That’s your lot today, then. See you tomorrow for what promises to be a long but good Friday.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: Scheffler (F)
-5: Hojgaard (15)
-4: Willett (F), Homa (13)
-3: Fox (F), Davis (F), Hatton (14)
-2: Conners (F), An (F), Niemann (F), Zalatoris (F), Reed (14), Pavon (14), Aberg (11), Fleetwood (10)
Tiger elects to finish 13. He makes his par, and ends his day’s work at -1. Max Homa meanwhile tickles in an eight-foot downhill birdie putt to bounce back to -4. They’ll have 23 holes to play tomorrow, starting on the 14th tee at 7.45 am local time.
Two careful putts by Nicolai Hojgaard on 15. The birdie takes the Dane into sole ownership of third spot. Then the horn goes for close of play. Players can finish the hole they’re on if they so desire.
Tommy Fleetwood’s second into 10 drifts off down the left. He can’t get up and down from the bottom of the hill and the bogey drops him back to -2. Meanwhile the 2018 winner Patrick Reed has birdied 8 and 11 to move to -2. And on 15, Nicolai Hojgaard sends another ballsy long iron over water, and will get his reward with a look at eagle from 40 feet.
A bounceback birdie for Tyrrell Hatton. He wedges his third into the heart of 13, and uses the tilt of the green to gather his ball back to three feet. That’s a wonderful chip, and it’s rewarded with a move back to -3. He’s joined there, coming the other way, by Max Homa, whose tee shot at 12 is extremely fortunate to get over the water, and stay on the bank, even if it’s not quite in the dramatic style of Fred Couples back in 1992. Homa can’t chip close, and there goes a shot.
Nicolai Hojgaard is always out of position on 14 after sending his tee shot into the trees. He takes his medicine by chipping out sideways, but can’t salvage par from distance. Still, it’s all about limiting damage around Augusta, and something the debutant appears to have learned quite quickly. He’s -4.
A wonderful street-fighting par by Max Homa on 11. He flays his tee shot into woodland-based trouble. Taking his medicine, he chips back out, then wedges to ten feet and rolls in the putt. He remains at -4. Meanwhile a third birdie in a row for Tommy Fleetwood, this time at 9, and Southport’s finest moves into a tie for sixth at -3! And par at the last and a 69 for Cam Davis.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: Scheffler (F)
-5: Hojgaard (13)
-4: Willett (F), Homa (11)
-3: Fox (F), Davis (F), Fleetwood (9)
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Tyrrell Hatton strokes in his bogey putt on 12. You would have been forgiven for assuming he’d start running hot, given past evidence, but he kept his equilibrium impressively to wedge his third close and limit the damage. He slips back to -2 and walks off looking reasonably calm, all things considered. That’s a moment that could stand him in good stead should he find himself in contention later in the week.
Back-to-back birdies for Tommy Fleetwood, out in the last group, at 7 and 8. He’s -2, on the leader board alongside Ludvig Aberg, his Ryder Cup team-mate having birdied 2 and 8 and turning in 34. On debut! Bother meanwhile for Tyrrell Hatton, who having made a couple of steely up-and-downs to scramble pars at 10 and 11, dumps his tee shot at 12 into the dark blue. He drops and clips his third to six feet, but has work to do to limit the damage to bogey.
Nicolai Hojgaard sends his tee shot at 13 onto pine straw down the right. Undeterred, he zaps a long iron over the creek to 20 feet. That took moxie. Two putts later, and that’s three birdies on the bounce.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: Scheffler (F)
-5: Hojgaard (13)
-4: Willett (F), Homa (10)
-3: Fox (F), Davis (17), Hatton (11)
Jason Day drains a long birdie putt across 10, and having recently birdied 8 as well, has repaired all of the early damage to his card. He’s level par, and those trousers are going to become highly fashionable very soon, I’ll be bound.
The Open champion Brian Harman breaks a run of seven consecutive pars in style. Birdie-birdie at 8 and 9, and he turns in 34.
Rory McIlroy speaks to Sky. “It’s satisfying in one sense that it’s a decent start compared to the way I have played here in the previous few years … but I could have been two or three better … I don’t feel like I’m chasing anything … I’ll be able to keep an eye on what Scottie is doing … a solid day’s work … I stuck to my gameplan … the way the conditions were, you couldn’t chase it … I will rue the last four holes, I could have got more out of it, but I’m happy.”
The FedEx champion Viktor Hovland pars the last to end the day with a 71. That promised so much more after a front nine of 32 strokes, but under par is under par, and it’s a step back towards the form that’s eluded him for so much of 2024.
