How Jacob Bridgeman, SC golfers played in Masters second round
Experience, especially in the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, is a great teacher. Both Jacob Bridgeman and Andrew Novak discovered that reality in Friday’s second round of the year’s first major golf championship.
Bridgeman, the former Clemson star from Inman, had “some unfortunate hops” en route to a 2-over-par 74 and advanced to the weekend at 1-over 145.
Novak, who grew up in Mount Pleasant and set records at Wofford, struggled on the greens early in the second round and will miss the cut with a 4-over 76 that left him with a two-round total of 151.
But even the most experienced players are not immune to the wiles of Augusta National, which the third member of the South Carolina contingent, Dustin Johnson, can attest. A water ball of the par-5 15th spoiled his afternoon, and he finished the day at 1-under-par 71 and even-par 144 for 36 holes.
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Bridgeman battled a balky driver and his tee ball on the par-4 14th took one of those “unfortunate hops,” leading to a double-bogey.
. “I hit an OK drive that should have been in the right rough and (instead) was back in the trees,” he said. “That’s just how it is sometimes. You get some bad breaks, especially when I don’t really know the slopes and everything. I can hit some shots that go places I don’t expect.”
Looking ahead, he said, “It’s going to get really challenging.”
Novak had four three-putt greens that left him frustrated.
“I got a lot of work to do to get back into the Masters going forward,” Novak said. “It’s definitely the best event I’ve ever played in. Playing here definitely motivates me to want to get back here. But my golf game is just pretty bad right now.”
Johnson, who set the Masters scoring record in winning the 2020 tournament, started the day 1-over par. He got even with a birdie at the second, bogeyed the seven before making birdie at Nos. 8 and 9. Now 2-under par for the day and 1-under for the tournament, he cruised to No. 15.
The Columbia native and former Coastal Carolina All-American, playing in his 16th Masters, left his third shot on the par-5 in the pond that fronts the green. After a penalty, he put his fifth on the green and his putt to salvage a bogey hung on the lip.
The double-bogey dropped him to even for the day and 1-over for the tournament before he got a stroke back with a birdie on 17.
Masters coverage: What time, channel
In addition to daily streaming on Masters.com and the Masters app
Friday, Round 2
Amazon Prime: 1-3 pm
ESPN: 3-7:30 pm
Saturday, Round 3
Paramount Plus: Noon-2 pm
CBS and Paramount Plus: 2-7 pm
Sunday, Round 4
Paramount Plus: Noon-2 pm
CBS and Paramount Plus: 2-7 pm
This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 3:09 PM with the headline "How Jacob Bridgeman, SC golfers played in Masters second round."