Scottie Scheffler’s lead was six at one point. Now it’s been cut to three, with Cameron Smith coming at him with a fine 68. What threatened to turn into a procession is now anything but. Scheffler is still strong favourite for the green jacket tomorrow, but history shows how quickly things can change at Augusta. Hey, the last couple of hours alone show that. Hope you’ll join us for the real start of the tournament, when Scheffler and Smith hit the turn on Sunday afternoon. Should be a cracker. Thanks for reading. Nighty night!
-9: Scheffler
-6: Smith
-4: Im
-2: Lowry, Schwartzel
-1: Thomas, Conners
E: Willett
+1: Fleetwood, Kokrak, McIlroy, Morikawa, D Johnson
+2: Champ, Simpson, Zalatoris, Matsuyama
Updated
Scheffler tidies up for his bogey, and that sets the seal on a 71 that could have been better ... but could also have been a whole lot worse. Four bogeys coming back home, which will give him pause when he imagines the pressures of the back nine tomorrow ... but maybe the calm way in which he dealt with the drama on 18 and limited the damage will stand him in good stead. He’s been through the wringer, and has come out the other side with a three-stroke lead! He’s -9.
Scheffler elects to putt up the bank and onto the green. There’s 40 feet between his ball and the hole. He taps it up carefully, the left-to-right swinger never looking like going in, but that’s not really the point. It’s all about damage limitation, and he’s left with a two-footer coming back for his bogey. Schwartzel takes his two putts for a one-over 73. He ends the day at -2.
Back to Scheffler, who drops two club lengths away from where his ball nestled in the bush. Now it’s on the pine straw to the left of the fairway. He draws a long iron from his holster and whistles an amazing third towards the flag ... but over the back of the green. If he holes the chip coming back, it’ll be a par for the ages!
Updated
While he goes about his business, Charl Schwartzel is asked to play on ... if he likes, that is. He does like. And he very much likes the sprinkler head that stops his ball falling down the bank to the left of the green. He’ll be able to putt from 25 feet.
They’ve found Scheffler’s Titleist in the middle of a thicket. Scheffler calls for the rules official. Looks like he’s going to take an unplayable. Out comes the driver so he can measure two club lengths.
While the officials look for Scheffler’s ball in the bushes down the left of 18 ... here’s something to while away the time.
Charl Schwartzel can’t make his par putt, and that’s his fourth bogey in seven holes. Nothing’s gone his way since holing out from 130 yards on 10. The golfing gods have been paid back and then some. Scottie Scheffler rolls in his birdie putt, and the lead once again is four ... though he then sends a wild hook into the trees down the left of 18. He’ll be in the lap of the gods there, too. Did he use up his chunk of luck when he only just got over that bunker to set up his birdie on the last?
-10: Scheffler (17)
-6: Smith (F)
-4: Im (F)
-2: Lowry (F), Schwartzel (17)
Charl Schwartzel leaves his 60-foot birdie putt across 17 well short. He’s got something to think about there. While he ponders it, Shane Lowry pars the last for a one-over 73; he’s -2 overall, and is rubbing his forehead in frustration. His partner Im Sung-jae splashes out of the sand on the right to three feet, and taps in for par. A 71, and it’s a round of two halves all right: 39 out, 32 back. He’s -4.
Scheffler could be forgiven for rocking after a difficult run of holes. But having split the 17th fairway, he lands his approach on the shoulder of the bunker to the left of the green, allowing the topography to bring his ball around to five feet! Now then, that might have been a slight pull and a lucky bounce ... or it’s a work of genius, and this young man has hit enough amazing shots for one to suspect the latter. What a shot! Schwartzel meanwhile finds the heart of the green, a decent shot in and of itself, but in this context, six shots adrift, no good.
The defending champion Hideki Matsuyama gets up and down from the left of 18 for par. Sadly it’s a 77. He never got going today. Neither did his partner Harold Varner III, who bogeys the last and shoots 80. They’re +2 and +6 respectively.
Two putts from distance at 16 for Scheffler to secure his par. That turns up a little matchplay-style heat on Schwartzel, who isn’t able to make his ten-foot birdie putt. A chance to close the gap on the leader is gone ... and then he pulls a two-footer, the ball lipping out on the left. That gap between the pair widens. Meanwhile up on 17, Lowry can’t get up and down from the back, and continues chuntering away at his caddy, who is really earning his corn today. Lowry’s mood isn’t helped when Im rattles in a 15-footer for his fourth birdie of the back nine!
-9: Scheffler (16)
-6: Smith (F)
-4: Im (17)
-3: Schwartzel (16)
-2: Lowry (17)
-1: Thomas (F), Conners (F)
E: Willett (F)
A 79 for Kevin Na, who ends the day at +5 overall. His partner Dustin Johnson was considered more likely to make a run at Scheffler, but he couldn’t get it going either, and finishes with a pair of bogeys and a 75. He’s +1, and wears the weary look of a man who knows the jig is up.