Max Homa arrows his second at 9 to eight feet, and walks in the birdie putt. It’s his fourth of the day, and he hits the turn in an unblemished 32. Par for Tiger, who turns in 35.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: Scheffler (F)
-4: Willett (F), Hojgaard (12), Homa (9)
-3: Fox (F), Davis (16), Hatton (10)
-2: Conners (F), An (F), Niemann (F), Zalatoris (F), Pavon (10)
Nicolai Hojgaard is on a tear. Birdies at 7, 8, 11 and now 12 have whisked the 23-year-old Dane to -4. The latest is quite special: a tee shot pulled wide left of the green, a crisp chip chased into the cup. He raises his club in the air by way of quiet celebration. Just as well he made it, because someone had to share third spot with Danny Willett, and Cameron Davis misses his birdie chance at 16.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: Scheffler (F)
-4: Willett (F), Hojgaard (12)
-3: Fox (F), Davis (16), Hatton (10), Homa (8)
Cameron Davis has only been to Augusta once before, finishing 46th a couple of years ago. But he does have a high finish in a major on his CV: a tie for fourth at last year’s PGA. The 29-year-old Aussie is aiming high again today, and having gone out in 33, only to drop shots at 10 and 11, he’s bounced back by birdieing both 13 and 15, then hitting his tee shot at 16 to ten feet. If he sees that in, he’ll join Danny Willett in a share of third.
The sun goes down on Augusta National at 7.56pm local time. That’s just before 1am in British pounds, shillings and pence. The players remaining out on the course will hope to make it round as far as they can. Playing more than 18 holes on Friday is no good. Especially for someone like Tiger Woods, whose body has taken such a battering over the years. He’s only just approaching the turn, having cracked his drive at 9 down the middle, but he’ll be in good spirits despite tomorrow’s crowded schedule: he’s just birdied 8 to move into credit at -1.
Scheffler shoots 66
Scottie Scheffler tidies up for his par, and that’s a blemish-free round of 66. Rory McIlroy records his first under-par opening round here for six years. An encouraging finish too for the third member of the group, the much-fancied Xander Schauffele, who repaired the damage of early bogeys at 1 and 4 with birdies late on at 13 and 16. He signs for a level-par 72.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: Scheffler (F)
-4: Willett (F)
-3: Fox (F), Hatton (9), Homa (8)
Scheffler is faced with a putt from the best part of 100 feet. He does exceptionally well to clack it up pin high, but six feet or so to the left. Still plenty of work to do. McIlroy then wedges delicately – outrageously so – from the bank at the back. It slides two feet past. Given the slope further behind could have taken the ball all the way back to the front of the green, that’s quite the gentle touch. A one-under 71 and while it was far from perfect, he’s not put himself behind the eight-ball after the first round.
Scottie Scheffler finds a fairway bunker to the left of 18 – Sandy Lyle country – and can only power his second onto the front edge of the green. He’ll have a monster two putts for par. Rory McIlroy meanwhile is in the actual Lyle bunker, but unlike the sainted Sandy, can’t hold the green with his second. He thins it through the green. A tricky chip and putt coming back. What he’d give to make it and end the day in red figures. Remember: he’s not done that on Thursday since 2018.
Matt Fitzpatrick stumbles all the way home. Bogeys at 14 and 17, and now a careless chip on 18, clanked 15 feet past from a hillock at the back, leads to a final indignity. He ends the day with a 71. Far from disastrous, but it promised so much more. A closing bogey for Jon Rahm as well; he’s +1 and signing for a 73. It is so difficult to retain at Augusta.
What a miserable end to the round for Will Zalatoris. A drive into the woods down the right leads to another bogey, and the 2021 runner-up has to settle for a two-under 70. Meanwhile more misery for Rory McIlroy, who sends his tee shot at 17 towards a tree down the left. Unable to take a full swing, he punches out low and hard, his second whistling through the green and over the back. A clumsy chip leads to bogey and he slips to -1. Par for Scottie Scheffler.
A debutant’s mistake by Wyndham Clark on 15. He lands his wedge on the green … but the ball bites and spins back viciously, beginning an inexorable journey down the bank and into the drink. He’ll have to play the same shot again, but this time it’ll be number five. The US Open champ is -2 right now; he’ll do very well to remain in red figures by the time he reaches the 16th tee.
Tiger’s been quietly plodding his way around. That opening birdie was handed back at 4; everything else has been a battle to make par. He salvages well at 7, splashing out from a deep bunker at the front of the green to kick-in distance. He’s level par.
Like Rory, Jon Rahm hasn’t had his best stuff on the green today. He follows up birdie on 16 by giving the shot back to the field on 17, prodding with great uncertainty at a par putt from six feet. The defending champion is level par; he’s hovered around there all day. Bogey too for his partner Matt Fitzpatrick, who is enduring an untidy end to his round. He slips to -2.
Rory McIlroy’s putter continues to let him down. He pulls his short birdie putt at 16 and remains at -2. Scottie Scheffler takes another step into the distance as he tidies up his chance.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: Scheffler (16)
-4: Willett (F)
-3: Fox (F), Zalatoris (17), Fitzpatrick (16), Pavon (7)
Scottie Scheffler is a force of nature. He ambles over to the 16th tee and eases an 8-iron to 18 inches. He’s surely about to make his fourth birdie in five holes. It’s a shot that makes the brilliant one by Rory McIlroy – four feet away – somehow seem bog-standard. Scheffler operating on a different level. Just outstanding. Meanwhile bogey for Will Zalatoris at 17; he slips back to -3.
Yep. Two putts for McIlroy and just a par. He remains at -2 for the tournament. He’d have probably taken it as he was watching his ball sail weakly over the water, to be fair. And if he holds onto his position, this will be his first opening round under par at the Masters since 2018. Meanwhile a drama-free two-putt birdie for Scottie Scheffler, and look where the world number one suddenly finds himself!
