Thanks for reading and please join Scott for the weekend rounds. You’ll be in safe hands and it promises to be a cracker.
And this leaderboard could provide all the drama we’re demanding. The veteran wiles of Justin Rose, the razzamatazz of Bryson DeChambeau, the career Grand Slam-chasing Rory McIlroy, the shrewd major performer Shane Lowry, the World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell ‘Tantrum’ Hatton.
We’re set for a sensational weekend of golf and we’re due. Since Tiger Woods overwhelmed Francesco Molinari in the 2019 final round, we’ve had three winners hold onto significant 54-hole leads then two winners romp four strokes clear on Sunday. We’re craving a thrilling Moving Day, a tense front nine on Sunday, and a final round back nine full of roars echoing around Amen Corner.
Scottie Scheffler on his second round: “Definitely the wind was up and I wasn’t as sharp as yesterday. I didn’t have my A game. I was relieved when my ball came out of the bushes on 12. Very fortunate and I took advantage of it.”
Bad news for Bernhard Langer. His missed cut is confirmed. Other big names with a free weekend include Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Robert MacIntyre and Will Zalatoris.
36-hole leaderboard - Justin Rose ahead by one shot
A reminder that in recent times Masters champions have been right in the mix heading into the weekend rather than making a late charge. Each of the last 30 winners was T12th or better after 36 holes and 26 of them were tied sixth or better. The four golfers currently -3 are T12th so those numbers suggest that the winner will come from these names:
-8: Rose
-7: DeChambeau
-6: McIlroy, Conners
-5: McCarty, Lowry, Scheffler, Hatton
-4: Højgaard. R , Hovland, Day
-3: Im, Åberg, Matsuyama, Reed, Morikawa
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Tyrrell Hatton doesn’t much like the tee shot at 18. He admitted as much last year. But he finds the fairway and his approach is a good one, finding the top level. He two putts for par and a round of 70. He’ll be sore about his dropped shots at 16 and 17 but this has been another good round at Augusta and he’s right in the hunt at -5.
What did Nick Dunlap get up to last night after his first round 90? “I hit a couple of buckets of balls at my Airbnb into the woods,” he said. “I don’t know if there were any houses or anything back there.” And on his return today? “I had more of a knot in my stomach today than I’ve ever had starting a round of golf.”
A birdie at 18 would have paired Scottie Scheffler with Rory McIlroy in the third round. As it is, he’s missed the green with his third shot and is fighting to stay within four blows of the lead – but a smart up-and-down secures a bogey-5.
-8: Rose (F)
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: McIlroy (F), Conners (F)
-5: McCarty (F), Lowry (F), Scheffler (F), Hatton (17)
Scottie Scheffler is exercising his glutes here. A wide, low stance. Then on his knees. Now he’s sat on his bottom. He’s concerned – maybe “concerned” – that some broadcast equipment is in his way. Nothing too substantial – wires and microphones. Finally, he settles on a standing shot. He’s not comfortable, but he bunts it clear of the trees and onto the short grass. (Meanwhile Tyrrell Hatton misses a tiddler at 17 to make a second consecutive bogey.)
Scottie Scheffler’s volatile round continues. After mopping up a birdie at 17 from just 6 feet, the World No. 1 has hoicked his tee shot at 18 left and into trees. As with so many of his shots today he peered after it looking a bit baffled. It doesn’t look in a good position. His best hope might be a little poke forward but it’s not entirely out of the question he whiffs it so he’ll need to take care.
Congratulations to Simon Evans: “Nottingham Trent University has the Lee Westwood Sports Centre. What flavour are the crisps?” Just plain, Simon. Solid. I might be making this tale up but I think I recall Paul Heaton (of The Beautiful South) excitedly chatting to the blog’s Dave Tindall about Augusta crisps on Twitter many years ago.
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A puzzler for Tyrrell Hatton at 16, one that befuddles him with his putt going up the hill in the middle of the green … and then back down again. Talking of puzzlers, I had an awkward moment in a pub quiz on Wednesday night when the following question was asked: “Which university named its sport centre after the golfer Lee Westwood?” My team all turned to me whereupon my head briefly hit the table. An imaginary bag of Masters crisps to the first reply with the correct answer.
Bogey for Scottie Scheffler at the par-3 16th. His tee shot left him a huge task from the bottom part of the green and he couldn’t find the hole in two putts. In the next group on the tee, Tyrrell Hatton turns away in disgust after finding the same spot as Scheffler with his tee shot.
A tap-in birdie for Tyrrell Hatton at 15 and he’s into a share of second with Bryson DeChambeau. “It’s a hard golf course, one that I’ve always really struggled on,” the Englishman said last year despite finishing ninth. “It doesn’t suit my shot shape and I’m not going to change how I play golf just to get around one golf course.” He’s building on that fine performance and also seeking to emulate Danny Wilett and Sergio Garcia in winning the Dubai Desert Classic and Masters in the same year.
A bogey-bogey-bogey finish for Nick Dunlap, but what a fightback. He finishes last but does so with pride after scores of 90-71. By the way, Rory McIlroy had a big reversal of form today. His previous two second rounds at Augusta National were both 77s. Today’s 66 was a significant improvement.
Scottie Scheffler could only splash out into the middle of the green at 15 and he couldn’t make birdie from there. He stays -6 for the tournament. Ahead of his stroke, we were treated to excellent drone footage which revealed just how perilous the putting surface is. It sits high on the bank with steep slopes in all directions towards water.
“The air is heavy out here right now,” says Wayne Riley on TV as Scottie Scheffler launches his approach to the par-5 15th. The balls finds the right greenside bunker and it will be a nasty task to get up-and-down in two.
Dan Christmas emails (responding to the 22:03 post): “The trains! They even put that sound in the Tiger Woods games, but I’d completely forgotten about it until you mentioned it. If they’re not running anymore, someone should be piping the sound in.”
The Scottie Scheffler fightback continues. In his relentless and deceptively straighforward way, he overcomes difficulties and setbacks. That chip-in at 12 made up for one of the back nine dropped shots and a birdie from 12 feet at 14 evens up the post-turn card. He’s back to -2 for the day and -6 for the week.
-8: Rose (F)
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: McIlroy (F), Conners (F), Scheffler (14), Hatton (13)
-5: McCarty (F), Lowry (F), Day (14)
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No luck for Freddie. It turns out TV wasn’t aware that he’d reached the green in three. Another decent effort, however. Behind him, Corey Conners – currently sharing third with Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton – finds the green at 18 in two.
Joe Pearson emails: “You know, I hardly ever root against golfers, but I want every golfer still on the course at +1 or +2 to screw up going down the stretch so that Bernard Langer can make the cut. I know I’m not alone here.” It’s going to need something ugly and it’s not really blowy enough. Guess what though? Freddie Couples has just given himself a chance of playing 72 holes. He has almost the very same putt Langer has!