Scheffler, having bogeyed three of the last four holes, doesn’t take any chances at 16. Into the heart of the green, hoping for a two-putt par to steady the listing ship. Schwartzel kind of has to keep the pedal down, though, and goes for the pin. A lovely shot to ten feet. Meanwhile bother for Lowry on 17, who finds the sand at the front of the green, then sends his bunker shot over the back.
Scottie Scheffler is faced with a 40-foot downhill tickle from the back of 15. His putt is always missing to the right ... and it keeps on going, nine feet past the pin. All of a sudden, it’s a battle for par ... and he can’t make it, his ball always dying to the right. It’s a third bogey in four holes for the leader, a worrying run all right. This is the first time he’s felt the pressure of leading the Masters ... and it’s only Saturday. Famously, the tournament doesn’t start until the leaders hit the turn tomorrow. Par for Schwartzel. The lead is only three!
-9: Scheffler (15)
-6: Smith (F)
-4: Schwartzel (15)
-3: Im (16), Lowry (16)
-1: Thomas (F), Conners (F)
E: Willett (F), D Johnson (17)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Kokrak (F), McIlroy (F), Morikawa (F)
Two putts for Im on 16. Lowry nearly holes out from the bunker. A pair of pars. They both stay at -3.
Cam Smith whips a delightful wedge up from the back of 18, and in goes the par putt from three feet. He signs for his second 68 of the week. Will yesterday’s 74 end up costing him a green jacket? He’s -6 overall, and hoping Scottie Scheffler, already four clear, doesn’t finish his round with a flourish. Bogey for his partner Corey Conners, though, who ends the day with a level-par 72. He remains -1 overall.
A bad break for Im on 16. His tee shot lands ten feet from the flag, and looks like sticking, but ever so slowly turns to the left, then tumbles down the green towards the water. It’s never getting wet, but it stops on the fringe and instead of a look at birdie, he’s left with a long two putts for his par. Lowry meanwhile dumps his effort into the bunker that did for Smith. And back on 15, Scheffler and Smith, having laid up with their second shots, find the green with their wedges ... though neither are particularly close. Still, a couple of birdie putts coming right up!
What a putt by Im Sung-jae on 15! A huge 30-foot left-to-right curler from the fringe at the back, and it’s his fourth birdie in eight holes! All of a sudden, he’s back to -3, and may already be ruing that horrible double-bogey start. Meanwhile on 18, Cam Smith pulls his drive towards the trees on the left, but gets a lucky break and is able to power his second onto the green ... and just over the back. He’ll have a tricky chip coming up. What he’d give to get up and down for par and sign his name at the bottom of a 68.
Disappointing rounds for Collin Morikawa (74) and Will Zalatoris (75). Zalatoris in particular was looking good for a while, but he sent his third at 13 into Rae’s Creek and ended up with a double-bogey seven. That was the centrepiece of a triptych of horror that saw him ship four shots in three holes. Morikawa’s decline was steadier, with bogeys at 13 and 18. Morikawa ends the day at +1 overall, Zalatoris +2.
Scheffler’s right-to-left par putt stays out on the high side. Meanwhile up on 17, Smith gets up and down from the back, and the lead is cut to four. The 2016 champion Danny Willett finishes up with three pars in a row, and his 73 keeps him in good nick for Sunday.
-10: Scheffler (14)
-6: Smith (17)
-4: Schwartzel (14)
-3: Lowry (14)
-2: Conners (17), Im (14)
-1: Thomas (F), D Johnson (16)
E: Willett (F)
Scheffler punches his wedge up the green. For a second, it looks like trundling into the cup for an outrageous birdie. Instead it rolls a good six feet past. Schwartzel meanwhile pitches back up from way beyond the green. His ball just fails to get over the top of the bank. He clips another attempt to kick-in distance and will settle for bogey.
Scheffler splits the 14th fairway, then lands his approach in nearly the perfect spot. One step further, and he’d be ten feet away. But it catches the ridge running across the green, and spins back, all the way off the front. Schwartzel meanwhile flies the green. Up on 17, Smith’s approach nearly holds the back of the green, but takes one roll too many and topples off. Tricky up and downs faced by all.
A staunch par for Lowry on 14. Having fired his tee shot into the trees down the right, he slings a low one through the green and down the back. But a gentle wedge wafted gracefully up to five feet offers the opportunity to save par ... and he makes no mistake to remain at -3.
Scheffler lays up at 13, then spins a glorious wedge to five feet. So much for any suggestion that doubt is creeping in! Another birdie attempt coming up. Before he can take it, Schwartzel gets down to business and has to settle for par. Then up steps Scheffler, who confidently rolls in to move back to -11 ... and he’s suddenly five clear again, because on 16, Smith splashes out to four feet, only to pull the tickly downhill par putt. Bogey meanwhile for Thomas on 18, and he has to settle for a disappointing 72 that promised so much more.