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-5: Scheffler (15)
-4: Willett (F), Zalatoris (16)
It’s Rory McIlroy’s turn to get away with a poor shot into a par five across water. Like his partner Scottie Scheffler on 13, his shot into 15 looks like it’s failed to cross the water. But like Scheffler before him, it sticks on the bank. Unfortunately for Rory, he fails to take advantage with his subsequent chip up. A heavy handed clank means he’ll be concentrating on two putts for par. Compare and contrast the way McIlroy is playing the par fives to Will Zalatoris, who has played them in five under. McIlroy is level and unless he knocks in a 15-footer now, won’t be improving on that today.
Patrick Cantlay holes out from 147 yards on 17. Eagle. He barely bats an eyelid as he moves from +1 to -1. Meanwhile Jason Day follows birdie at 3 with a clumsy double at the par-three 4th. Fortunately nobody appears to be paying any attention to his golf, instead transfixed by the voluminous breeks he’s big-legging around in. “Thanks for the excellent golf coverage but when are you going to get to the real talking point from today - Jason Day’s pants!?” begins Karla Taylor. “It’s the fashion choice that has launched a thousand memes already. Is it a sneaky homage to the ending this week of the finest sitcom of the current millennium? (See Curb Your Enthusiasm episode The Pants Tent for reference).” Well, he certainly played 4 like a beloved aunt.
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Bogeys for Phil Mickelson at 16 and 17, and a promising red-figure round turns into a one-over 73. Last year’s joint runner-up trudges off sadly. In happier news, the French debutant Matthieu Pavon has come flying out of the traps, birdieing 2, 3 and now 6 to whizz up the standings to -3.
Rory McIlroy looked a lost soul early on today. But his birdie at 8 and fortunate par at 9 has given him succour, and he’s just followed up the birdie he made at 12 with another at 14. Typically the putt he made on 14 was far harder than the one he missed for birdie on 13, but that’s Rollercoaster Rory for you. He’s -2. Meanwhile back on 4, the ultra-charismatic Tom Kim drains one from downtown, much to the joy of the patrons. He’s -1.
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Will Zalatoris is playing the par-fives brilliantly. Birdie at 2. Birdie at 8. Eagle at 13. Now another birdie at 15. The latest is reward for another forensic iron whistled unerringly over water and onto the dancefloor. He joins the group in second spot at -4, though that no longer features Matt Fitzpatrick, who drops a stroke at 14 after a weak chip leaves him too much to do. Bogey also for Fitz’s playing partner Jon Rahm, who slips back to level par.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-4: Willett (F), Zalatoris (15), Scheffler (13)
-3: Fox (F), Fitzpatrick (14)
Tyrrell Hatton makes his way up 5 in wild and wonderful fashion! Having found trouble off the tee, he’s hitting three into the green from distance. A wedge over the flag catches the backstop, his ball turning and making an inexorable journey towards the cup. A birdie out of nothing that goes alongside the one he made at 2. He’s -2 … and that’s where An Byeong-hun has ended the day after bogey at 18. A diminuendo end to his round, having also bogeyed 16. The 32-year-old Korean signs for a 70.
A big mistake by Scottie Scheffler. He gets too much draw onto a 5-iron into 13, and the ball disappears towards Rae’s Creek. That should be wet … but then the cameras don’t catch any ripples in the water, and a few of the patrons are cheering. Yep, the ball has stuck on the bank! That’s a huge break for Scheffler, and after chipping up to three feet, what looked like certain bogey has turned into birdie. The small margins at the Masters! The world number one moves to -4.
An opening bogey for the 2020 champ Dustin Johnson. Meanwhile a third birdie in a row for Matt Fitzpatrick, the latest at 13, and suddenly it’s an all-Sheffield affair at -4! “DeChambeau is clearly keen to make a fast start, given that he’ll be checking out on Saturday. -21 after 54 holes would certainly give him a fighting chance, and at least give the rest of the field a target for Sunday evening.” Simon McMahon with some LIV-infused humour, ladies and gentlemen, because somebody had to go there.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-4: Willett (F), Fitzpatrick (13)
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Ryan Fox makes it home in 69 whacks. Pars at 17 and 18 ensure the day doesn’t end too sourly after those dropped shots at 13 and 16. Meanwhile back-to-back birdies for Matt Fitzpatrick at 11 and 12.
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-4: Willett (F)
-3: Fox (F), An (16), Zalatoris (13), Fitzpatrick (12), Scheffler (12), Clark (10), Davis (9)
The 2015 champion Jordan Spieth endures a miserable start. A chip from the swale back-left of the green stalls on the hill and comes back to his feet. He’s forced to go again, and only just gets the second effort up. The bogey putt fails to drop, and that’s a double to start. Double bogey at the 1st of 72 holes didn’t stop Jon Rahm last year, is what Spieth will be telling himself right now.
