Robert MacIntyre has awkward Masters exit after a middle-finger moment, missed cut and no interviews

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Robert MacIntyre made no public apologies for his fiery behavior at the Masters this week, breezing past reporters after his first-round 80 and then declining interview requests after a 71 on Friday that caused him to miss the cut. The 29-year-old MacIntyre, who tied for second last week at the Texas Open, raised some eyebrows Thursday at Augusta National — where decorum is held in high esteem — when he flashed the middle finger upon hitting a ball into the water. MacIntyre also slammed a couple of clubs and muttered some curse words loud enough to be caught live by the TV mics. It was unclear whether Augusta National took any disciplinary action. MacIntyre finished at 7 over, missing the cut by three shots, and headed straight to the Player Services Building. At one point, someone posted to his Instagram story what appeared to be an AI-produced image of a Masters gnome in his likeness giving the bird. Whoever it was had a sense of humor about things. Bryson DeChambeau probably didn't find anything funny about his finish. He was 3 over coming to the par-4 18th before hitting his drive under a pine tree. He managed to punch his next into a bunker left of the green but left the ensuing shot in the sand. His fourth rolled off the front of the green, and the bogey pitch that DeChambeau needed to make the cut never had a chance; the two-time U.S. Open champ made triple bogey and finished at 6 over. It was a grind for many of the game's best players to make the low 50 and ties and play the weekend. Brian Harman was a full 10 shots better than his opening round on Friday, pairing a 69 with that 79 to make the cut on the number. Rasmus Hojgaard and Jon Rahm each improved by eight shots with rounds of 70 to also make the cut on the number. Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, was among the favorites before his opening 78. "Yesterday was just an anomaly where everything that could go wrong went wrong," Rahm said. "Not that I shot myself out of the tournament but I'm going to need an absolute miracle starting today, and didn't quite do enough. I'm going to need a heck of a round tomorrow to give myself a chance and even then, might be a little too far away." Or a lot too far away. Rory McIlroy finished at 12 under after rounds of 67-65, giving the defending champion a six-shot lead over his closest pursuers, Sam Burns and Patrick Reed. That set a 36-hole record for the largest lead at the Masters. JJ Spaun, the U.S. Open champion and the winner last week in San Antonio, opened with a 2-over 74 but put himself in trouble right away with three bogeys in a four-hole span early Friday. Not even two birdies in his last three holes could save him. He finished at 5 over. Former British Open champ Cameron Smith shot 74-77 to miss the cut for the sixth straight time in a major. Nobody had a bigger roller coaster around the cut line than Akshay Bhatia. Playing late in the day, the winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational was at 4 over before his bogey at the 16th. Bhatia got back on the cut line by holing out from a bunker at the 17th, then proceeded to double bogey the closing hole to miss the cut. None of the six amateurs made the cut, including U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell, who spent the two days playing with McIlroy. Jackson Herrington, whom Howell defeated in the finals last year, and British Amateur champion Ethan Fang fared the best among the amateurs, each finishing at 8-over par. "Maybe if I'm allowed to come out and practice, I'll be out here tomorrow," Herrington said. "It's the best place on Earth. I know that."