-11: Scheffler (13)
-6: Smith (16)
-5: Schwartzel (13)
-3: Lowry (13)
-2: Conners (16), Im (13)
-1: Thomas (F), D Johnson (14)
Shane Lowry gets in his own way on 15. Having discussed his lay-up yardage with his caddy, he hits a dismal wedge in, 43 feet from the flag. “That was a fucking shit lay-up,” he spits at his looper. Still fuming, he ends up three putting, and drops back to -3. Heading the other way: Cam Smith, who successfully lays up on 15, wedges to five feet, and tidies up for birdie. Suddenly there’s just three in it ... although Smith then dumps his tee shot at 16 into sand, from where he’ll have a testing up and down.
-10: Scheffler (12)
-7: Smith (15)
-5: Schwartzel (12)
-3: Lowry (13)
-2: Thomas (17), Conners (15), Im (13)
-1: D Johnson (14)
Are the first slivers of doubt manifesting themselves in Scheffler’s noggin? He takes an age over his tee shot at 13, then sends a hysterical slice miles to the right. By his standards, it’s a short one, too, just 252 yards. It makes his mind up: he has to lay up. Schwartzel meanwhile is in the pine straw on the same side of the hole.
Schwartzel very nearly rolls his putt from the fringe of 12 into the cup. That would have been an outrageous birdie after the tee shot into the flowers. Scheffler meanwhile overhits his bunker shot and sends his ball over the back. Left with a similar putt to Schwartzel, he hits a bobbler that stops a couple of feet short. He tidies up for his second bogey of the day.
-10: Scheffler (12)
-6: Smith (14)
-5: Schwartzel (12)
It’s been an extremely disappointing day for Patrick Cantlay. The current FedEx Cup champ bogeyed the last three holes to sign for an extremely messy seven-over 79. He’s +8 for the week. His playing partner Webb Simpson cards 73 and ends the day at +2 overall. Meanwhile a second birdie in a row for Justin Thomas, at 17, and the 2017 PGA champion isn’t giving up. He’s back up to -2.
Scheffler’s tee shot at 12 is a little nervy. And short. He’s fortunate that his ball makes it to the bunker at the front ... just ... because had it not, it was bouncing back down the bank and into the creek. Schwartzel is up next ... and after taking his sweet time to wonder what the swirling wind is doing, skelps his effort long and left, and high into the bank of azaleas! But he gets a huge break as the ball comes squirting out and back down the slope. He’ll still have some work to do from the fringe at the back, but that’s a massive stroke of luck for the 2011 champ.
Birdie for Im at 12, his second in three holes. He’s -2. Schwartzel isn’t able to get up and down at 11 from the 12th tee (!) and slips back to -5. Conners makes his birdie at 14. And a slight shock back at 11, as Scheffler underhits his fairly straight birdie putt, which dies to the left one turn from the hole. Another extremely small bone tossed to the rest of the field. Beggars can’t be choosers.
-11: Scheffler (11)
-6: Smith (14)
-5: Schwartzel (11)
-4: Lowry (12)
-3: Conners (14)
-2: Im (12)
-1: Thomas (16), D Johnson (13)
Justin Thomas rattles in a birdie putt from the fringe at the back of 16 to return to -1. He’s joined there by Dustin Johnson, who makes back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13. And on 14, Corey Conners wedges from 140 yards to a couple of feet, and will surely be moving up to -2 in a couple of minutes.
Charl Schwartzel veers from the sublime to the preposterous. Having holed out for eagle from 136 yards on 10, he now sends a huge slice from the centre of the 11th fairway towards the 12th tee box. Scottie Scheffler responds by sending a gentle draw into the green. He’ll have another fine birdie chance, from ten feet or so. Flustered by nothing, he’s operating on a different plane. This is absurdly good golf!
Cam Smith lays up at the par-five 13th. The tactic pays dividend as he wedges to ten feet and rolls in the birdie putt. He joins Schwartzel in second spot at -6. Meanwhile there’s yet another three-putt bogey for Tiger, on 17, followed by yet another double bogey at 18 as he fires his approach into the crowd at the back, hits a hot chip back down the green, then takes three putts to get down. For the first time this week, he looks tired after his herculean effort to get healthy and competitive. A 78, but that doesn’t stop the love pouring down from the gallery. He’s +6.
Updated
... and Scheffler bumps his pitch up to 18 inches to salvage his par. To his immense credit, he had immediately congratulated Schwartzel on his eagle with a hand clasp and a wide smile. That’s lovely to see, even in the heat of battle. And that’s some up and down from Zalatoris Country, doubly so given what he’d just witnessed!
-11: Scheffler (10)
-6: Schwartzel (10)
-5: Smith (12)
-4: Lowry (10)
-2: Conners (12)
-1: Willett (14), Morikawa (12), Im (10)
Scottie Scheffler crashes a perfect drive down the middle of 10. But then he pulls his second down the swale to the left. That’ll test his resolve ... not least because seconds later, his partner Charl Schwartzel holes out from 136 yards! The 2011 champion lands his ball six feet past the flag, the ball spinning back on a determined journey into the cup! Eagle! The second of the week here, too after Gary Woodland’s effort earlier in the week. You wait 14 years for an eagle on 10, then two come along at once! Schwartzel rises to -6. Over to you, Scottie...