Eagle for Will Zalatoris at 13! Deserved reward for a forensic second sent over Rae’s Creek to four feet. Meanwhile a stunning birdie for Scottie Scheffler at 12, splashing in from the bunker at the back. They’re both -3. A more conventional birdie for Rory McIlroy at 12, having fired his tee shot to six feet. He’s -1.
Tiger’s tee shot at 2 avoids the creek, but nestles up against the base of a tree. He’s forced to chop out left-handed, and then he pulls his approach long and left. However he manages to get up and down to salvage his par. That’s quite the result given how poorly he otherwise played the hole. He remains at -1. Meanwhile back on 1, an opening bogey for a frustrated Brooks Koepka.
Things go south quickly for An Byeong-hun. Over the back of 15 in two, he chips up adroitly – and bravely, considering the water at the bottom of a hill behind the flag – to three feet. Then he misses the birdie putt. Then he sends a weak tee shot into 16 and the ball topples back into the drink. He does extremely well to limit the damage to bogey, but having been almost certain to move to -5 a few minutes earlier, he instead slips to -3.
Back in 30? Pah! At the 1978 tournament, Gary Player came back in 29 on Sunday. On that subject, here’s the ever-entertaining Andy Bull on the great man holding court earlier today at the opening ceremony. Get clicking, but remember to come back here now y’all.
DeChambeau shoots 65
A couple of years ago, Bryson DeChambeau rather naively suggested his personal par at Augusta was 67. Well, he’s bettered that mark by a couple of strokes this afternoon. Two putts for par at the last, and he’s back in 30 strokes. One of the great Thursday performances from the 2020 US Open champion.
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Scottie Scheffler misses his short birdie putt on 10. If there’s any chink in his armour, that’s it. He remains at -2. Meanwhile a three-putt bogey for Ryan Fox on 16; like Erik van Rooyen before him, a highly promising round is threatening to unravel. He’s back to -3. Tiger’s drive at 2 heads dangerously close towards the creek running down the left of the fairway. And up on 18, a bit of good fortune for Bryson DeChambeau, who, having driven into a bunker, nearly finds another to the right of the green. He just about makes it over, and a kindly bounce left takes him onto the putting surface. Hey, if anyone’s earned a spot of luck today, it’s Bryson. He’s been on another level.
Tiger sends his second at 1 pin high to eight feet. He rolls the putt gracefully into the centre of the cup and the five-time champion opens his latest bid with a birdie. Meanwhile up on 9, the reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark sends a laser-like approach straight at the flag, then makes the simple uphill putt for his third birdie of the day. He turns in 33. He’s on debut!
A disappointing bogey for Jon Rahm at 10, the result of sending his second long and left. The defending champion slips back to -1. In the group coming up behind, the world number one Scottie Scheffler sends a dart straight at the flag. He’ll have a good look at birdie from six feet. And on 9, Viktor Hovland drains a putt from the fringe at the back of the green, and that’s three birdies on the bounce for a player who has spent most of 2024 so far tinkering with his swing. His labour finally bearing fruit? He’s -4.
Tiger Woods is out and about. His first drive is sent out left but comes back to the fairway. The noise is as you’d imagine. A fair old hubbub at 2 as well, as Kurt Kitayama bundles in a chip from the back of the green for an eagle that brings him almost immediately to -2. And up on 17, Bryson DeChambeau keeps on keepin’ on. From the straw down the left of 17, he powers his second onto the right-hand edge of the green, then rattles in the 30-footer he’s left with. That was heading into the centre of the cup from the very second it left the face of his putter! That’s five birdies in six holes, and this is turning into one of the great opening rounds.
-7: DeChambeau (17)
-4: Willett (F), Fox (15), An (14)
-3: Hovland (8)
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Back-to-back birdies for Viktor Hovland at 7 and 8. He suddenly finds himself in fifth spot at -3. Meanwhile a spot of good fortune for Rory McIlroy at 9. His tee shot clatters into the trees down the left, but pings back out into the centre of the fairway. McIlroy’s approach isn’t super-close, but good enough for a calm two-putt. For the first time today there’s a little bounce in his step as he hits the turn in level-par 36. It could have been better; it could easily have been worse. His playing partner Scottie Scheffler turns in 34; the third member of the group, Xander Schauffele, in a disappointing 38.
Danny Willett shoots 68
The 2016 champion Danny Willett finishes a fine round in style. He sends his approach at 18 pin high, then rolls the 15-foot birdie putt into the centre of the cup. That’s an opening round of 68, and one that threatened to go south after bogeys at 10 and 14. But he regrouped with three birdies in the last four holes, shades of his strong carpe-diem denouement to his greatest hour. A huge smile plays across his face. This is some performance, a mere six months after shoulder surgery.
-6: DeChambeau (16)
-4: Willett (F), Fox (14), An (13)
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No problem for Bryson DeChambeau. He taps in for birdie, and that’s four birdies in the last five holes. His best finish at Augusta was a tie for 21st … as the low amateur back in 2016. He’s now two clear at -6. Meanwhile it’s also back-to-back birdies for An Byeong-hun, the latest at 13. He joins Ryan Fox in second place.
