World ranking: No. 14
Score: 72-Round 2 incomplete (-6)

Through 14 holes he must have been either listening to "Forgot About Dre" or watching David Blaine do magic, because this man has hit only eight greens yet has made eight birdies with only 16 putts. It may be all smoke and mirrors, but while playing with the tournament leader and world No. 2 in his threesome, Matsuyama is reminding them he is relevant as well.


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