A second bogey in four holes for Justin Thomas. This one at 14 is the result of his drive ending up on pine straw down the right. He does well to punch his second out of trouble and onto the fringe at the back of the green, but it’s a treacherous long putt back down, and he ends up taking three. He’s level par, and that opening-day 76 suddenly feels even more costly.
The wind is really picking up now. It batters Scottie Scheffler and Charl Schwartzel this way and that on the 9th green, the highest part of the course. Both leave their birdie putts short as a result. Scheffler turns in 33, Schwartzel in 35. Up on 12, Cam Smith rolls an aggressive birdie putt five feet past the hole, but strokes the one coming back straight into the cup. He remains in second, six off the lead. Bogey for his partner Corey Conners, though, who leaves a putt well short from the fringe at the back. And a birdie for Im Sung-jae on 10 to get back into red figures.
-11: Scheffler (9)
-5: Smith (12)
-4: Lowry (9), Schwartzel (9)
-2: Conners (12)
-1: Willett (13), Morikawa (12), Zalatoris (12), Im (10)
Will Zalatoris dunks his tee shot at 12 into the drink. He does well, therefore, to limit the damage to bogey, wedging from the drop zone to ten feet, then steering in the tricky downhill putt. He slips to -1, and he’s back to level par for the day. Meanwhile the leader Scottie Scheffler finds the heart of 9 in regulation, and will have yet another look at birdie.
Shane Lowry bashes a perfect drive down 8 ... then undercooks his approach, which topples off the false front and back down the fairway. He tries his best to salvage the situation, wedging to ten feet, but the attempt to save par shaves the hole. He’s -4. Meanwhile yet another three putt for Tiger, this time on 16, and he slips back to +4.
Easy to forget now that Jon Rahm was the pre-tournament favourite. He’s had a shocker today ... but having bogeyed 14 and 15, then doubled 17, he rakes in a 40-footer across 18 and cracks a wide, warm, wry smile. Arms aloft. Even when you’re signing for a 77 that takes you down the leader board to +7, there’s nothing like the love from the Augusta patrons on 18. You’ve got to soak it up, these things don’t come around that often.
Two putts from the best part of 100 feet from the front of the huge green at the par-five 8th for Charl Schwartzel. A much-needed birdie ... but he makes up no ground on playing partner Scottie Scheffler, who despite driving into sand on the right, then flirting with trees to the left, wedges his third to six feet, and knocks in the putt. Another birdie, and the world number one is relentless.
-11: Scheffler (8)
-5: Smith (10), Lowry (8)
-4: Schwartzel (8)
-3: Conners (10)
Updated
Rory McIlroy pars the last, and he signs for a one-under 71. He won’t be winning this week, but that’s an improvement after a couple of 73s. He’s +1 overall, and has a share of the early clubhouse lead with Tommy Fleetwood and Jason Kokrak.
... or do we talk too soon? Matsuyama wedges his second at 9 to five feet from 100 yards, the topography gathering his ball from left to right towards the hole. In pops the putt, and it’s a desperately needed birdie. That spares the champ the ignominy of turning in 40. He’s level par again. Meanwhile on 11, Zalatoris whistles a brave second straight at the flag, caring not about the water on the left or the swales to the right, then makes a ten footer for a birdie that brings him to -2.
News of Hideki Matsuyama, who looks increasingly unlikely to hold onto his title. He makes double bogey on 5, always out of position after driving into the deep bunker to the left of the fairway, then drops another shot at 7. Only a par at 8, and he’s four over for his round already, and +1 overall.
One of the shots of the day by Cameron Smith on 10. He flashes an 8-iron at the flag from 180 yards, and tidies up from seven feet. He’s going round with Corey Conners, who matches him shot for shot, drawing his iron into 10 to six feet from the best part of 200 yards. Is that even better? Anyway, both of them determined to stay on Scheffler’s tail. Nobody’s giving anything up yet.
-10: Scheffler (7)
-5: Smith (10), Lowry (8)
-3: Conners (10), Schwartzel (7)
-1: Thomas (12), Willett (11), Morikawa (10), Zalatoris (10), Na (9)
E: Spaun (13), Bezuidenhout (12), D Johnson (9), Varner III (8)
An astonishing up and down from the swale down the left of 10 by Will Zalatoris. It’s a deep, steep bank, and he’s not got much green to play with. But he throws up a high lob, lands ten feet above the pin, then tickles a left-to-right slider down the glassy green to save his par. He remains at -1, where he’s joined by partner Collin Morikawa, who rolls in a birdie putt from 12 feet after arrowing a lovely iron towards the pin from 160 yards.
Charl Schwartzel can’t catch a break right now. He sends a lovely second into 7, a few feet from the flag, only for the ball to topple down a ridge to the right and end up 40 feet from the flag. He then nearly drains the long putt for birdie. Just a par. A little bit of spark drains from his eyes as he surveys the scene ... but he’ll be buoyed by Scheffler’s short birdie putt horseshoeing out. Gasps from the gallery, who are just assuming he’ll make everything now. He remains at -10, five clear of Shane Lowry.