-6: DeChambeau (16)
-4: Fox (14), An (13)
-3: Willett (17)
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Bryson DeChambeau looks in the mood. He sends his tee shot at 16 into the heart of the green, and like Danny Willett a few minutes earlier, makes use of the camber to take his ball down towards the hole. For a while, that looked like heading in for an ace. As it is, he’ll have a short putt for another birdie and a two-stroke lead. Meanwhile a two-putt birdie on the par-five 8th for Rory McIlroy, and he’s back to level par.
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… Bryson DeChambeau hits the front alone after nearly making a sensational eagle on 15! Having sent his tee shot into trees down the left, he goes for it over the water with his second, arrowing his second into the smallest portion of the green, the only bit available to him, on the left. His eagle putt shaves the side of the cup, and he tidies up for par. What a three that would have been. Such a shame he didn’t make it. Fortune certainly favoured the brave there. Whether he’d choose to do that on Sunday afternoon is another matter, of course. Time will tell.
-5: DeChambeau (15)
-4: Fox (13)
-3: Willett (17), An (12)
-2: Zalatoris (9), Rahm (8), Fitzpatrick (8), Scheffler (7), Clark (7), Hovland (7), Smith (7), Davis (5)
Ryan Fox makes his bogey putt on 13 to limit the damage. But that’s cost him sole ownership of the lead. Incidentally – and it’s obviously a bit early for this sort of talk, but what the hell - Fox is looking to become only the third New Zealand man to win a major title, after Bob Charles (1963 Open) and Michael Campbell (2005 US Open), and the fourth Kiwi overall (Lydia Ko having won the Evian in 2015 and the Dinah Shore a year later). I’m wittering now. And as a result, there’s no point me updating the leader board to reflect Fox’s bogey, because …
The leader Ryan Fox sets about making a pig’s lug of the par-three 13th. He sends his tee shot into the trees down the right, doesn’t make a particularly good fist of chipping back out, then from a downhill lie chunks a fat wedge into Rae’s Creek. He hangs his head in shame and sorrow, but gathers himself to clip his fifth stroke pin high to ten feet. He’ll have a chance to escape the scene of his crime with a bogey.
Erik Van Rooyen pars the last to stem the bleeding. Having reached the heady heights of -4 through 13, three bogeys in the next four holes went quite some way to spoiling his card. He signs for a 71. He’d have probably taken that at the start of the day, but, well, y’know. Meanwhile an opening birdie for Shane Lowry, who hasn’t been discussed too much going into this event, but could be a dark horse for glory, having tied for third here a couple of years ago.
The birdie putts pour in. An bounces back on 12, raking one in from 30 feet, while Danny Willett sends his tee shot at 16 into the heart of the green, allowing the slope to gather the ball to eight feet, and tickles in the downhill putt. This Masters is beginning to warm up already.
-5: Fox (12)
-4: DeChambeau (14)
-3: Willett (16), An (12)
-2: Conners (13), Zalatoris (8), Scheffler (7), Smith (6)
Sensational golf by Scottie Scheffler on 7. The tee shot is dreadful, hooked into the trees down the left. But he takes his medicine with his second, manufacturing a hook out through the trees and, taking his medicine, finding the bunker at the front of the green, the percentage play. But it’s only a percentage play if you’re a genius with the sand wedge, and he blasts an outrageous shot miles into the air, way over the high face, and dropping his ball to kick-in distance. What a par save! A supposedly entertainment-free individual, Scottie Scheffler. What can you say?
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Danny Willett makes it onto 15 in two blows. He nearly drains the 30-foot left-to-right eagle putt back down the green, but it stays up on the low side. No matter, he taps in to return to -2. Bogey meanwhile for An Byeong-hun at 11, the result of sending his tee shot deep into the pines down the right, along with birdies for Will Zalatoris at 8 and Cam Smith at 6, and once again the leader board takes on a new(ish) look.
-5: Fox (12)
-4: DeChambeau (14)
-2: Willett (15), Conners (12), An (11), Zalatoris (8), Scheffler (6), Smith (6)
Erik van Rooyen’s late-round capitulation continues apace. A third bogey in four holes, the latest at 17. He’s undoing some fine work at great speed. He’s -1. Heading in the other direction, Scottie Scheffler, who makes up for the short missed birdie putt at 4 with a long rake at the next par-three, the 6th. The pre-tournament favourite and world number one moves into a tie for third at -2. Slow and steady with no drama. Meanwhile birdie for Jon Rahm at 7 and he’s back to -1. If Rahm manages to shake off that LIV rust, and Scheffler keeps his putter warm, we could be set for one of the great big-gun shootouts this weekend! The golfing gods of Augusta National: please make it so.
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Bryson DeChambeau gets a spot of luck on 13. He sends a booming drive into the pines down the right of the fairway, but a friendly bounce kicks left, and though he’s still on the straw, he’s able to fire his second into the green. Two strokes later, and he’s on the tail of Ryan Fox, who as well as leading the field is doing a fine job in giving the Masters cameras the bodyswerve. The full afternoon coverage begins in a few minutes, so hopefully we’ll see what he does with the 30-foot birdie putt he’s just left himself on 12.