“A fantastic 41 years,” says Bernhard Langer. “I got many standing ovations around the course. It was so nice to see my family waiting for me on 18. So many memories. So much to be thankful for.”
From the middle of the leaderboard to the bottom of it. But quite a tale. Nick Dunlap won on the PGA Tour last year as both an amateur and a professional. He’s -4 through 15 holes today so how is he bottom of the scoring?! It’s because he carded 90 in round one. He’s on the way to improving his score by 22 shots which would be a major championship record-equalling improvement of a round one to two score (since the Masters was inaugurated).
Langer Watch. He’s reached 18 on the cut line (+2) and hits the fairway but he pulls his approach shot into the patrons. He almost certainly needs to get up-and-down from 11 yards to play the weekend in his final Masters appearance. It’s a big moment for Europe’s Big Five, this. Severiano Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam - born within months of each other, all Masters champions, and they drove a European golfing renaissance. Langer alone is still swinging at Augusta … and his scramble doesn’t quite make the putting surface. He has four yards to make the weekend. Come on Bernhard! Gah! It brushes the edge but misses. The patrons rise to him. A wry smile. A slight grimace. A lot of pride.
Still no-one quite threatening the lead of Justin Rose. Tyrrell Hatton has found the green at 12 and has two par-5s to come. Scheffler has those long holes to play, as well. He’ll also hope to narrow the gap.
-8: Rose (F)
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: McIlroy (F), Conners (15), Hatton (11)
-5: McCarty (F), Lowry (F), Day (12), Scheffler (12)
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You know what I miss at the Masters? The mournful cry of the freight trains. It was a haunting sigh that drifted through the trees from the railroad. Does anyone know what has happened to them?!
Ridiculous scenes! Scottie Scheffler chips in for birdie after his ball popped out of the bush. He initially looks a little frustrated, a reaction to the tee shot and two bogeys at 10 and 11, but then starts to smile. He’s back under par for the day and -5 for the tournament. “Popped out and then popped in,” says Nick Faldo on TV.
“Oh gosh, oh my gosh,” cries Scottie Scheffler as his tee shot flies towards – and over, well over - the green at the par-3 12th. It disappears into a bush but pops out. “Thank goodness,” says Scheffler. He spent a long time faffing about on the tee, worried about that wind, and he did the same thing on the previous tee. He’s looking a bit flustered.
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A remarkable day for Austria’s Sepp Straka. He opened the tournament with a disappointing 78 but a burst of five birdies in seven holes either side of the turn today got him inside the cut mark. Whereupon he contrived to finish bogey-triple bogey. +1 on the 17th tee, he ended the day (and week) +5.
Scottie Scheffler’s approach shot at 11 has completely flummoxed the TV commentators. He’s never, of course, a swinger of great beauty but this was a particularly brutal effort with his shape all lost in the aftermath. No-one said a thing. In fact, they didn’t know what had happened to it. He had 212 yards to the pin and the tracker says he hit it 117 yards, leaving himself 102 yards to the green. “He must have clipped a tree,” says Laura Davies as he hits on to the green and gives himself a 22 foot par putt.
Tyrrell Hatton closed the front nine with three consecutive birdies, and then gave himself a great look from 14 feet at 10 to extend the run but it slips by. He’s -3 for the day, -6 for the week and on course to complete his first-ever sub-73 score in round two at Augusta National (at the ninth time of asking).
Bernhard Langer’s entire career has been a grind and he needs more of the same to make the cut. It feels a little rude to describe his career in those terms but it is genuinely meant as a compliment. He’s overcome the yips (on multiple occasions), he’s overcome terrible back injuries, and he overcame the scepticism of those in Germany who thought he’d never make a career in golf. Some would argue he’s overcome a swing that looks less than ideal. But he’s fit, he’s not afraid of a scrap, and he thrives on adversity. However he finds water at 15, scores double bogey-7, and he is now +2 for the week. He needs to play 16, 17 and 18 in level-par or better to extend his final Masters appearance into the weekend.
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A messy three-putt bogey from Scottie Scheffler at 10. Not a good way for his back nine to start. His first putt had 45 feet of green to cover but he came up 6 feet shot and the par putt never looked like it was going in. He slips back to -1 for the day and -5 for the week.
What else did Rory McIlroy discuss? “Overall just proud of myself with how I responded today after the finish last night,” he said. “I just had to remind myself that I played really good golf yesterday, and you know, I wasn’t going to let two bad holes dictate the narrative for the rest of the week.
“My mindset was, I shot even par yesterday. I probably need to get to somewhere between 12- and 15-under to win this tournament and there’s plenty of time to do that.”
Earlier today Scott described Rory McIlroy’s second shot at 13 as “outrageous”. He clipped a ball from under the trees and off the pine straw to 9 feet from where he made an eagle-3. Talking about that shot, he told the press: “It was 189 to the front. I don’t think it was really a decision to go for it or not, but I was between a 4- and a 5-iron. Usually the ball comes out spinnier from the pine straw. So I hit a 4-iron, and the follow-through, definitely I saved it, and I was glad that I hit 4-iron.
“When the ball was in the air, I was like, you idiot, what did you do? Rode my luck a little bit with that second shot, but was nice to take advantage of it.”
Im Sung-jae’s round of 70 was quite an improvement on his recent effort at the Masters on Friday. The Korean’s last four second round scores (all in April, his debut was in November) had been 80-74-76-74. He’s -3 for the week and currently in the top 20.
Defending champion update. Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1, has made the turn in -2 for the day and -6 for the week. He’s on the quest to win a third green Jacket in four tournaments, a ridiculous feat but one that looks well within his reach. He has the difficult 10 and 11 to come before he gets to attack the two par-5s, 13 and 15.
A frustrating finish for Tommy Fleetwood. He misses a tiddler on 18 to make his only bogey of the day. He completes a 69 and is -2 for the week. My mother knows absolutely nothing about golf, but she has taken a shine to the Southport man and is always asking me, “Is Tommy covering his expenses?” I don’t really want to reveal how much he has earned in his career because she’d go from unnecessarily fretting about his welfare to being completely appalled.
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Shane Lowry was a happy man after his 68 left him four shots off the lead. Speaking to the press he said: “I played Amen Corner beautifully. I felt like I did everything right. I’m pretty happy with my day’s work.”
On his weekend prospects: “Look, I don’t come here just to enjoy myself. I come here to compete.”
On what he’ll do next: “A lot of rest over the next day and get out tomorrow afternoon and get after it. I’m in a great place. I’m very happy.”