The leader Scheffler continues to make his way around Augusta with the minimum of fuss. He splits the fairway at 7, then lands his short iron 12 feet past the flag, screwing it back to 12 feet in front, from where he’ll have an uphill putt for another birdie. It’s difficult to imagine Scheffler making any kind of mistake right now, he’s making golf look a breeze. The chasing pack can’t afford slip-ups, though, and on 11, JT shoves a three-footer wide right to slip back to -1.
Back-to-back birdies for Tiger, as he sends his second at 13 to 25 feet, but narrowly misses the eagle putt. Still, he’s back to +3. Back on 9, Corey Conners whips his second to kick-in distance, and he turns in 35. The in-form Canadian, who reached the semi-finals of the World Match Play recently, joins Justin Thomas at -2.
Birdie for Will Zalatoris at 9, and he turns in level-par 36. He’s -1. Just par for his partner Collin Morikawa, who hits the turn in 37, level par overall. And back on 6, it’s a no-nonsense birdie for the leader Scottie Scheffler, who knocks his tee shot to 12 feet and makes the putt with insouciant ease. He pulls his gilet on as he swans off the green, hands in pockets, looking pretty content with life at the moment. He’s earned the right.
-10: Scheffler (6)
-5: Lowry (6)
-4: Smith (8)
-3: Schwartzel (6)
Updated
It’s worth mentioning Justin Thomas’s antics down 10. Having flayed his drive into the trees down the right, it looked as though his ball had stopped slap bang behind a bush. But upon closer viewing, there was a route through to the green. Channelling the spirit of Bubba Watson in 2012, he punched low and hard through the gap, bundling his ball onto the back fringe of the green ... then nearly drained the birdie putt! That would have been beyond outrageous, but he’s more than happy to settle for a par that seemed a pipe dream when he was walking down to see where his drive had ended up. Anyway, he’s -2.
Well, Scheffler sends his second at 5 to the back of the green. He’s left himself a tricky downhill left-to-right putt from 30 feet ... and leaves it a couple of feet out to the left. A second bogey in a row would test the resolve ... but he knocks the par putt in, and remains at -9. However, his lead is suddenly only four strokes, because Shane Lowry has made his second birdie of the afternoon, sticking his tee shot at the par-three 6th to 15 feet, and rolling the rock perfectly! Meanwhile DJ can’t get up and down from greenside sand on 7, and he slips further back, to -1, but Cam Smith birdies 8 to haul himself back into serious contention!
-9: Scheffler (5)
-5: Lowry (6)
-4: Smith (8)
-3: Schwartzel (5)
-2: Thomas (10)
-1: Bezuidenhout (10), Willett (9), Conners (8), D Johnson (7), Na (7)
McIlroy creams a fairway wood into the heart of the 15th green, no mean feat given the alterations made to the elongated hole. He’s got a fairly straight eagle putt, albeit from 50 feet. He races it ten feet past, but makes the birdie coming back. A deserved reward for that glorious second shot, from 250 yards onto the narrow green. He’s +1 with dreams of a career slam not yet extinguished ... but he’ll need help from that dude out in the distance. Scottie?
... so having said Tiger’s putter was stone cold, he rolls in a right-to-left curler on 12 for birdie! Just reward for a lovely tee shot that sent his ball to 15 feet. He’s back to +4, and so loud is the roar, which pings around Augusta, that you’d think he was in contention on Sunday.
Scheffler sends his tee shot over the back of 4. Not by much, though. In the first cut, a couple of paces down the bank. Out comes the putter. He leaves the left-to-right curler four feet short, then sees his par putt shave the lip on the left and refuse to drop. His first bogey since dropping a stroke at 3 yesterday. A small bone thrown to the rest of the field.
-9: Scheffler (4)
-4: Lowry (4)
-3: Smith (7), Schwartzel (4)
-2: Thomas (9), Bezuidenhout (9), D Johnson (6)
On 11, it’s another three-putt bogey for Tiger. Throw in that four-putt on 5 and his flat stick has been stone cold today. He’s +5. Speaking of green-related mishaps, McIlroy leaves a straight 15-foot birdie putt short on 14, then fails to catch his putter having angrily sent it twirling it into the sky like Stevie Nicks on PCP. Never a good look when you grab fresh air and your putter goes clanking off down the green. He’s +2.
Scottie Scheffler makes no mistake with his birdie putt. It hasn’t taken long for his overnight five-stroke lead to become six. It’d be seven had Shane Lowry not got up and down gracefully from greenside sand at 4. Scheffler’s partner Charl Schwartzel makes a clumsy three-putt bogey to hand back the shot he picked up at 2. Dustin Johnson bogeys 5 after yipping a tiddler. But it’s birdie for Christiaan Bezuidenhout at the par-five 8th. All change!