-5: Fox (11)
-4: DeChambeau (13)
-3: An (10)
Getting through Amen Corner unscathed is all good and well, but it’s not as though Augusta National is short of teeth elsewhere. Erik van Rooyen follows up the bogey at 14 with another dropped stroke at 15, and suddenly a promising round threatens to get away from the South African. Danny Willett meanwhile drops a shot at 14, and as the top of the leader board thins out a tad, it’s beginning to look as though the wind is causing a few issues out there.
-5: Fox (11)
-3: DeChambeau (12), An (10)
-2: Van Rooyen (16), Conners (12)
A couple of hot pre-tournament tips are struggling early doors. Xander Schauffele has dropped his second stroke of the day, this time at the par-three 4th; like the Californian, the 2021 champion Hideki Matsuyama has also bogeyed 1 and 4. They’re both +2. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy is required to make an eight-footer for par on 5 to remain at +1.
Lefty’s hit the turn in 35 strokes, having followed up his bounce-back birdie at 3 with another at 8. That’s a fine response by the 53-year-old legend to a cold start. He’s -1.
Rory McIlroy can’t make his par putt at 4. It never looked like dropping, clearly heading left of the target from the get-go. That’s three poor efforts already, after extremely average misses at 1 and 2. The flat stick looks cold.
Remember the double bogey made by debutant Austin Eckroat on the opening hole? The 25-year-old Oklahoman followed that by dropping another stroke at 5, whereupon a long day stretched out in front of him. But you don’t win on the PGA Tour without being made of the right stuff, and look how he’s bounced back! An eagle at 8, the reward for cracking his second from 253 yards over the green, then holing out from the fringe at the back. Then birdies at 11 and 13, and all of a sudden he’s into the red numbers at -1! Meanwhile Bryson DeChambeau moves back to -3 after knocking his tee shot at the testing 12th pin high, then rolling in the 12-footer for birdie.
The reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark is on debut at the Masters this week. He’s making himself at home already, a quick learner. Having sent his tee shot at 3 into the patrons to the right of the green, he manufactures a low trundle down a bank and through a swale to five feet, then calmly holes the right-to-left slider. He’s -1. Meanwhile bogey for An Byeong-hun at 9, and suddenly Ryan Fox has a two-stroke lead.
-5: Fox (10)
-3: Van Rooyen (14), An (9)
-2: Moore (13), Willett (13), DeChambeau (11), Conners (10)
The wind is causing some of the world’s best players all sorts of distance issues. Jon Rahm lands his ball a couple of yards short of the ridge across the 5th green; he’ll have a long two putts for par as opposed to a look at birdie. Meanwhile on the par-three 4th, Rory McIlroy watches in disbelief as his tee shot holds up in the wind and drops into the bunker. He splashes out to ten feet and will have a chance of saving par.
The defending champion Jon Rahm hasn’t played too much competitive golf lately. A little rust betrays him as a short par putt on 4 horseshoes out. Back to level par. Meanwhile so much for Erik van Rooyen relaxing after navigating Amen Corner without problems; he drops a stroke at 14 to slip to -3. And it’s a bounceback birdie for Rory McIlroy, getting up and down from a swale to the side of the short par-four 3rd. He’s back to level par … and may be further buoyed by his playing partner Scottie Scheffler missing a short birdie effort that would have taken him to -2.
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A little bit of separation at the top of the leader board. An Byeong-hun birdies the par-five 8th, while Thorbjorn Olesen follows his back-to-back birdies at 8 and 9 with bogey at 10. A windy Amen Corner coming up too. Erik van Rooyen will be delighted to be through it already.
-5: Fox (8)
-4: Van Rooyen (13), An (8)
-2: Willett (12), Olesen (10), DeChambeau (10), Conners (9)
There are 46 players on the course right now. Only 14 of them are over par. Rory McIlroy isn’t the only big name among that group. Also +1 early in their rounds: Tony Finau (7), Joaquin Niemann (6), Patrick Cantlay (5), Rickie Fowler (5) and Xander Schauffele (2). Min Woo Lee meanwhile is +3 through 5. The wind is slowly picking up as well.
Back on 2, Scottie Scheffler teases in a right-to-left birdie putt from ten feet. If that putter is even just tepid, the rest of the field may as well pack up and go home already. The early signs for the 2022 champ are good. Meanwhile on 3, Jon Rahm gets up and down from a greenside bunker to move into red figures for the first time. The big boys on the move, both up to -1. As for Rory McIlroy, he can’t get up and down from the back of 2, and becomes only the second player so far today to drop a stroke at a par-five currently playing 0.1 below its historical average at 4.68. He’s +1.
Birdie for Erik van Rooyen at 13! He moves to -4. But he’s not leading this tournament. That’s because back on the previous par-five, the 8th, Ryan Fox makes the first eagle of the week! He creams his second from 236 yards to 23 feet, then rattles in the putt. All change at the top!
