KU grad Gary Woodland falters Friday, misses Masters cut by 1 stroke

Gary Woodland was one putt away from surviving the cut at the Masters. If he would have sunk a medium-length par putt at the 18th hole, he would have sat at 2-over par for the tournament and stuck around for the weekend.

But after the putt missed, Woodland didn’t want to dwell on one mistake.

“Eighteen has nothing to do with it,” said Woodland, the Kansas grad and Topeka native. “I just didn’t play well. That’s the last hole I played. But I didn’t give myself a chance all day, the way I drove the golf ball.”

Woodland shot a 4-over 76 on Friday, dropping to 3-over for the tournament and missing the cut line by 1 stroke. He placed the blame on a consistently erratic performance by his driver.

“The golf course sets up good for me,” Woodland said. “The driver is what cost me this week. The 3-wood was great. I gave myself some good chances.”

For Woodland, the costliest mistake on Friday came when he splashed a 9-iron into the water on the par-5 15th, resulting in a bogey on a hole in which he made birdie on Thursday. Woodland missed the cut for the first time in four Masters appearances.

“I’m not worried about cuts,” Woodland said. “I’m trying to win a golf tournament, and to not even have a chance is frustrating. The way I drove the golf ball, I don’t have a chance at all.”

This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 8:02 PM with the headline "KU grad Gary Woodland falters Friday, misses Masters cut by 1 stroke."