Masters 2023 second round review: Major machine Brooks Koepka is back, Jon Rahm leads chase, misfiring Rory McIlroy set to miss cut

A career grand slam may, indeed, be on in 2023, but it’s not the one we’ve all been talking about. Step forward Brooks Koepka, who, almost out of nowhere, could now beat Rory McIlroy to become just the sixth player to achieve the feat.

Brooks Koepka talks with his caddie Ricky Elliott on the 17th hole during the second round of the 2023 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Picture: Patrick Smith/Getty Images.

For a spell, Koepka looked almost unbeatable in majors, winning four of them - two US Opens and two US PGA Championships - in the space of just two years from 2017 to 2019 before losing his killer touch after suffering two separate knee injuries.

Fearing for his future, the 32-year-old took LIV Golf’s Saudi money last year, a decision he now admits might have been different if he’d been back to how he is now, both in terms of his physical shape and mental state.

In short, the Koepka who once looked like a major machine is back. Impressive in every single aspect of his game, he’s opened with rounds of 65 and 67 to sit at 12-under-par at the halfway stage in the 87th Masters at Augusta National.

Jon Rahm reacts to the crowd during the second round, which was ended early due to bad weather. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

Should he go on to finish off the job, the 2013 Scottish Challenge winner will head for The Open at Royal Liverpool in July with a chance of joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to have won all four majors.

“Yeah, the whole goal is to win the grand slam, right,” he acknowledged after signing for an eagle and three birdies – all his profitable work came at par-5s – in a bogey-free second circuit. “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.”

Three months before this event last year, Koepka underwent surgery on his right knee, having already had his left knee done in 2019. It was only because he’d already found himself sitting out a lot of majors that he decided to play here a year ago but missing the cut still hurt.

“I don't even know if I should be saying this, but pretty sure I tried to break the back window of the (courtesy) car with my fist,” he revealed. “I tried to put it through the back window, not once but twice. First time didn't go, so figured try it again. But I guess Mercedes makes a pretty good back window as, no, it did not break.

Amateur Sam Bennett reacts on the 18th green during the second round of the 87th Masters. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images.

“Yeah, there was a lot of frustration last year. Super annoying. The ride home was pretty silent. But I've come a long way since then. A lot of it, it's pretty much all health-related.”

A former world No 1, the Floridian has slipped to 118th in the rankings. He’ll eclipse Angel Cabrera, who was 69th in the world when he won in 2009, as the lowest-ranked player to claim a Green Jacket in the OWGR era if he can keep it up over the final two days.

Less than two months ago, Koepka missed the cut in a less-than-stellar field for the International Series Oman, but he used that “rep” as a platform to win the latest LIV Golf League event in Florida last weekend and has now set up a great chance to become the first player to win a major flying the breakaway circuit’s flag, though, in his case, without displaying any LIV logos.

“Yeah, probably, if I'm being completely honest,” he replied to being asked if his decision to become one of Greg Norman’s marquee signings for the Saudi-backed tour would have been more challenging if he’d been as healthy as he is now. “I think it would have been. But I'm happy with the decision I made.”

Rory McIlroy reacts to missing a putt on the 18th green during the second round at Augusta National Golf Club. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images.

Koepka, who is back working with Claude Harmon, was quizzed again at the end of his round about a big talking point from the opening day after his caddie, Northern Irishman Ricky Elliott, appeared to mouth "five" twice in the direction of Gary Woodland's caddie Thomas Little after Koepka hit his approach at the par-5 15th. However, after the tournament committee looked into it and talked to all those involved at the end of the round, they decided that Rule 10-2a had not been violated.

“Today was just about I guess my hand and my glove,” said Koepka of it being looked at again due to the footage of the incident suggesting he may also have signalled “five” through the use of his fingers. “I don't know if you're supposed to take your glove off with your fist closed or what now.”

In a dream major debut, Sam Bennett, a 23-year-old American amateur, carded a second successive 68 to sit on eight-under, two ahead of 2021 Open champion Collin Morikawa, with recent 2015 victor Jordan Spieth, recent WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play winner Sam Burns and former world No 1 Jason Day all on five-under.

Before play was called off for the day due to inclement weather, Spaniard Jon Rahm had moved to nine-under after nine holes but Norwegian Viktor Hovland, who’d set the pace along with Koepka and Rahm after opening 65s, had dropped to six-under with eight holes to play.

Before play was called off for the day due to inclement weather, Spaniard Jon Rahm had moved to nine-under after nine holes but Norwegian Viktor Hovland, who’d set the pace along with Koepka and Rahm after opening 65s, had dropped to six-under with eight holes to play.

Tiger Woods, another of those still to finish, sits on two-over after 11 holes and the five-time winner needs to cover the final seven holes in level par to stay inside the projected cut, which will see the top 50 and ties progress to the final two rounds.

As for McIlroy, there can now be no denying that he’s struggling to come up with a winning recipe at the Georgia venue despite talking about how he felt all the “ingredients” were there for his ninth attempt to complete that career grand slam.

Twelve months after signing off with a record-equalling 64 to finish second behind Scottie Scheffler, the four-time major winner was heading for a missed cut - his second in three years - after efforts of 72-77 that lacked any sign of a spark.

Where McIlroy goes from here in his bid to become one of the game’s greats is a difficult one because it certainly seems as though the mental challenge is his biggest hurdle and, on this evidence anyway, he’s struggling to come up with an answer to that.