-5: Fox (8)
-4: Van Rooyen (13)
-3: Olesen (9), An (7)
-2: Willett (11), DeChambeau (9), Conners (8)
Bryson DeChambeau takes his first misstep of the day. Bogey at 9 and he falls out of the leading group. His place at the top is taken by his playing partner Thorbjorn Olesen – another Manchester United fan, taking the role of Kobbie Mainoo to Rory’s Harry Maguire. OK, I promise to stop this now. The 34-year-old Dane is -3 … but there’s no point me putting up another leader board with Olesen atop it, because there’s been some big movement … stay with us …
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“I’m a big Gunners fan, they’re playing well … I’m a big Arsenal fan.” Butch Harmon there, responding to Sky Sports trailing this weekend’s televised Premier League offering. “I used to like Butch Harmon,” replies diehard Liverpool supporter Laura Davies. Meanwhile Manchester United fan Rory McIlroy channels his modern-era favourites by flaying his tee shot at 2 into the trees down the right. He nearly hits Scottie Scheffler’s caddie as he hacks back out low, then flies a hot wedge over the green and into the patrons. If he’s lucky, he’ll have a putt from the fringe coming back.
Matt Fitzpatrick blooters his second at the downhill par-five 2nd over the back of the green. A gentle chip back up leaves a five-footer for birdie, and he walks that in for his first birdie of the week. He’s -1. Another par meanwhile for Jon Rahm. Meanwhile bogey for Christo Lamprecht at 9 and now there are only four players in a tie for the early lead.
-3: Van Rooyen (12), DeChambeau (8), Fox (7), An (6)
-2: Willett (10), Lamprecht -a- (9), Olesen (8)
-1: De La Fuente -a- (11), Jaeger (10), Conners (7), English (6), Straka (6), Henley (5), Zalatoris (3), Thomas (3), Fitzpatrick (2)
Danny Willett gets out of position coming down 10 and leaves himself a 25-foot left-to-right slider across the back of 10 for par. He nearly makes it, but the ball dies to the right on its last turn. The 2016 champ drops back to -2. Meanwhile An Byeong-hun bounces back from bogey at 5 with birdie at the par-three 6th. He rejoins the leaders at -3.
“Hallelujah!” A member of the gallery testifies as Rory McIlroy belts his opening drive down the middle of the 1st. He wedges his second to six feet, leaving an uphill birdie chance, but pulls his putt and shakes his head sadly. A big chance for a quick start passes the 2011 nearly man by. Still, that’s better than the bogey suffered by his playing partner Xander Schauffele. Par for the third member of this marquee group, the pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler.
Rahm takes two putts for his par on 1. That’s two fewer than last year, and look what happened after that. Meanwhile Christo Lamprecht, who won the low-amateur medal at the Open at Hoylake last summer, adds birdie at 8 to earlier ones at 2 and 6 to join the leaders. No amateur has ever won the Masters, though Ken Venturi should have in 1956. More on Venturi’s final-day 80 (admittedly as a framing device for the story of his US Open win) below.
-3: Van Rooyen (11), Willett (9), Lamprecht -a- (8), DeChambeau (7), Fox (6)
-2: An (5)
A careless approach at 1 by Jon Rahm. From the centre of the fairway, he lands his wedge well short of the flag, the ball nearly spinning back off the front and into a bunker. The fringe saves his blushes. Rahm peers inquisitively into the sky, the brisk breeze having done for him there perhaps. Meanwhile his playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick takes 0.0000000013 of a second to take his medicine and hit a chip out from the trees, before giving himself a chance to save par by equally speedily sending a crisp wedge to six feet. In goes the putt. What a save. No faff, no nonsense, super quick, you have to love the way Fitz gets on with it. All other golfers, of all stripe and ability, please take note. Shorthand if you have it.
The defending champion takes to the first tee. Jon Rahm’s opening shot of his defence is a 3-wood, and he larrups it down the right-hand side of the fairway. He’s going round this afternoon with the 2023 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who finished tied for tenth last year. Not the ideal start for the 29-year-old from Sheffield, as he pulls one into the trees down the left. In fact that’s nearly on the 9th fairway. Meanwhile bogey for Sergio at 5 and he’s back to level par.
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Danny Willett joins the leading bunch with birdie at the par-five 8th. He’s on the fringe in two and nearly drains the long eagle putt. Meanwhile Phil Mickelson’s competitive juices are still flowing despite that cold start: birdie at the short par-four 3rd and the three-time winner, last year’s surprise joint runner-up after that final round of 65, is level par again.
The honorary start. Twenty minutes before Erik van Rooyen hit the first competitive stroke of the 2024 Masters, the legendary trio of Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson took their ceremonial tee shots. Between them: 246 years, 11 Masters. All three sent their little dappled orbs down Tea Olive to great cheer; Player, the oldest of the three at 88 but the youngest at heart, followed his shot with an elegant swivel and high kick that would pop out the hip of many a man half his age.
Welcome back Sergio! We’ve missed you. The 2017 champ flayed his opening tee shot into the trees down the left of 1, but clipped his second greenside and managed to get up and down from the bottom of the swale to save par. Now at 4 he knocks his tee shot to seven feet, the best of the day so far, and tidies up for birdie. He’s -1 and let’s not get carried away yet. Meanwhile An Byeong-hun, who has missed the cut here three times in four visits, becomes the third player to open with three birdies. He joins a bunch at the top that also includes Erik van Rooyen, who tickles home a putt from off the back of 9, up over a ridge and then down a treacherous slope. The 33-year-old South African turns in 33.
