Matt Carty went on a tear in the second round of the Masters Tournament on Friday to get into contention after a first-round 71 in his first-ever round at the Augusta National Golf Club.
He had a terrible start, with a double bogey at No. 1 and a bogey at the par-5 second. But a birdie on an 8-foot putt at No. 6 kick-started his round and he went on to birdie the last four holes of the first nine, highlighted by a 28-foot putt at No. 7.
McCarty made the first birdie of the day at the par-3 12th hole, then birdied No. 13 on an 8-footer and birdied No. 15 on a tap-in. He followed that with a birdie on 17 to get to 6-under par for the tournament.
Who is Matt McCarty?
McCarty is a 27-year-old left-hander from Scottsdale, Arizona, and played college golf at Santa Clara.
He proved to be a fast developer once he got to the Korn Ferry Tour. He won three times in 2024 to become the 13th player to earn promotion to the PGA Tour by winning three times in one year.
McCarty was the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year in 2024. He qualified for the Masters by winning the PGA Tour’s Black Desert Championship at 23-under-par 261, with a first-round 62.
McCarty tied for 20th in the 2025 Players Championship and has made seven of 10 cuts this season.
McCarty also won the 2021 Wyoming State Open.
Matt McCarty has a wedge called 'Butter Fingers'
McCarty and his caddie, Devrath Des, also enjoy a shared sense of humor.
Last year at a Korn Ferry Tour event in Sarasota, McCarty dropped his wedge, which landed on his ball, incurring a penalty. His encouraged him to stamp the words "Butter Fingers" on his wedge.
McCarty said he hasn't dropped his wedge since.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Masters leaderboard: Who's Matt McCarty and his 'Butter Fingers' wedge?
