Masters 2019 leaderboard: Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau share lead after day one at Masters
Brooks Koepka, who has won two of the last three majors, held a share of the first-round Masters lead with Bryson DeChambeau while three-times champion Phil Mickelson was one shot off the pace on Thursday.
Koepka, who missed last year's Masters with a wrist injury, used a combination of jaw-dropping power and laser-like irons to card a six-under-par 66 to sit atop the leaderboard with Bryson DeChambeau, who came within inches of a closing eagle.
American Koepka, who does not have a top-10 finish in three starts at the Masters, enjoyed a four-hole birdie run from the 12th to pull ahead but had to settle for a share of the lead after DeChambeau closed with four consecutive birdies.
DeChambeau, who was playing two groups ahead of Koepka and nearly aced the par-three 16th, almost walked into the clubhouse with the outright lead but his approach at the 18th rammed into the flagstick and settled inches away for a tap-in birdie.
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of The Masters as day one gets underway in what is one of the most eagerly anticipated weeks of the golf calendar.
Outside of the Ryder Cup years, The Masters is surely the most anticipated event in the golfing calendar.
It's the first major of the year, played every year at Augusta National with a Green Jacket as the prize after four days of highly contested competition.
87 players start the tournament this year, but only one will come out victorious.
Will Rory McIlroy finally complete his career grandslam? Can Patrick Reed successfully defend his title? Will Tiger Woods roll back the years and win his 15th major?
Stay with us over the course of the next four days as we follow all the action to find out.
The Masters is a joyous week for the world of golf, on the Wednesday Augusta hosts the annual par-3 tournament, where the players relax and enjoy a fun tournament with their friends and family.
However there is a certain dark aura that surrounds the tournament. In the 58 times the pre-tournament has been played no winner has gone on the wear the Green Jacket the following Sunday.
Yesterday's victor Matt Wallace may have already doomed his week at Augusta after he defeated 61-year-old Sandy Lyle in a play-off.
Only time will tell if the curse of the par-3 claims another victim.
2:14pm BST - Danny Willett, Brandt Snedeker, Takumi Kanaya 2:47pm BST - Charl Schwartzel, Charles Howell III, Eddie Pepperell 2:58pm BST - Sergio Garcia, Tony Finau, Henrik Stenson 3:31pm BST - Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Viktor Hovland 3:53pm BST - Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland 4:04pm BST - Tiger Woods, Haotong Li, Jon Rahm 4:15pm BST - Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Smith 5:10pm BST - Bernhard Langer, Matt Wallace, Alvaro Ortiz 5:32pm BST - Alex Noren, Keegan Bradley, Matthew Fitzpatrick 6:05pm BST - Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar 6:16pm BST - Francesco Molinari, Rafael Cabrera Bello, Tyrell Hatton 6:38pm BST - Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day 6:49pm BST- Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas 7:00pm BST - Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka
Patrick Reed, last year's champion, says having to give back his green jacket at the end of the week can inspire him to successfully defend his title at Augusta.
This time last year Reed won his first major by finishing one shot clear of Rickie Fowler and earning the famous green jacket in the process.
Champions are only allowed to take their jackets away from the course for the first twelve months after their victory, before returning them to be permanently stored in the clubhouse prior to the following season’s renewal.
"It’s been amazing having the jacket around,” Reed said: “Travelling with it and allowing other people to see it was definitely a treat.
"Knowing I have to give the jacket back at the end of the week makes me more motivated to win another one."
'A slight dogleg right that plays uphill. Drives to the left may catch the trees. The hole requires a precise second shot to an undulating green. A poorly struck approach may result in a difficult two-putt.'
In 1935, the hole featured a left fairway bunker that was later removed. A greenside bunker, front and left, was added in 1951.
