Masters 2023: Cameron Smith will need more miracles like his bunker to eagle for unlikely win

Cameron Smith is unlikely to reel in the leaders at the Masters, but his miracle wood out of a fairway bunker to set up an eagle shows miracles do happen. Watch the video.

Cameron Smith produced one of the shots of the US Masters on Saturday morning (AEDT) but he may need a few more miracles yet if he is reel in a flying Brooks Koepka at Augusta National.

Smith will need to take some chances when he returns to complete his second round on Saturday night (AEDT). Judging by his second shot at the par five 8th on day two of the tournament, Smith knows as much.

The Open champion stood on the tee treading water. He made three bogeys through his opening seven holes and found himself at even par, a whopping 12 shots behind Koepka.

Cameron Smith lines up a put during his second round at the Masters. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Smith needed a spark and he didn’t get it with his tee shot, which he lost right into a fairway bunker. Smith could have gone conservative and bunted the ball down the fairway.

Instead, with his round going nowhere fast, Smith pulled a wood out of his bag and unleashed one of the shots of the tournament.

In commentary, former British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch was initially astounded. When the ball landed and rolled towards the green, a shocked Baker Finch changed his tune.

“I was always taught wood in sand, wood in head,” Baker-Finch said.

“He’s certainly proved me wrong with that shot. It was worth the risk.”

Smith rolled in the eagle putt to move back to two under and give his round an injection of life. Any momentum he picked up, however, was short-lived – Augusta National officials called off the second round after he hit his second shot into the ninth green, leaving him with a birdie putt when the tournament resumes on Saturday night (AEDT).

Inclement weather threatens to cause major disruption over the weekend as Smith and the rest of the field step up their pursuit of Koepka, who continues to carry the flag for the LIV tour.

Koepka followed up his opening 65 with a 67 to move to 12 under, three shots clear of world No. 3 Jon Rahm (-9 through nine holes).

Adam Scott was eight shots back at four under when the second round was halted, two shots better off than Smith thanks to one birdie and one bogey through 10 holes.

It was a day for LIV Golf and commissioner Greg Norman to savour. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (77), one of LIV’s loudest critics, finished round two at five over and seems certain to miss the cut. Tiger Woods, the other face of the PGA Tour, was right on the cut line at two over.

Meanwhile, some of LIV’s biggest names surged up the leaderboard. Phil Mickelson, who sat out last year’s Masters after making some controversial comments about Saudi Arabia, shot a 69 to move to four under.

“I’m going to go on a tear pretty soon,” Mickelson said.

“Even though the scores haven’t shown it, like I’m hitting so many good shots, pretty soon I’m going to have a really low one.

“When that happens and it clicks, then the game feels easy again. Then I stop putting pressure on myself, and the scores just start to fall into place.”

Fellow LIV golfer Brooks Koepka is the player Smith is chasing at the half way point of the Masters. Picture: Patrick Smith / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

Koepka is the man they are chasing, having struck form at the LIV event in Orlando last week. He carried that into the tournament as he set the standard through two partially completed rounds, atoning for the disappointment of last year when he missed the cut.

Koepka was so angry with himself 12 months ago that he tried to put his first though the back window of his Mercedes.

Fortunately, he failed but he has arrived at Augusta National with a chip on his shoulder and a desire to complete golf’s grand slam – he has won the US Open and PGA, leaving him to covet the Masters and Open Championship.

“Yeah, the whole goal is to win the Grand Slam, right,” Koepka said.

“I feel like all the greats have won here and they have all won British Opens as well. Look, I guess it’s one more box for me to tick to truly feel like I’ve done what I should have accomplished in this game.

“It was a lot of frustration last year. Super annoying. The ride home was pretty silent. I think just a lot of frustration.

“But yeah, I guess Mercedes makes a pretty good back window.”