A subdued looking Jon Rahm on the 18th green. He had 35 feet for birdie but it was up the steep slope and he didn’t come close to giving enough of a whack. It pulls up 10 feet short. If he drains it, he’ll stay one shot inside the cut mark. Miss it and he’ll have to hope the late starters struggle because he’ll be one shot outside the cut. Gutsy: he makes it and completes a second round 71.
Canada’s Corey Conners has knocked his approach shot at 11 to 4 feet. He’s superb tee-to-green in general and it has helped him to three top 10s at Augusta National. But he’s needed that long game consistency because through his first seven visits he’s saved par at a rate of just 39%. He knocks the birdie putt in to go -2 for the day and -6 for the week.
Bryson DeChambeau and Shane Lowry complete pars at 18. Both will sign for scores of 68. The Irishman was one ball roll shy of a 67 but he’ll be feeling chipper about his weekend chances. The top of the leaderboard looks mighty fine right now.
-8: Rose (F)
-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: McIlroy (F)
-5: McCarty (F), Lowry (F), Conners (10), Day (8), Scheffler (7)
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Regular email correspondent Simon McMahon asks: “What news of Oban’s finest Bob ‘Robert’ MacIntyre? I had high hopes for him this week...” He’s level-par through 9 holes today and +3 for the week. Currently +2 is making the weekend. Yesterday he said: “I came here the first two times and made a hell of a lot of birdies. Today I’ve just played completely the opposite and been defensive.”
Oh dear. Rory McIlroy is making things difficult again. He finds the green at 18 in two blows after flirting with the trees from the tee. But his first putt from 38 feet comes up 5 feet shot, and it’s a far from enticing prospect down the hill. The Northern Irishman has worked his socks off today and doesn’t want to end on a downer. A big moment … and he makes it! “Huge for him,” says Butch Harmon on TV. A 66 leaves him two behind the clubhouse leader Justin Rose. A really good spot heading into the weekend.
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Russell Henley was fancied by many this week. He finished top 10 in the last two majors of 2024, was fourth here in 2023, and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month. However, he carded a 79 in round one before bouncing back with a 69 today. His honest chat afterwards included this admission: “It’s tough. I’m never really that calm. I might look like it, but I’m a pretty nervous person. Yesterday just was terrible. Really stunk to start my first day like that. I really wanted to come play well today. I knew I could do it, so hopefully it’s good enough to play the weekend.” He’ll need the wind to blow and blow hard. He’s two shots outside the mark as it stands. It might happen though …
Nicola Molloy emails: “What on earth happened to Koepka!! That’s my fantasy golf team gone for the weekend.” Koepka really is an intriguing case. He opened 65-67 in 2023 to lead but closed 73-75. Those two sub-60 scores were real outliers. He was 2-for-12 at breaking 73 in the last four tournaments and has carded 74-45 this week. Sorry Nicola!
There was an intriguing line from the 2007 champion Zach Johnson after his first round. He made bogey at 14 after coming up short of the green and said: “It chapped my rear end a bit.” It’s not an expression I’m familiar with and not an image easily forgotten. It unfortunately comes to mind because he’s nearing the 14th hole right now as he fights to make the cut.
Thinking of those comments from Justin Rose about competing in majors last year at the age of 44, he’d be entitled to believe that he performed well enough to have won in other circumstances. Of course, sport doesn’t work like that. By necessity, there is a bottom line and winning is what matters. But Rose at Royal Troon recalled Chris DiMarco at Augusta 20 years ago this week. The American went toe-to-toe with peak Tiger Woods and the pair finished seven strokes ahead of the rest of the field before Woods prevailed at the first extra hole. DiMarco is rarely discussed as one of the finest players to never win a major, but he had lost a play-off in the previous year’s PGA Championship and he would again finish second to Woods (this time three shots ahead of the rest of the field) in the 2006 Open. Sometimes the best golf goes unrewarded.
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It’s not just about the golfers on the first page. The scoring is currently offering a harsh reminder of the fickle nature of form in elite level golf. Last year Matthieu Pavon won on the PGA Tour, was T12th at Augusta and fifth in the US Open; Thriston Lawrence contended in the Open; and Nick Dunlap was a two-time winner. The three are now among those propping up this year’s leaderboard.
Clubhouse Leader Justin Rose has been talking to the press. Asked about what he learned from contending in last year’s PGA Championship and Open he said:
“You know, sometimes you’ve just got to knock on the door. I don’t think I can do anything differently. On both those occasions, I got more and more comfortable as I got further and further up the leaderboard. Remarkably comfortable in those situations, really.
“That’s what I’ve learned. But if it was a secret recipe, you’d know it by now. It’s just about playing great golf. The leaderboard is stacking up so you’re going to have to play great golf, and you’re going to have to go out there and want it and go for it and get after it. It’s as simple as that.”
Norway’s Viktor Hovland is on fire. He’s made birdie at 13, 14, 15 and 16 to join Rory McIlroy in a share of third on -6. The recent winner of the Valspar Championship after a year of poor form, Hovland’s still a popular combination of cheeky smile and brutal swing.
-8: Rose (F)
-7: DeChambeau (15)
-6: Hovland (16), McIlroy (16)
-5: McCarty (F), Åberg (16), Lowry (15), Conners (7), Scheffler (4)
Another 6 foot putt for Rory McIlroy. This one at 16 is for par rather than birdie. In it drops. A confident strike and he exited the green with a touch of the McIlroy bouncy stride that comes when he’s feeling it.
Rory McIlroy is not going to make the final three holes easy. His tee shot at 16 finds, according to TV’s Wayne Riley, “the bottom groove”. Rich Beem didn’t like the swing. The result could have been much, much worse, however. He’s missed the green on the right but he looks to be fair enough up the hole to have the bunker out of the equation – had he needed to chip over it he’d have had almost no landing space before the pin.
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Rory McIlroy’s eagle putt at the 15th is about as long as it possibly can be. The pin is on the left, his ball sits on the right edge. The pin is 90 feet away and his lag putt (he’s not aiming to hole it really) comes to rest 6 feet short. It’s a fine effort but needs polishing off – and he does so. It had a wobble but a much-improved effort on last night – birdie instead of double bogey. “No player has won the Masters since 1982 with two double bogeys for the week,” says a cheery Paul McGinley. Remember: that’s what McIlroy carded at 15 and 17 yesterday.
Lucky/unlucky 13 for Shane Lowry. He misses from 13 feet for birdie at 13, but holes from the same distance for a par breaker at 14. The Irishman is now -4 for the day and -5 for the week. He’s bang in the hunt.
Here we go – Rory McIlroy’s approach to 15. He walks after it as if content and it does find the putting surface but only just. Paul McGinley suggests on TV that it would have slipped back into the water yesterday. The greens are a little softer today. McIlroy might still walk very quickly to mark the ball!