-3: Van Rooyen (9), DeChambeau (5), Fox (4), An (3)
-2: Knapp (9), Willett (7), Lamprecht -a- (6)
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Ryan Fox is making just his second appearance at the Masters at the age of 37. He’s making up for an awful lot of lost time, replicating Bryson DeChambeau’s birdie-birdie-birdie opening blitz. Meanwhile DeChambeau drains a putt from 25 feet to save par at 5, while Danny Willett makes a magnificent left-to-right breaker from off the back of 7, around the shoulder of a bunker, to regain the shot he dropped at 5. It’s all happening!
-3: DeChambeau (5), Fox (3)
-2: Van Rooyen (8), Willett (7), Lamprecht -a- (6), An (2)
-1: Knapp (8), Olesen (5), Finau (2)
Here’s a reminder of how Jon Rahm won the Masters last year. He ended the week four strokes clear of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson, the latter having played the back nine in 31 strokes, one of the great Sunday charges, albeit ultimately futile. You can bet your bottom dollar Lefty will still back himself for a fourth green jacket, even if he’s now 53 years old, though he’s not started well this time round. Bogey at the opening hole, after failing to get up and down from just off the front of the green. Still, there are slow starts and slow starts: Rahm four-putted the 1st last year. So all is not yet lost.
As for the weather that caused this morning’s delayed start, there’s much more in the way of good news than bad. The really horrible stuff has come and gone, though there could be more rain later this afternoon. A chance of isolated thunderstorms, too, but fingers crossed they’ll give the area the swerve. The 40mph winds that were forecast never arrived, though it is breezy now and the gusts could further pick up later. The rest of the week, though, is all good. Sunny and windy tomorrow; sunny and warm over the weekend. Arnold Palmers all round!
There are 13 LIV golfers at Augusta National this week. The reigning champion Jon Rahm heads a list of talent that also includes former winners in Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel and Bubba Watson. That’s a lot of green wool. The first of the big LIV names out this morning is Bryson DeChambeau, and he’s absolutely flown out of the traps with birdies on the first three holes. Darts thrown into 1 and 3, a chip up to kick-in distance from the back of 2. He’s our new leader. Danny Willett meanwhile bogeys 5 and from a share of the lead, slips to two behind in the blink of an eye.
-3: DeChambeau (3)
-2: Van Rooyen (7)
-1: Willett (5), Lamprecht -a- (4), Olesen (3), Stubbs -a- (2), Fox (1), An (1)
(For the record II: the other LIV golfers here this week are Tyrrell Hatton, Brooks Koepka, Adrian Meronk, Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith.)
Austin Eckroat is one of 20 players making their Masters debut this week. The 25-year-old from Oklahoma, who won his first PGA Tour event at Palm Beach Gardens last month, will have dreamt of teeing off at Tea Olive all his life. And when he finally gets to live that dream … he hooks one into the pines down the left. A double to start, and it won’t get any easier.
For the record, the 19 other debutants are: Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia, Wyndham Clark, Eric Cole, Santiago de la Fuente, Nick Dunlap, Ryo Hisatsune, Lee Hodges, Nicolai Hojgaard, Stephan Jaeger, Jake Knapp, Christo Lamprecht, Peter Malnati, Denny McCarthy, Grayson Murray, Matthieu Pavon, Adam Schenk, Neal Shipley and Jasper Stubbs. There are nine PGA Tour winners among that lot.
Here we go then, fellow golf friends and lovers. Time to unwrap the green paper from a pimento cheese sandwich, pour yourself a long cool glass of iced tea, suck absent mindedly on a Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich, and settle down on the porch. It’s on!
… and Thursday morning’s big news is a fast start for the surprise 2016 champion Danny Willett. Out in the second group, he carded the first birdie of the week at 1, then added a second after knocking his approach at 3 from 130 yards to five feet. He’s joined at the top of our first leader board by Erik van Rooyen, who follows birdie at 3 with another at 6.
-2: Van Rooyen (6), Willett (4)
-1: Moore (4), Lamprecht -a- (2), DeChambeau (1)
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Preamble
Welcome, patrons, to the 88th edition of the Masters Tournament. Cellphones and other devices with recording and/or transmission capabilities are prohibited, no autograph requests on the course, do not run.
So will Jon Rahm become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002, and only the fourth in history, to win back-to-back tournaments? Will hot favourite Scottie Scheffler pull on the Green Jacket for a second time? Will Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth or Dustin Johnson do it again? Will Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry or Viktor Hovland break through? Will Rickie Fowler become the first winner of the par-three contest to go on to win the main event? Will Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark or Akshay Bhatia become the first debutant to win since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979? Will Zalatoris?
Other players are also available, but there’s little point in talking about all of that right now. You see, Erik van Rooyen was due to hit the first shot in anger this morning at 8am local time, 1pm in the UK. But the weather’s closed in on Augusta National, and play has been delayed until 10.30am (3.30pm BST). You can find the updated tee times here. This hole-by-hole report will get rolling at 5pm BST, after which we’ll be blogging ♫♪ all day looooooonng ♫♪ ; until then, here’s the famous CBS theme on a one-hour loop and a retro report to get you in the mood. See you soon!
