-7 dechambeau -6 Scheffler; -Five Heugart (15); -Four Homa Willett (13); -3 Fox, Davis, Hutton (14) |
Others selected: -2 Reid (14), Fleetwood (10); -1 McIlroy, Hovland, Fitzpatrick, Smith, Lowry (16), Woods (13). +1 Rahm; +2 Spieth (11) |
Bryson DeChambeau leads Scottie Scheffler by one point after a storm-shortened first day of the Masters.
The LIV golfer finished at 7 under, but world No. 1 Scheffler made an eerie move with a bogey-free 66.
England’s 2016 winner Danny Willett is 4 under par in his first tournament appearance since September 2023.
Rory McIlroy shot a 71, defending champion Jon Rahm shot a 1-over 73 and Tiger Woods was one of 27 players whose round was limited by darkness.
When the jeers sounded at the end of play, the five-time champion looked in good shape at 1 under. But having only played 25 holes in one tournament so far this year, the 48-year-old will have to play 23 holes on Friday alone to complete the first and second rounds.
Matches will resume at 07:50 local time (12:50 BST) with the second round starting at 08:00.
Woods said earlier this week that he has suffered a number of injuries over the past few years and is “in pain every day,” but that he expects to be “20 to 30 minutes between rounds.”
“It will be a natural progression from the end of the first round, [into] Second. My body is fine,” he added.
After waiting two-and-a-half hours for a thunderstorm to pass before starting the first round, the teams, who went out early, took advantage of conditions that delayed the greens at Augusta National, which is notoriously difficult.
DeChambeau opened with three birdies in a row and accelerated with five more birdies on the back nine six holes, giving him an overwhelming lead in the clubhouse.
But Scheffler, the world No. 1, seemed arrogant, chipping in from a bunker on the 12th hole for birdie, then hitting his tee shot 3 feet in on the 16th hole to create another chance.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox got off to a sensational start, hitting 5 under on the front nine, but dropped two strokes on the back nine and finished four behind the leader.
England’s 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick birdied all three holes that make up the Amen Corner, the 11th, 12th and 13th, to improve to 4 under, but had three bogeys in the last five holes. and signed with a 1-under 71.
European Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland raced to four under after nine holes, but a double bogey on the 10th halted the Norwegian’s progress, who also shot a 71.
The day reached its climax, and despite a strong wind, Nikolaj Hujgaard fought his way to 5 under after 15 holes, Max Homa was 4 under after 13 holes, and England’s Tyrrell Hatton. reached 3 under with four holes remaining.
As McIlroy contends, Scheffler lurks.
Scheffler is considered the favorite to win his second Masters title after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship in March.
The 2022 win is his only major victory, but the 27-year-old American has finished in the top 10 in nine of his past 14 starts and finished last year with a total of 18 under par in golf’s biggest event. He was the best of all players.
“I just tried to be patient and try to take advantage of the opportunities I had,” Scheffler said. “When the wind gets this strong, it’s very difficult because it blows in so many different directions.”
image source, Getty Images
Playing partner Rory McIlroy is aiming for his first Masters title in golf’s Grand Slam, but got off to a shaky start with two bogeys in the first three holes.
Historically, Northern Irishmen have missed out on the opening day of the Masters, with poor scores limiting their recovery over the weekend.
However, he regained his form on the back nine, birdied the 12th and 14th, and despite a bogey on the 17th, finished the first round under par for the first time since 2018.
“It was a little rough,” he admitted. “It was a bit of a wasted entry. I had a chance for a birdie on the 15th, but missed the short birdie on the 16th. The last four holes might be frustrating.”
“Scotty is very efficient at everything he does. The number of rounds he goes without a bogey is amazing, and that’s the secret to winning major championships.”
”[But] Overall it’s not a bad score and there’s still a lot of golf left to play. ”
DeChambeau makes his case, Willett happy to be back
DeChambeau’s only previous major victory came at the 2020 U.S. Open, during a period in which he strengthened his physique and pushed the boundaries of professional golf.
At the time, he said his strength meant Augusta National should actually be a “par 67” for him. But he never dominated the course, and his best finish was a tie for 21st place, his lowest amateur finish, in 2016.
If he wins on Sunday, he will become the eighth player to win both the Green Jacket Award and the Green Jacket Award, joining Woods and Phil Mickelson.
His 65, a combination of his trademark long drives and deft play around the greens, was the lowest round ever in a major.
“It was a brutal challenge,” he said. “The strategy here sometimes goes unnoticed and people think they can bomb it. It has to be done and I did it.
“Regarding the comment 67, you’re a mess, I’m not a perfect person, everyone is a mess.
“You learn from your mistakes, and it was definitely a mistake.”
image source, Getty Images
Even more noteworthy was Willett’s performance considering his battle with injuries. He underwent shoulder surgery in late September and was expected to be out for at least 12 months, but returned within six months.
Willett, who sunk a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th to move within three points of the lead, told Sky Sports: “I was still wondering if I was going to play on Monday.”
“For six months I was sitting at home watching guys play golf on TV. I’m glad to be back.”
British players get off to a strong start
Only six British golfers took part this week, but five were in the top 20 at sundown on the first day.
In addition to Willett, McIlroy and Fitzpatrick, Hutton and Tommy Fleetwood also got off to a strong start.
Hutton birdied the second hole and used his momentum to hole out from 50 yards on the fifth hole and hole out on the next hole. However, he found water on his tee shot on the 12th and dropped his shot. At the end of play, he made another birdie to ensure he would start Friday four spots behind DeChambeau.
Like Hatton, Fleetwood is still looking for his first major title. He took the course in the last group and made three consecutive birdies to close in on the back nine, but he bogeyed the 10th, the final hole of the day, and fell to 2 under.
There were jeers at Justin Rose on the 18th, and with the possibility of him finishing the hole, the Englishman signed for a 73.