There was a wonderfully downbeat assessment from Matt McCarty after his second round 68 vaulted him into contention. What made the difference, he was asked, between his double bogey-bogey start and his eight birdies in 12 holes from the 6th. “I started hitting the ball better for sure,” he said. “I think that’s very helpful.” He’s another left-handed golfer and, of course, they’ve had plenty of success at Augusta (three winners, in fact). McCarty is pretty downbeat about that idea, as well, as it happens. “I think for the most part, those guys moved the ball both ways,” he said. “I think it’s less about being left-handed.”
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Thanks Scott and hello everyone - thank you for spending Friday evening with me. It’s been a tremendous afternoon and we’ve no reason to think the pace is going to relent in the next five or six hours. What a way for my run to start - with Rory McIlroy’s return to the 15th, the hole that tripped him up last night. He completed his par at 14 after his visit to the trees, and his tee shot at 15 has found the middle of the fairway.
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… and with that, I’ll hand you over to Matt Cooper, who’ll take this baby home. See you tomorrow for Moving Day.
-8: Rose (F)
-7: DeChambeau (12)
-5: McCarty (F), Im (15), McIlroy (13), Conners (5), Scheffler (2)
Justin Thomas repeats Patrick Reed’s chip-in antics on 2. Eagle, and suddenly he’s in the red at -1. His partner Scottie Scheffler nearly curls in for an eagle of his own, but the putt stops on the lip. Birdie. Max Homa pars the last to sign for a 70, and he’ll be here for the weekend, the relief on his face clear. And Justin Rose tidies up for his par and a one-under 71. He’s currently leading the way at -8.
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There’s little green for Rose to work with to the side of 18, so instead of lobbing up, he uses a fairway wood in the putting style. He judges it pretty well, and he’ll have a six-footer for his par. Meanwhile on 14, when you’re hot, you’re hot, and Rory McIlroy, deep in the woods, lashes a high wedge over the treetops and into the heart of the green. What an escape! That threatened to be a proper momentum killer. Two putts should secure his par.
Rory McIlroy has just started the back nine 3-3-3-3 … and so … “Fore right! [word redacted by Family Website editor] ” Yep, deep into the trees down the right of 14 he goes. Good luck with that. Meanwhile Justin Rose is stumbling towards the clubhouse. From the centre of 18, he pulls a 7-iron towards a swale to the left of the green. He’ll have a job on to get up and down for his par.
Rory McIlroy makes his eagle putt on 13! He absolutely rattles it into the cup. As his ball disappears from view, the gallery go berserk. This is on again! McIlroy would now be leading this Tournament were it not for those inexplicable mind-melts on 15 and 17 last night. And that’s without bringing up that tiddler he missed on 14. Still, this is back on, and once again McIlroy and his fans can dare to dream! What an absurd game golf is.
-8: Rose (17)
-7: DeChambeau (12)
-6: Im (14)
-5: McCarty (F), McIlroy (13), Conners (4)
-4: Åberg (13), Lowry (12), Scheffler (1)
-3: R Højgaard (15), Hovland (13), Riley (10), Day (2)
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A poor drive by Rory McIlroy on 13 … followed by an outrageous second shot! He’s in the pines out on the right, the spot from where Phil Mickelson did for Lee Westwood all those years ago. He cracks an iron off the straw from 214 yards, over Rae’s Creek, to nine feet. Huge eagle putt coming up. Meanwhile back on 12, Bryson DeChambeau gets a read of his downhill right-to-left birdie putt from Shane Lowry. The Irish star’s effort kinks off to the left; the US Open champ’s somehow stays high on the right. A dimple’s width away from a share of the lead. Just the par, though.
An opening par for Scottie Scheffler. He nearly steers in a 20-foot left-to-right birdie swinger, but he’s one dimple shy. Meanwhile trouble for the leader at 17. Justin Rose’s second is fat and short, and dunks into the sand at the front of the green. The subsequent splash out is no good, and though he gives the downhill right-to-left curler a good go from 25 feet, that’s a second bogey in four holes, and the lead is down to one.
-8: Rose (17)
-7: DeChambeau (11)
-6: Im (14)
-5: McCarty (F), Conners (4)
-4: R Højgaard (14), Åberg (12), Lowry (11), Scheffler (1)
-3: Hovland (13), McIlroy (12), Riley (9), Reed (3), Hatton
Patrick Reed loves this place. He won in 2018, of course, but he’s also got top-12 finishes in five of the past seven stagings. And now he’s inserting himself into the narrative again, chipping over the bunker guarding the front-right of the 2nd green and in for eagle. He’s -3.
A diminuendo end to Matt McCarty’s round. His drive at 18 is tight down the right side of the fairway. He manufactures a cut around the corner to find the right-hand edge of the green. His long birdie putt stops a couple of feet short … then he pulls the par putt wide left. A shame, but that’s still a wonderful round of 68 to go along with yesterday’s 71. The 27-year-old Masters debutant is in the hutch at -5 and nicely set for Moving Day.
The champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler takes to the 1st tee. He cracks his opening drive down the middle. Here he comes, then. And here’s Rory, who opts to putt up from the swale back-left of 12 rather than chip. That takes the water out of play, if nothing else. He rolls to four feet and strokes in the par saver. That’s a great up and down, and an impressive refusal to look a gift horse in the mouth. A lucky break with that tee shot. He remains at -3.
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A quite sensational up-and-down on 16 by Max Homa. He lobs gently over the bunker, landing on the fringe, and rolls in the 12-foot par saver. One step closer to making the cut! He remains at level par. Meanwhile his playing partner Justin Rose, having clacked his tee shot to eight feet, walks in the birdie putt to re-establish a two-stroke lead at the top.
-9: Rose (16)
-7: DeChambeau (10)
-6: McCarty (17), Im (12)
-5: Conners (3)
-4: Åberg (11), Lowry (10), Scheffler
-3: R Højgaard (13), McIlroy (11), Theegala (8), Riley (8), English (4), Reed (2), Hatton
Rory McIlroy may feel the second nine owes him something after yesterday’s fiasco. If so, he’s after that payback! Having birdied 10, thanks to a glorious approach, he bashes a monster drive down 11, clips his second from 159 yards to five feet, and that’s another stroke picked up! Then perhaps the biggest payback of all, as he pulls a godawful tee shot at 12 into the azaleas to the left of the green. His ball disappears for a second or two, before dribbling back out, down the bank and into the swale. Not ideal, because he’s shortsided, but at least he’s got a chance to scramble his par.