-10: Scheffler (3)
-4: Lowry (4)
-3: Smith (6), Schwartzel (3)
-2: Thomas (8), Bezuidenhout (8), D Johnson (5), Na (5), Matsuyama (4)
-1: Kokrak (14), Willett (7), Conners (6), Varner III (4), Im (4)
News of the 18-hole leader Im Sung-jae. The 2020 joint runner-up slipped back into the pack after a double bogey on the opening hole. He flew the green from the centre of the fairway, couldn’t get all the way back up from the swale at the back, and took three to get down from the fringe. He’s currently -1 overall through 3.
Scheffler sets himself up with a chance to get to double figures on 3. A low-flighted wedge that bites ten feet past the hole. At the moment, he’s giving the field nothing. They’ll have to do it themselves, on current evidence, and so Cam Smith rattles in a 20-footer on the par-three 6th to move to -3.
Will Zalatoris, having taken one step forward with that chip-in on 5, takes one back with a thinned wedge on 6. He’s -1. He’s alongside Collin Morikawa, the Open champion enduring an uneven front nine, following up birdie at 3 with bogeys at 4 and 5 and another birdie at 6. Meanwhile on 7, Danny Willett rattles in a 30-footer, and though it’s just for par - he flew a sand shot well past the hole - it’ll feel like a birdie. He stays at -1.
A slightly disappointing end to Tommy Fleetwood’s round. Bogey at 17 means he has to settle for a two-under 70. Southport’s finest ends a productive day having moved up the standings to +1, and with Everton less likely to be relegated than they were 24 hours ago. Meanwhile garden-variety birdies for Scottie Scheffler and Charl Schwartzel in the final group, and the leader re-establishes his five-shot cushion at the top.
-9: Scheffler (2)
-4: Lowry (2), Schwartzel (2)
-3: D Johnson (4)
-2: Thomas (7), Smith (5), Na (4), Matsuyama (3)
Shane Lowry is the first man to take a nibble into Scottie Scheffler’s lead. Just short of the green in two, he bundles a chip up to three feet, and tidies up for birdie.
-8: Scheffler (1)
-4: Lowry (2)
-3: D Johnson (4), Schwartzel (1)
-2: Thomas (7), Zalatoris (5), Smith (4), Conners (4), Na (4), Matsuyama (3)
Amen Corner (and its immediate environs) did a number on Jason Kokrak yesterday. After bogey at 10, he bogeyed 11 and doubled 12. But he’s had payback today: birdie at 10, then another at 12, and finally a third at 13. After opening rounds of 70 and 76, it’s been an up and down week for the 36-year-old from Ohio, but he’s three under for his round today and back in credit at -1. His best finish here was 49th last year; he’s well on course to best that now.
A sensational birdie for Will Zalatoris at 5. He’s short of the green in two. Out comes the wedge, to take out the ridge running across the middle of the putting surface. He lands his ball on the top shelf, where it grips, then rolls serenely into the hole. He’s -2.
Matsuyama takes his medicine, chipping back out from the trees down the left of 2. He sends his third to ten feet, but fails to make the birdie putt. Good course management, shame about the flat stick. On that subject, it’s a three-putt bogey for Tiger at 9, and he turns in 39. It’s not been his morning at all, and he’s +4.
So is Scheffler on edge as he sets about defending his lead, or not? He pulls his second at 1 down the swale to the right, leaving himself a tricky chip back up with not a whole lot of green to play with. No matter! He sends a crisp, confident wedge to kick-in distance, salvaging his par, and de-jangling those nerves. His partner Schwartzel, pin high and 25 feet to the right, rolls his birdie effort three feet past, but tidies up for par. The final pair remain at -8 and -3 respectively.
Updated
A late-round birdie blitz from Tommy Fleetwood. Shots picked up at 13, 15 and 16 have whistled him up the standings to level par. No doubt he’s been buoyed by relegation-haunted Everton’s deserved victory over Manchester United earlier in the day. Meanwhile birdie at 2 for Dustin Johnson, bounceback birdie for his playing partner Kevin Na, a dropped stroke by Justin Thomas at the difficult 5th, and a careless bogey for Cam Smith at the short par-four 3rd, means the top of the leader board now looks like this:
-8: Scheffler
-3: D Johnson (2), Lowry (1), Schwartzel
-2: Thomas (6), Willett (4), Smith (3), Conners (3), Na (2), Matsuyama (1)
The leader Scottie Scheffler is out ... and if any nerves have been building up as he waited for his tee time, they’re not immediately apparent. He smacks his drive down the track, the ball unluckily sneaking into the second cut on the left. He’s going round today with the 2011 winner Charl Schwartzel, who has missed his last six cuts this year, but now look. He cracks one down the middle, and off we go!
An opening bogey for the defending champion Hideki Matsuyama. He got himself back into position after sending his opening drive into the big bunker down the right of Tea Olive, but ended up missing a five-footer for his par. Having slipped back to -2, he’s now hooked his drive at 2 into the trees down the left. Not the start he was after, as he bids to become only the fourth player to retain the Masters, after Jack Nicklaus (1966), Nick Faldo (1990) and Tiger Woods (2002). He’s going round with Harold Varner III, who also bogeys 1 after a wild drive into the pines down the right. He’s -1.
