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.
The Masters: day one at Augusta – as it happened
- Bryson DeChambeau leads the way after glorious 65
- Scottie Scheffler stays on his tail with 66 | Official leader board
Updated
Thu 11 Apr 2024 20.02 EDT
First published on Thu 11 Apr 2024 09.00 EDT
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Key events
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.
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)
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.
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)
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)
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)
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.
… 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?
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.
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)