Max Homa might not have enjoyed his season so far, missing six cuts out of eight, but he seems determined to play himself back into form. Hovering on the projected cut line of +1, he decides to play some carpe-diem golf at 15, taking on the water with his second. He finds the heart of the green, and two putts later is celebrating his second birdie in three holes. All good, and he’s clearly not in the mood to die wondering … so having said all that, he’s just played his worst shot of the day, short and right of the par-three 16th. He’s shortsided, with barely any green to play with, and a bunker in the way. And of course the green slopes down to the water, so anything overcooked could be asking for trouble. Not much margin for error there.
Justin Rose plays the 15th carefully as opposed to aggressively. Probably for the best, given what happened to Rory McIlroy yesterday (double bogey) and Laurie Canter earlier on (de-greened putt). A no-drama par, and he moves on, still at -8, one clear of Bryson DeChambeau, who having parred 9, turns in 32. Meanwhile creeping up the leaderboard: Sahith Theegala, who already has one top-ten finish here on his resumé. Birdies at 2, 7 and now 8 and the 27-year-old Californian rises to -3.
… but the folk at -5 don’t fancy hanging around with Corey Conners for long. Matt McCarty whip-cracks his second at 17 from 150 yards to seven feet, and makes his eighth birdie of the day. Im Sung-jae meanwhile lands his tee shot at 12 15 feet to the left of the pin, then walks in the putt.
-8: Rose (14)
-7: DeChambeau (9)
-6: McCarty (17), Im (12)
-5: Conners (2)
-4: R Højgaard (12), Åberg (10), Scheffler
Corey Conners has got a good record at Augusta National. The 33-year-old Canadian posted three consecutive top-ten finishes between 2020 and 2022. He’s coming off the back of a top-six finish at this year’s Players, too. A strong finish yesterday – three birdies in the last four holes – set up a fine opening round of 68, and he’s started well today. Up and down from greenside sand at 2, and he joins the group at -5.
Rory McIlroy tidies up on 10 to move to -2. He’s in the group behind the reigning PGA and Open champion Xander Schauffele, who is looking to make it three major wins in four starts. Well, you gotta dream. Schauffele posted an underwhelming 73 yesterday, but he’s flawless today so far with birdies at 3, 6 and 9. That’s taken him to -2, alongside Rory and … Tommy Fleetwood, who enters the story with birdies at 2, 6 and 8. This is bubbling up nicely.
-8: Rose (14)
-7: DeChambeau (8)
-5: McCarty (16), Im (11)
-4: R Højgaard (11), Åberg (9), Conners (1), Scheffler
-3: Hovland (10), Lowry (8), English (2), Hatton
-2: Schauffele (10), McIlroy (10), Fleetwood (8), Theegala (7), Riley (7), Smith (3), Rai (3), Day
An unforced error by Justin Rose from the centre of the 14th fairway. A short iron in from 154 yards. He leaves it short of the green. Then an underhit chip. He can’t make the 20-foot par saver, and suddenly that lead is down to one. Meanwhile some good news for the Irish bid: birdies for Shane Lowry at 6 and now 8 bring the big man up to -3, while Rory McIlroy screeches his approach into 10 from 177 yards to a couple of feet. He should be rising to -2 soon.
-8: Rose (14)
-7: DeChambeau (8)
-5: McCarty (16), Im (10)
Just the par for Justin Rose on the par-five 13th. Disappointing given he was wedging in three from the centre of the fairway, but failed to get within 30 feet. Doubly disappointing given Bryson DeChambeau makes his fourth birdie of the day at 8, cutting his lead to a couple of strokes. DeChambeau will be a little irritated himself, having set himself up a 20-foot eagle chance only to hit an uncharacteristically weak first putt, but he’s closing in on the leader and right now looks the man to beat this week.
-9: Rose (13)
-7: DeChambeau (8)
-5: McCarty (15), Im (10)
Matt McCarty continues to creep up the leaderboard. His latest birdie comes at 15. It’s his seventh in ten holes! If he pars his way home from here, he’ll be signing for a four-under 68. Some going when you consider he started 6-6, shipping three strokes in the shortest of orders. Meanwhile par for Ludvig Åberg at 9 and he turns in level par. He’s -4 overall. Ditto Rory, the first part anyway: he’s -1 for the Tournament.
Max Homa’s marshal-bothering antics yesterday – as explained here – obscured his opening round of 74. Far from his form of last year, when he finished in a tie for third, but in the context of his record of only making two cuts in eight starts on the PGA Tour this season, something of an improvement. And today he’s looking to build on that slow-but-sure turnaround. Bogey at 1, but birdie at 8 and now another at 13, the latter reward for sending his approach from 167 yards to 13 feet and stroking in the putt. He’s +1 for the Tournament, on the current projected cutline, and on course to be here for the weekend. What a time it would be to make his first cut of the season! The patrons will be behind the likeable Californian.
Another birdie for Rasmus Højgaard! Having hit the turn in 32 blemish-free strokes, he whistles his drive at 10 down the right-hand side of the fairway, then lands his approach on the shoulder of the bunker to the right of the green, the ball breaking left and stopping pin high, ten feet from the flag. In goes the putt, and the 24-year-old Dane – whose twin brother Nicolai led for a while during the third round last year before finishing in a tie for 16th – moves into a share of fourth at -4.
Im Sung-jae got a taste for battered haggis this place in 2020, when he tied for second with Cameron Smith, five strokes behind that year’s champion Dustin Johnson. Looks like he fancies it again. He’s just followed up that aforementioned birdie on 8 with another at 9, wedging ten feet past the flag from the centre of the fairway, screwing his ball back gently to tap-in distance. He turns in 32. Meanwhile just a par for Rory McIlroy at 8, and that loose drive has handed over a few decimal points to the field. He remains at -1. Bounceback birdie for his playing partner Ludvig Åberg, though.
-9: Rose (12)
-6: DeChambeau (7)
-5: Im (9)
-4: McCarty (14), Åberg (8), Conners, Scheffler
-3: R Højgaard (9), Fitzpatrick (9), Hovland (8), Hatton
Justin Rose reaches -9 for the first time with a calm birdie on 12. He gently swishes his tee shot to four feet, and rolls the putt home. So serene, so simple. But there’s elite-level play going on elsewhere, too, as Simon McMahon reports: “Just retained my annual family putting competition title at The Himalayas at St Andrew’s (for the 30th year running) - hard cheese Mrs McMahon, Evie and first time participant Ryan, and am now celebrating with a pint in The Jigger Inn within spitting distance of the road and 17th green. If I can’t be at Augusta National this is surely the next best thing. Should’ve brought my own pimento cheese sandwiches though.” Battered haggis from that fine chippy at the bottom of Market Street could be a pretty good consolation? Mine drenched in salt and vinegar, please.
Updated
Rasmus Højgaard continues to romp his way around Augusta National. His fourth birdie of the day comes at 8. He’s also just cracked his tee shot at 9 down the middle. Meanwhile back on 8, Rory McIlroy carves his drive into the bunker down the right, so he won’t be reaching this gettable par-five in two.
