Mize makes cut on 30th anniversary of Masters victory

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Larry Mize lines up his putt on #2 during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Larry Mize calmly rolled in a five-foot putt on No. 18 and tipped his hat to patrons.

After saving par – but more importantly making the cut – it was the least he could do.

“It’s always great to play the weekend,” Mize said. “And on the 30th anniversary (of my 1987 win), it’s very nice to play the weekend 30 years later.”

Mize will enter his third round at 6-over, after posting rounds of 74 (Thursday) and 76 on Friday.

The 1987 Masters champion made the cut on the number, thanks to his two-putt par save on No. 18.

“Before my par putt (on 18), I told myself, ‘You know what, just knock it in,’” Mize said. “Don’t make it more important than it is.”

After playing the first six holes Friday at even par, Mize seemed a lock to make the cut. However, he jeopardized his chances with bogeys on Nos. 7, 9, 15 and 16.

Mize’s lone birdie came at the par-3 sixth.

“I was OK until 15,” Mize said. “It’s such a hard third shot with the down-slope because you want to make sure you go through and accelerate to not chunk it. I knocked it over the green 15 yards and that’s just a hard up and down. I got up and down yesterday and it’s pretty hard to do it two days in a row.”

Needing to play even par on his final two holes, Mize did just that. This marks the second consecutive year the 58-year-old has made the cut.

In 2016, Mize tied for 52nd.