LAST UPDATE | 12 Apr
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU SEIZED the early lead of the 88th Masters on Thursday with an impressive 65, while top-ranked Scottie Scheffler is just one shot back and Rory McIlroy had a mixed round to finish on a one-under 71 at a windy Augusta National.
DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open winner who plays in LIV Golf, birdied the first three holes, then stumbled with a bogey to close the front nine, but the 30-year-old American added birdied at the par-3 12th and par-5 13th to stand on 4-under.
He grabbed the lead with his third birdie in four holes, missing a 40-foot eagle putt by inches and tapping in for birdie to stand atop the leaderboard on 5-under. He closed out with a seven-under, falling just inches short of eight-under with a beautiful long putt on the 18th.
McIlroy made a slow start with a birdie on the third hole sandwiched between bogeys on the second and fourth holes. He grabbed a shot back with a birdie on the eighth and looked to be on course for an encouraging finish with birdies on the 12th and 14th holes. However, another bogey on the 17th tripped him up before signing off with a par. Although he’s slightly off the leaders, it’s still his first time to go under par in the opening round of the Masters since 2018.
Shane Lowry is one shot back on even par through 13 at time of writing. He began brightly with a birdie on the first hole but slumped with bogeys on the fifth and seventh before a flurry of pars to leave on one-over. He recovered with a birdie on 13.
Former champion Danny Willett posted a superb 68 in his first event since undergoing shoulder surgery in September, the 36-year-old only deciding on Sunday that he was ready to compete in the year’s first major.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who birdied the first three holes on putts from six feet or less, eagled the par-5 eighth hole, sinking a 23-foot putt after reaching the green in two and was on 5-under before “Amen Corner” took a toll.
Scottie Scheffler leaps to within one shot of the lead with a birdie on No. 16. #themasters pic.twitter.com/bbHojpTueU
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
Fox plunked his approach into Rae’s Creek at the par-5 13th, the last of the famed three-hole stretch at Augusta National, but sank a 10-foot putt to salvage a bogey.
The 37-year-old Kiwi, son of New Zealand rugby union star Grant Fox, won last September’s DP World Tour BMW Championship at Wentworth, but has missed the cut in five of his eight PGA Tour events this year. He goes into the second round four shots off the lead after an opening round of 69.
Rain showers delayed the start by two and one-half hours at Augusta National while swirling winds kept tree limbs dancing across the famed 7,555-yard layout.
Late starters in the field of 89, including 15-time major winner Woods, were not going to finish the opening round before sunset.
Scheffler sank a nine-foot birdie putt at the second, missed a four-footer for birdie at the third but bounced back with an 18-foot birdie putt at six.
McIlroy missed a 10-foot birdie putt at the first hole and hooked his tee shot on the second into the woods at the par-5 second on the way to a bogey.
On No. 14, Rory McIlroy converts a lengthy birdie putt to reach two under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/vnSYMpB9PY
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
He answered with a six-foot birdie putt at the third only to find a bunker and make bogey at the par-3 fourth but a birdie at eight brought him level. He’s at even par through 10 holes.
Woods, returning to major golf after right ankle surgery last April but still struggling to walk 72 holes, will try to make the Masters cut for a record 24th consecutive time to break to mark he shares with Player and Fred Couples. He’s currently on one-under through 10 thanks to birdies on the first and eighth holes along with a bogey on the fourth.
South African Erik van Rooyen, the first player on the course, made bogeys on three of the last five holes to finish on one-under par 71.
Defending champion Jon Rahm could become only the fourth player to capture back-to-back Masters triumphs after Woods, Nicklaus and Nick Faldo.
Spaniard Rahm, who jumped in December from the PGA Tour to Saudi-backed LIV Golf, joined 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka and Australian Cameron Smith, the 2022 British Open winner, among 13 players in the field from LIV, competing against PGA Tour stars in a rare moment during golf’s civil war.
With last year’s three top Masters finishers all playing for LIV now, eyes will be on LIV results as merger talks continue between the PGA Tour and LIV’s backers, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
There are 20 first-time Masters starters hoping to become the first rookie winner since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
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