It’s back-to-back bogeys for Ludvig Åberg. This one, at 7, comes as a result of flaying his drive into the pine straw down the right, a cone resting near his ball forcing him to chip out sideways. He’s back in the pack at -3. Meanwhile heading the other way: Matt McCarty, who is back on the birdie trail, picking up shots at 12 and 13, and Im Sung-jae with birdie at 8. They’re both -4!
-8: Rose (11)
-6: DeChambeau (6)
-4: McCarty (13), Im (8), Conners, Scheffler
The coverage switches to Laurie Canter on 15. Canter is +6 and heading home after his round, so why are they showing his 70-foot putt? Is it about to drop for a stop-the-press eagle? Nope. He nearly de-greens it, the ball racing 20 feet past and halting on the fringe. An illustration of how quick this green is already … and how much more treacherous it’ll be for the later starters after a whole day baking in the sun and further dried out by increasing winds. Scottie Scheffler et al will be desperately praying for those rainclouds that may or may not come later today. Bobbie, do your thing.
Bryson isn’t perfect. He leaves his tee shot at the par-three 6th short of the green and 25 yards wide. But no matter! Because Bryson’s nearly perfect. He bumps an outrageous wedge across the green to ten inches, soaks up the love from the gallery, beams widely, and tidies up to remain at -6. So close to an outrageous birdie, but that could have been costly. What escapology!
Another birdie for Bryson DeChambeau! He makes mincemeat of a very difficult hole, the 5th, by cracking a drive down the middle, sending his approach to eight feet, and knocking in the putt. Simple as. Tiger’s advice here is merely “make your par and move on”, and the hole was playing the hardest yesterday, giving up just two birdies. This is the only birdie here today so far. All of which illustrates just how much Bryson is currently on one. And while Justin Rose chips up elegantly from the bottom of the swale at 10, to tap-in distance and to save his par, Ludvig Åberg leaves a chip from the front of 6 short enough to miss the following putt, and suddenly there’s a bit of separation at the top of the leaderboard.
-8: Rose (10)
-6: DeChambeau (5)
-4: Åberg (6), Conners, Scheffler
-3: McCarty (12), Fitzpatrick (8), Im (7), Hatton
-2: R Højgaard (7), Hovland (7), Rai, English, Day
The leader Justin Rose hits the turn in 35, then cracks a fine drive down the middle of 10. But his approach lands on the false front of the green, and topples back down into the swale. With the pin near the front, that’s going to be a very tricky up and down. Not a whole lot of green to play with, and he doesn’t want to be toppling back down a second time. Meanwhile on 6, Rory McIlroy comes up short of the green with his tee shot, but chips delicately to kick-in distance and will surely save his par to remain at -1. Rose with work to do.
Ludvig Åberg should have taken one more club into 5. He reaches the green but he’s well short of the flag. Exactly 77 feet short, in fact. His first putt races seven feet past the hole, but he tickles in the left-to-right downhill swinger coming back, and that’s a par that’ll suddenly feel like a birdie. He stays in a share of second at -5. Rory McIlroy leaves himself a little work to do, as well, sending his approach pin high but leaving a straight-ish 25-footer three feet short. But he tidies up to remain at -1.
Bryson DeChambeau snatches a share of second spot in spectacular style! Splashing out of sand to the left of 4 – Bhatia’s Bunker – he swings long but lands his ball softly, sending it on an inexorable roll into the centre of the cup. That’s delightful. The current US Open champ on the charge! Also holing out from sand for birdie: Matt Fitzpatrick on 7. The 2022 US Open champ on the charge!
-8: Rose (8)
-5: Åberg (4), DeChambeau (4)
-4: Conners, Scheffler
-3: Fitzpatrick (7), Im (6), Hatton
-2: McCarty (10), R Højgaard (6), Hovland (5), Rai, English, Day
Updated
Apologies to Matt McCarty for bringing up his birdie blitz. The run stops with par at 10. Shouldn’t have brought attention to it. Our fault, our fault. Meanwhile Nicolai Højgaard entertained us all yesterday with his absurd round of 76: three double bogeys, an eagle, five birdies, five bogeys and just the four pars. Today his twin Rasmus is demanding attention in a more conventional style, with birdies at 2, 3 and now 6 to move into contention at -2.
-8: Rose (8)
-5: Åberg (4)
-4: DeChambeau (3), Conners, Scheffler
-3: Im (5), Hatton
-2: McCarty (10), R Højgaard (6), Fitzpatrick (6), Hovland (4), Lowry (3), Rai, English, Day
Justin Rose extends his lead with birdie at 8. Two big swipes straight down the middle, a chip and a putt. Simple as that. He’s -8. The par-five was the easiest hole on the course yesterday, though it’s ranked 13 so far today. Meanwhile Akshay Bhatia makes his first mistake of the day. He tries to get too cute coming out of a bunker at 6, and his ball stays in there. He does well to get up and down to limit the damage to bogey, but he slips back to -1.
Matt McCarty has only played in one major before this one, and missed the cut at the US Open in 2022. The 27-year-old from Arizona is beginning to make some in-roads on the PGA Tour, though: his first win at the Black Desert Championship last October, a top-20 finish at last month’s Players. Now he’s bothering the upper echelons of the Masters leaderboard. And in some style. And with some moxie! Having shot 71 yesterday, he started out today 6-6. Three shots gone in the blink of an eye. Never mind, though, because he’s just carded four birdies on the spin, 6 through 9, and is in the red again for his day’s work, and -2 for the Tournament.
(For the record, he’s still got some way to go to break the Masters record for consecutive birdies. Who holds that? Tiger Woods, of course, with seven in 2005. It’s a record he shares with Steve Pate, who made that number in 1999. Both did it in their third round; both started their run at 7. The weird coincidences top-level sport throws up.)
The 2021 champion Hideki Matsuyama was going well yesterday until a double-bogey seven at 13, the result of an appalling stroke of bad luck, his chip in clacking the flagstick and twanging back into Rae’s Creek. Well, Augusta National has given him a little something back today. From the centre of the par-five 2nd, 246 yards out, he creams his second to five feet. For a moment, his ball looks like trundling into the cup for albatross, Louis Oosthuizen 2012-style, on a sweet left-to-right curl. But it just evades the cup. He makes eagle, though, and is back in red figures at -1.
(For the record, had Matsuyama’s ball dropped for albatross, it would have been only the fifth in Masters history. The first, the aforementioned Gene Sarazen on 15 in 1935. Bruce Devlin made one on 8 in 1967, and Jeff Maggert on 13 in 1994. So close to another little slice of history.)