Collin Morikawa makes his first move! He drains a 25-footer from the fringe at 3 for a birdie that moves him to -2. Cam Smith meanwhile gets up and down from the front of 2 for a birdie that brings him to -3, as he sets about repairing the damage of yesterday afternoon’s 74-shot struggle.
The first few players out this morning are back in the house ... and it’s been an awful day for the 2013 champion Adam Scott. A double-bogey six on 17, run up without any particularly egregious errors, just bang average golf, put the tin lid on an 80. He currently props up the entire leader board at +12. Viktor Hovland meanwhile makes it home with a one-under 71 that brings him up to +3.
Danny Willett finished yesterday’s round in very average fashion, coming back in 39 strokes. But he’s clearly not been sulking about it overnight. A first birdie of the day at 3 brings the 2016 champ up to -2. Opening bogey for Kevin Na, however, and the 38-year-old from Vegas slips back to -1 for the tournament.
A par-par start for Collin Morikawa. It’s only 53 degrees Fahrenheit, about 12 degrees Celsius, which is way below average for Augusta in April. That, along with the fact that Morikawa is from California, may explain the snood, which nearly covers his entire head, and registers a full 11 on the Nik Kershaw-o-meter. He remains at -1.
A confident start by the 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson. Birdie at 2, followed by a tee shot fired straight at the flag at the par-three 6th. He rolls in from ten feet and joins the group at -1.
Updated
A fast start for Will Zalatoris, too. He opens with birdie to join the group at -2. But never mind that! It’s another one for JT, who finds sand with his tee shot at the short par-four 3rd, leaves himself 30 feet from the flag, then rattles in the putt to grab himself a share of second. His partner Christian Bezuidenhout also makes birdie, the South African’s first of the day, to move into the red.
-8: Scheffler
-3: Thomas (3), Schwartzel, Im, Lowry, Matsuyama
-2: Zalatoris (1), Smith (1), Varner III, D Johnson, Na
-1: Fitzpatrick (4), Bezuidenhout (3), Willett (2), Niemann (2), Conners (1), Morikawa (1)
Scottie Scheffler’s antics yesterday slightly obscured the great comeback made by Justin Thomas. Both men shot 67, but while Scheffler’s fine round catapulted him to the top of the standings, JT’s merely hauled him back into contention after an out-of-sorts opening-day 76. Thomas was second favourite with the bookies going into the tournament, and having illustrated why yesterday, he looks in the mood again. In the bunker guarding the front right of 2, he splashes out delicately, the ball only just getting out, then rolling serenely towards the cup. It’s a dimple away from dropping for eagle. In the birdie putt goes, and he’s -2 overall.
Disaster for Tiger on 5. He shoves his approach well to the right. He still makes the green, though he’s a good 65 feet from the flag. His first putt stops six feet short. Plenty left to do for par. He doesn’t make it, trickling a gingerly hit effort wide left. He spins around to tap the bogey putt home ... then watches in horror as, having rushed it, he pulls again and it lips out. A double-bogey, four-putt six. He clatters back down the leader board to +3, and there’s no big surprise when he tosses his putter over his shoulder in the vague direction of his bag as a result.
Matthew Fitzpatrick has a decent record at Augusta. Solid and consistent, if unspectacular. After missing the cut on debut as an amateur in 2014, he’s made the cut on every visit since, his best finish a tie for seventh in 2016, though he was never in contention to win that year. Starting today at level par through 36 holes, he bogeyed the 1st, but has just bounced back spectacularly with birdies at 2 and 3. He moves into red figures, and gives us our first excuse to update the leader board.
-8: Scheffler
-3: Schwartzel, Im, Lowry, Matsuyama
-2: Varner III, D Johnson, Na, Smith
-1: Fitzpatrick (3), Thomas (1), Willett (1), Niemann (1), Conners, Morikawa, Zalatoris
E: Simpson (4), Spaun (3), Bezuidenhout (1)
It’s pretty chilly by the usual standards of April in Georgia. A cloudy day, and there may be the occasional shower. Perhaps most importantly, the winds are already picking up, and are expected to hover around the 20-25 mph mark all day. The course will get harder and faster as a result.
Tiger pulls a fairly dreadful tee shot at the 240-yard 4th - a fairway wood on a par three! - wide of the bunker on the left. He’s faced with a tricky chip over the sand from 30 yards, but screeches his ball to a halt, a couple of feet short of the flag. In goes the par saver, and he remains at +1.
Rory rolls another one in! He curls a right-to-left 25-footer into the cup for birdie on 7. All good, except it follows a heavy handed chip from the fringe at 6 that left a six-footer he couldn’t make. Two bogeys and two birdies, and he can get no higher than +2.
Victor Hovland only just made the cut after opening rounds of 72 and 76. He needs something really special today - plus a Scottie Scheffler stumble - if he’s to contest tomorrow. That didn’t look on the cards when he went out this morning in 37, but he’s caught alight since turning, with birdies at 10, 11 and now 13. Some way to breeze around Amen Corner. He’s +2.
