Nothing marks an athlete’s career like a return to form from injury. In men’s golf, we speak in hushed tones of the Hogan comeback, as well as the Woods one. Thanks to opening rounds of 65-67, our second-round Masters leader of 2023 has given us reason to consider a third, monumental return from physical damage. Added to this story line is one about a golfer who doesn’t play for prize money quite yet, although his NIL stock will rise after what he did through 36 holes. The next big event will be determined by the only woman in the field: Mother Nature. What she has in store for the Augusta region is anyone’s guess. If we are to believe the weather folk, it’s ominous. We learned just shy of six pm, local time, that round two would resume on Saturday morning. On that wet note, let’s learn of five things that we gathered from Friday at the Masters.

Jason Day chips in on No. 11 to pull into solo second place. #themasters pic.twitter.com/MOYzYBir6I

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2023

1. Brooks reminds us that he owns four major titles

There is a fair amount to like and dislike about the current tournament leader. He can come across as supremely arrogant, and he can also make our collective hearts flutter with his golfing brilliance. Brooks Koepka was out early on Friday, and he made the most of his thirty-minutes-earlier start. The lad from Florida posted three birdies and an eagle on day two, bringing his two-day total to 12 strokes below old man par. Koepka was away at 8:18, and finished by lunch time.

You’ll easily find tales online and in print, of the excruciating rehabilitative process that Koepka underwent. His left knee was already damaged from a 2019 injury when he … well, you can dig up the details. Suffice it to say that it reads like a minor combat injury, and that’s saying a lot. Fast forward to 2023, and Koepka appears to be all the way back. If any golf course will lay bare your physical stamina, it’s the hills of Augusta National. Koepka will find himself in the final group on in round three, and we will learn if his mental game is on par with his physical one.

A tap-in birdie on No. 15 extends the lead for Brooks Koepka. #themasters pic.twitter.com/Nn7TCRyNFV

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2023

2. An amateur did what?

A long time ago, nearly 70 years back, Ken Venturi was the third great amateur challenger for the green jacket. He followed in the footsteps of E. Harvie Ward and Charlie Coe, non-professionals at the time who gave the professionals in the field a run for their money. Sam Bennett is a long way off from joining their ilk, but his performance over the first 36 holes marks a clear reminder that amateurs at the Masters are not a ceremonial note. Each year, an amateur or two make the cut, but they don’t challenge for the title. They are an homage to the great amateur himself, Augusta National founder Bobby Jones.

Sam Bennett appears to have a bit of the original master in his blood and his game. He is the reigning US Amateur champion, an event that Jones won five tines in his career. He is a student at Texas A & M University, and began round two at four-under par, a feat in itself. Bennett dropped a birdie putt at the first to reach minus-five, but dropped back to his original number with a bogey at the fourth. At this point, most amateurs go away. Not Bennett. Birdies at eight and nine were followed by another pair at 13 and 14. Pars filled his card on the remaining holes, and the Madisonville Marauder found himself at minus-eight, in second place, four behind the leader. Somewhere on course eternal, Bobby Jones and Mark Bennett (Sam’s dad) have stopped paying attention to their game, to look earthward.

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, it was before he passed, I got tattooed on my left arm. So I see it every time I’m gripping the club, it’s right there, “Don’t wait to do something.”

You know, I thrive on it. I use it for some motivation. I know how happy he would be seeing me out here at Augusta National doing what I’m doing. You know, this week, I’ve used it to just stay focused and really be locked in to that one shot.

I haven’t played great this college season, which is kind of expected after being U.S. Am Champion, if you look back at the records. But this week, I felt like I was really locked in on what I was able to accomplish.

Sam Bennett is now in second place. Only two other amateurs have reached this level at some point during a Masters Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/8vqsRj8RGY

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2023

3. Patience in Euskera is spelled R-A-H-M

The Euskera language is older than pretty much everything. That’s what Fontañeda, my co-worker, tells me. It’s the language of the Basque people of north-central Spain and south-west France. It’s the language of Jon Rahm, and patient is what Rahm has been, through his first nine holes. He drew an afternoon start time on this Good Friday, the seventh of April. Arratsaldean, or la tarde en castellano, or afternoon in English, is when the rains came. To that point, the 2021 US Open champion had made seven boring pars to start his day. He knew that Koepka had gone off, and he also knew that the morning had been kinder to the field.

So, Rahm guarded his pazientzia and found birdies at eight and nine, to reach nine-under par. Comparatively, he is one shot back of Koepka, who stood minus-ten at the end of the first nine.

Back-to-back birdies for Jon Rahm and he reaches nine under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/R8l8jyuL8j

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2023

4. If a tree falls in the rough …

Three trees (or one, or two) fell adjacent to the 17th hole. No one was injured. Nothing to see hear. Move along.

Crazy moment from the Masters.

Massive pine tree falls over on the 17th.pic.twitter.com/ci8qcyidMt

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 7, 2023

5. Who’s left and who’s going home?

Well, we know that these golfers are going to be around for the weekend, and will certainly make things interesting: Morikawa, Day, Spieth, Mickelson, Rose, Fitzpatrick, Scheffler, Johnson.

We also know that these golfers are down the road, but at least they had Thursday-Friday: DeChambeau, McIlroy, Willett, Conners, Watson, Oosthuizen, Kokrak.

The jury is certainly out on these golfers, so good vibes to them as they try to survive the cut: Power, Mitchell, Cantlay, Pieters, and some guy with 15 major titles.

Playing well at Augusta National sometimes requires bravery. #themasters pic.twitter.com/Fj2m0ADvEf

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2023