Rain prolonged the start of round one of the Masters on Thursday by a couple of hours but there was still plenty of action once play finally got underway. All the build-up to the first major of the year was intense. The suspense was building to that first tee shot, and from that point forward, it didn’t disappoint.
The ‘Big Golfer’ Surprises Many
Bryson Dechambeau leads the way after a magnificent 65 but the first round is yet to conclude after the morning delay. Most of the afternoon wave are yet to finish their back nine.
But take nothing away from Bryson’s brilliance, as he made one bogey and gained over three strokes on the green. It was a glimpse of Dechambeau at his best, something we haven’t seen for a while, at least not in a major.
Whether he can hold it over 54 more holes, especially when he is used to three-round tournaments on LIV, is another story. Nonetheless it is an impressive start from the man who once called Augusta a par 67.
Scheffler shows his class yet again at the Masters
Scottie Scheffler elegantly continued his out of this world form with a nonchalant 66 to sit one behind Bryson. It almost feels pointless for anyone else playing with Scottie playing like he is. It feels reminiscent of Prime Tiger – no one else stands a chance when Scottie is on song.
Many believe the tournament may already be over, but 54 holes is a lot of golf and we have seen Masters chokes all too often before. His wife Meredith is expecting their first child in the coming weeks, could that affect his focus and mentality this weekend?
Masters Mediocrity from McIlroy
It was better than usual in the opening round from the Northern Irishman, but Rory McIlroy still left a couple out there with a one-under-par 71. He got off to a rocky start despite hitting a bomb off the first and a wedge to 10 feet.
He bogeyed the par-five second which is something you cannot do at Augusta if you want to contend. Rory’s record on the par-fives is typically stellar, but he went level par on them today, the first time he hasn’t broken par on them in 15 tries. It was still Rory’s best first round in six years, with the average before today being 73.8, but he was still slightly erratic in all facets of his game on Thursday.
European early contenders
A cluster of European names old and new have congregated atop the leaderboard early doors in this edition of the Masters. Danny Willett played his first professional round in seven months after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder.
The 2016 champion returned to play earlier than diagnosed, and he shocked even himself by shooting 68. Fitzpatrick had it four deep in the red with three birdies in a row at the start of the back nine. However, he stumbled home, bogeying three of his last five to end up alongside McIlroy at one under.
Making his Masters debut, Dane Nicolai Hojgaard made an admirable beginning to his Masters career. He made seven birdies through his first 15 holes to be five-under before darkness halted play. He will be looking to pick up where he left off first thing Friday.
The English duo of Hatton and Fleetwood sit finely poised at three and two under, respectively. Although they are also yet to complete their opening round due to the later tee-off.
Woods has played here before
Woods displayed his experience with a masterful plot around Augusta in the late afternoon and early evening on Thursday. Much to the delight of the patrons, the GOAT opened with a birdie on number one. It is the first time he has birdied the opening hole of his Masters since 1999.
He was steady and, despite giving away a shot on the tough par-three fourth, he got back under par on the eighth. For the rest of the holes, he made pars and showed little sign of discomfort. The quick turnaround will be arduous on his ageing body. But Woods will hope he can recover well enough to do more of the same to make his 24th Masters cut in succession – an Augusta record.
There are so many storylines even in these initial stages. Round One isn’t even completed yet but there has still been plenty of great golf to enjoy. But there is plenty more to endure over the next three days with the first round resuming early doors on Friday morning in Georgia. It will be a packed day on the course, as they hope to catch up on the lost time on Thursday morning.
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