Bounce-back birdie for Tiger! He sends his second at 2 into the sand guarding the front left of the green, then splashes out to three feet. In goes the putt, and he’s back to +1 in short order. It won’t surprise you to hear that the gallery following the five-time champion looks about 20 deep in some places. Thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin Kisner, very much the bridesmaid in this arrangement today. For the record, he’s matched Tiger shot for shot so far, bogey then birdie, and he’s +1 as well.
Augusta National was once a mere field, of course, until Bobby Jones, Clifford Roberts and Alister Mackenzie realised their dream. Now look. Such a task may seem daunting, but that’s not put off Dan Davies, whose nascent RNGC “is a ridiculous, homemade homage to the par-three course at Augusta, albeit with many more opportunities for Tony Finau to pop his ankle”. Read on and enjoy!
Oh Rory! How could we ever have doubted you! He sends his tee shot at the par-three 4th straight at the flag, but the best part of 40 feet short. No matter! He sends a tramliner into the cup for birdie, to repair the damage of that opening bogey. He’s back where he started the day at +2.
Tiger is out and about. Love him or obsess about him, the man is box office. He stripes his first tee shot of the day straight down the track, then knocks his second onto the green, albeit a good 50 feet to the right of the flag. He spends a good couple of minutes prowling around, sizing up all the undulations. He’s surprisingly unsuccessful in his calculations: the pace is fine, but the ball breaks a good ten feet to the left of the hole. He’s now got some work for his par. He can’t make it, and slips back to +2. Meanwhile here’s some rather more successful Fast Start News: birdie for Sergio Garcia at 1, he’s +1 overall, and birdie for Jon Rahm at 2, he’s +1 as well.
Unsurprising News dept. Rory McIlroy sent his opening tee shot into the woods down the right of Tea Olive, en route to bogey. He’s since missed a birdie opportunity from ten feet on 3. He’s +3, and those career slam dreams look more and more fanciful as the years go by. On that subject, here’s Steve Buist: “It pains me to say this but I fear Rory has become a head case. I like the guy immensely but I predict he’ll never win another major. Something’s not loggin’ in his noggin. But he owes me nothing. Back in 2011, I was on a golf holiday to Scotland and popped in to a Coral’s in Troon and bet on Rory to win the US Open – when he was leading by 10 strokes or something like that. He held on and I won 86p. I think the Coral’s had to close after that payout.”
Here we go, then. Moving Day! And of the early starters, only one man is currently better than one under for his round. Step forward Marc Leishman. The 38-year-old Aussie has three top-ten finishes at Augusta on his CV, the latest being a tie for fifth last year. He also jointly holds the Masters record for lowest cumulative score on the par fives in one tournament, playing them in 15 under par in 2020. Birdies at 2 and 8 today, and he’s hitting the turn in 34. He’s +2 overall.
There’s only one place to start.
Preamble
It’s Moving Day! Can anybody hunt down Scottie Scheffler? Will he extend his lead? Will he fall back into the pack? We’ll find out soon enough! Here’s what the top of the leader board looks like …
-8: Scheffler
-3: Schwartzel, Im, Lowry, Matsuyama
-2: Varner III, D Johnson, Na, Smith
-1: Conners, Morikawa, Zalatoris, Willett, Niemann, Thomas
E: Bezuidenhout, Fitzpatrick, Spaun
+1: Simpson, Cantlay, Kisner, Woods
+2: MacIntyre, Westwood, Watson, Garcia, Hatton, Rahm, McIlroy, Straka, Swafford, Higgs, Kim, Kokrak, Gooch, Berger, Finau
… here are some big names who have missed the cut ...
Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland, Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau, Sam Burns, Padraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, Mike Wear, Stewart Cink, Bernhard Langer, Francesco Molinari, Freddie Couples, Larry Mize, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sandy Lyle and all the amateurs
… and here’s when everybody’s teeing off. (USA unless stated, all times BST, -a- denotes amateurs). We’ll get going here at 6pm BST. It’s on!
15.20 Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Adam Scott (Aus)
15.30 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Min-Woo Lee (Aus)
15.40 Marc Leishman (Aus), Seamus Power (Irl)
15.50 Cameron Davis (Aus), Lucas Glover
16.00 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Max Homa
16.10 Tom Hoge, Billy Horschel
16.20 Russell Henley, Patrick Reed
16.30 Cameron Champ, Tony Finau
16.40 Daniel Berger, Talor Gooch
17.00 Si Woo Kim (Kor), Jason Kokrak
17.10 Harry Higgs, Hudson Swafford
17.20 Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Sepp Straka (Aut)
17.30 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Jon Rahm (Spa)
17.40 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Bubba Watson
17.50 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Lee Westwood (Eng)
18.00 Kevin Kisner, Tiger Woods
18.10 Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson
18.20 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), JJ Spaun
18.40 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Justin Thomas
18.50 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Danny Willett (Eng)
19.00 Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris
19.10 Corey Conners (Can), Cameron Smith (Aus)
19.20 Dustin Johnson, Kevin Na
19.30 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Harold Varner III
19.40 Sung Jae Im (Kor), Shane Lowry (Irl)
19.50 Scottie Scheffler, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)