Bryson DeChambeau makes his first move of the day. The reigning US Open champion finds the 2nd green in two big hits, and though he leaves the 46-foot eagle putt seven short, he’s not missing the birdie. He’s going round with Shane Lowry, who nearly makes a 25-foot eagle putt but tidies up for birdie and is currently, contrary to most of the pre-tournament patter, Ireland’s most likely. And Ludvig Åberg moves into second spot on his own by wedging his second at the short par-four 3rd to six feet and finishing up.
-7: Rose (7)
-5: Åberg (3)
-4: DeChambeau (2), Conners, Scheffler
-3: Im (4), Hatton
-2: Berger (5), Fitzpatrick (4), Hovland (3), Bhatia (3), Lowry (2), Rai, English, Day
A disappointing 74 yesterday from Brooks Koepka. The two-time runner-up – to Tiger in 2019 and Jon Rahm in 2023 – hasn’t been in particularly good nick lately. But you never write off a five-time major winner, and he’s started fast today, following birdie at 1 by landing his tee shot at the 240-yard par-three 4th to three feet. He’s back to level par for the Tournament, three shots behind his playing partner Im Sung-jae, who having birdied 1 and 2 this morning, does well to get up and down from a bunker at 4 for his par. He’s -3.
Rory McIlroy aims his tee shot at 2 towards the bunker on the right of the fairway, hoping for a little draw. No draw. His ball instead gently fades, clearing the sand but resting near a tree. He’s very nearly snookered, but luckily there’s enough room to punch out, across the fairway into the first cut on the left. And from there, ignoring some overhanging branches, he wedges gloriously to six feet. In goes the putt, and that’s a birdie that looked like a bogey when his tee shot was sailing towards the pines. Feast or famine with Rory at the moment, but he’s just about keeping himself above the breadline. He’s -1, tucked in behind this lot …
-7: Rose (6)
-4: Åberg (2), Conners, Scheffler
-3: Im, (3), DeChambeau (1), Hatton
-2: Berger (4), Fitzpatrick (3), Bhatia (2), Rai, English, Day
Justin Rose is going around with Max Homa. The popular Californian very much enjoyed himself here last year, with an opening round of 67 sending him on his way to a career-best third-place finish. But he hasn’t come into this year’s event in form. In his eight PGA Tour events so far this season, he’s not once finished in the top 25, making just two cuts. He needs all the luck he can get right now, so you can imagine his frustration yesterday when he chipped out from trees down the left of 8 and hit a marshal standing in the centre of the fairway holding a flag. To be fair to the marshal, he was only doing his job. The second shot into 8 is seriously uphill and blind, and the marshal stands with the flag to notify players that the green isn’t clear. But Homa wasn’t going for the green in two, so went ahead and took his shot. Ping! “Come on dude!” Homa, having been robbed of a few yards, did well to calm himself down and make his par. All’s well in the end, and it would have been worse had John Plunkett of the R&A rules committee been in charge: “Is it similar to if the ball hits a helmet on the ground in cricket, six shots maybe?”
A first bogey of the day for Justin Rose. That’s the cost of finding the steep-faced fairway bunker down the left of 5, Forced to take his medicine and chip out, unable to go for the green in regulation, he’s always out of position and slips back to -7.
Updated
Rory McIlroy, his route into 1 slightly obstructed by overhanging branches, can only find the front of the green. He leaves his long putt a wee bit short, too, but is able to tidy up for an opening par. Fours for Ludvig Åberg and Akshay Bhatia too.
Matt Fitzpatrick has never seriously competed for a Green Jacket. His best finish in 11 starts here was a tie for seventh in 2016, but he wasn’t really in the race eventually won by fellow Sheffielder Danny Willett. He could finally get involved this year, though. A one-under 71 yesterday, and now he’s just wiped out an opening bogey this morning by rolling in a 35-foot eagle putt on 2. He’s -2, moving in the same direction this morning as Daniel Berger and 2020 runner-up Im Sung-jae.
-8: Rose (4)
-4: Conners, Scheffler, Åberg
-3: Hatton, DeChambeau
-2: Berger (3), Fitzpatrick (2), Im (1), Rai, English, Day, Bhatia
Rory McIlroy takes to the tee, and sends his opening drive into the first cut down the left of the hole. His partners Ludvig Åberg and Akshay Bhatia find the shortest stuff. Meanwhile up on 4, Rose responds to that comical tee shot by chipping crisply to five feet past the flag. In goes the putt and he remains at -8. A huge smile, as big as the One he’s just gotten away with.
Updated
Despite his decent start this morning, Justin Rose doesn’t quite have his A-game with him at the moment. A few loose shots already and this one is the worst of the lot. The flag’s at the front of the par-three 4th, but Rose isn’t getting anywhere near it. He skies his iron. Right under it. “Aw!” he cries, as the ball apologetically lands 50 yards short of the green. At least he can see the funny side. “A good lay-up!” he quips, to warm, gentle laughter from the gallery. He’s not left himself the easiest up and down, without too much green to work with.
Back to this millennium, and the leader Justin Rose seems to have replaced yesterday’s push with a pull. Having just bothered the trees down the left of 2, he does so again with his tee shot on 3, despite taking a fairway wood for safety. But he’s still got a route into the green, and finds the heart of it with his wedge. Two putts later, and he’s moving on having made par. He remains at -8.
You can perhaps understand why Craig Wood suffered such a shocker in the first round in 1936, still shaken no doubt by what had happened to him the year before. Allow me to explain / plagiarise myself. Wood had missed out on the inaugural title in 1934 by one stroke, but looked odds-on to win in 1935, in the clubhouse with a three-shot advantage over his only real challenger. But that challenger was Gene Sarazen, who was still out on the course, in the middle of the par-five 15th having clattered a 250-yard drive down the 485-yard hole. He was playing with Walter Hagen, who upon hearing the news of Wood’s clubhouse mark, cried: “Well, that’s that!” Sarazen shrugged and replied: “They might go in from anywhere.” Whereupon he drew his 4-wood back and landed his second on the front of the green, the ball rolling to the far-right corner and into the cup for an albatross (or a double eagle, as the locals would have it). Now level with Wood, he parred his way in, then breezed the 36-hole play-off. His albatross became known as The Shot Heard Round The World, and one which put the Augusta National Invitation Tournament on the map.
Poor old Nick Dunlap had a bit of a shocker yesterday. An 18-over round of 90 that featured four double bogeys and a triple. Seven bogeys, just six pars. “He’s a very talented chap,” begins Simon Thomas, “Golf is hard. He’s got a bit of ground to make up; by my reckoning he needs to find at least 16 shots today if he’s to make the weekend. A 56 today then.” Well, let’s see now. Craig Wood shot a first round of 88 in 1936, bouncing back with a 67 the next day. He finished in a tie for 20th, and went on to win the event in 1941. So there’s always hope I guess. Admittedly that still stands as the biggest contrasting start in Masters history, 89 years on, and Dunlap would have to better Jim Furyk’s all-time low PGA Tour score of 58 by two strokes to beat the cut. But let’s rule nothing out until it’s mathematically impossible.
Birdie for Justin Rose! He takes a little too much sand with his splash out of the bunker at 2, leaving himself a fast downhill 15-footer. But he rolls in the birdie putt. Perfect line, perfect weight, pretty much a perfect start. He restores the four-shot lead he held last evening before bogey at 18.
-8: Rose (2)
-4: Conners, Scheffler, Åberg
-3: Hatton, DeChambeau
-2: Rai, English, Day, Bhatia
Updated
A huge stroke of luck for Rose at 2. He pulls his long iron towards the trees, and he squats down to watch the result, narrowing his eyes anxiously. The ball pings off a branch and back into play, dribbling into the bunker guarding the front-left portion of the green. He’ll have a chance to get up and down for a sandy birdie. For a nanosecond there, he was worrying about running up a score.
Justin Rose at 2. He sends a gentle draw that threatens to flirt with the trees on the left but eventually behaves itself and rolls along that side of the fairway. Nothing wrong there, and the early signs are that he’s fixed the problem that got him into tree-based trouble down the right of 17 and 18 last night. Pink Dogwood was the second-easiest hole of the first round – another par five, the 8th, gave up most to the field yesterday – and an early birdie for Rose here would give everyone else still sitting on the veranda something extra to think about.
A solid start for Justin Rose. His second into 1 bumbles down the bank to the right of the green, but he nearly holes his chip and tidies up for an opening par. Rose is by far the earliest starter of the leading bunch, though we’ll see Ludvig Åberg and Akshay Bhatia within the hour, and Bryson DeChambeau not long after.
-7: Rose (1)
-4: Conners, Scheffler, Åberg
-3: Hatton, DeChambeau
-2: Rai, English, Day, Bhatia
The leader Justin Rose is out and about! He’s safely stroked his opening drive down the middle of Tea Olive. That’ll give him succour after carving a couple of worryingly wayward tee shots way right at 17 and 18 yesterday evening.
… so having said that, of the 18 players out there already, only five of them are under par for their round so far. Only one of those have carded more than one birdie. England’s Laurie Canter flew out of the blocks with birdies at 1 and 2, but he’s handed back one of those shots at 4. The 35-year-old debutant from Bath is currently +4 after a 77 yesterday that promised more, until he carded late double bogeys at 16 and 17. Rory, you are not alone.
Here we go, then, and the morning starters should have the best of the conditions today. There were rainstorms last night, and the greens should be nice and responsive as a result. Sound the low-scores klaxon! But will we hear the actual weather klaxon later? There’s a 30 percent change of a thunderstorm later in the afternoon. What’s certain is the temperature will rise as the day progresses, and so will the windspeeds. So yes, the guys out early will be the happiest. The weekend is expected to be dry and increasingly sunny and warm. Sunday should be a picture.
Preamble
Yesterday was all about 44-year-old Justin Rose’s wonderful 67, the first chapter of what could become the greatest romantic story ever written by anyone from north-east Hampshire (providing we leave Jane Austen out of this). Hartley Wintney’s finest couldn’t right the nearly-man wrongs of 2007, 2015 and 2017, could he? Perhaps. Fingers crossed. Let’s see. Three days still to go. I may have lost my heart, but not my self-control.
Yesterday was also about Rory McIlroy. Somebody shouted “hallelujah!” when Scottie Scheffler hit his opening drive. Other well-worn biblical exclamations may well have been barked by fans of McIlroy, with some feeling, as he melted down on the homeward stretch, carding careless, clumsy, needless double bogeys at 15 and 17. Oh Rory. If we loved you less, we might be able to talk about it more.
Anyway, here’s how the top of the leaderboard looks after an entertaining and dramatic opening day at Augusta National. Nobody on it is out of contention, so best to approach the task in hand calmly. Remember: angry people are not always wise.
-7: Rose
-4: Conners, Scheffler, Åberg
-3: Hatton, DeChambeau
-2: Rai, English, Day, Bhatia
-1: M Kim, Thompson, Smith, Couples, Harman, Reed, Greyserman, MW Lee, Watson, McCarty, McCarthy, Berger, Fitzpatrick, Im, Hovland, Lowry
E: Young, Z Johnson, Jaeger, Morikawa, Niemann, McNealy, Campbell, Hoge, Garcia, McIlroy, Theegala
Today’s tee times
(USA unless stated, all times BST)
12.40 Rafael Campos (Pur), Cameron Davis (Aus), Austin Eckroat
12.51 Angel Cabrera (Arg), Laurie Canter (Eng), Adam Schenk
13.02 Brian Campbell, Thriston Lawrence (Rsa), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa)
13.13 Evan Beck, Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Bubba Watson
13.24 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Tom Hoge, Matt McCarty
13.35 Denny McCarthy, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Hiroshi Tai (Sgp)
13.52 Max Homa, Justin Rose (Eng), JJ Spaun
14.03 Justin Hastings (Cay), Dustin Johnson, Nick Taylor (Can)
14.14 Daniel Berger, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Lucas Glover
14.25 Patrick Cantlay, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Rasmus Hoejgaard (Den)
14.36 Russell Henley, Sung-Jae Im (Kor), Brooks Koepka
14.47 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott (Aus)
14.58 Ludvig Aaberg (Swe), Akshay Bhatia, Rory McIlroy (NIrl)
15.15 Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry (Irl), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
15.26 Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Jon Rahm (Spa)
15.37 Sam Burns, Sepp Straka (Aut), Sahith Theegala
15.48 Patton Kizzire, Davis Riley
15.59 Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Chun-An Yu (Tai)
16.10 Michael Kim, Mike Weir (Can), Cameron Young
16.21 Joe Highsmith, Zach Johnson, Chris Kirk
16.38 Nicolas Echavarria (Col), Davis Thompson, Danny Willett (Eng)
16.49 Noah Kent, Bernhard Langer (Ger), Will Zalatoris
17.00 J. T. Poston, Aaron Rai (Eng), Cameron Smith (Aus)
17.11 Fred Couples, Harris English, Taylor Pendrith (Can)
17.22 Corey Conners (Can), Brian Harman, Stephan Jaeger (Ger)
17.33 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Max Greyserman, Patrick Reed
17.50 Nick Dunlap, Billy Horschel, Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
18.01 Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann (Chi)
18.12 Keegan Bradley, Jason Day (Aus), Phil Mickelson
18.23 Jose Luis Ballester (Spa), Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas
18.34 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Jordan Spieth
18.45 Thomas Detry (Bel), Tony Finau, Maverick McNealy
