Here comes the final two-ball. Oh Dustin! Jimmy Walker’s up first, from the centre of the fairway. Fore right! Then it’s Bubba, who finds the bunker to the right. Walker gets up and down and signs for 76. Bubba fails, and he’s signing for 74. So ends a day of wonder for Charley Hoffman. William McGirt and Lee Westwood will be pretty chuffed too. As will Thomas Pieters and Matthew Fitzpatrick, though they may wonder what might have been. Rory McIlroy will be delighted to have salvaged a decent card after a rocky start. And perhaps Danny Willett will be happiest of all: after starting his title defence in the worst possible way, six-six, he fought back to respectability at the scene of his greatest triumph. Jordan Spieth’s quadruple bogey, though. Dear oh dear. And you thought Dustin Johnson was suffering. See you tomorrow!
-7: Hoffman
-3: McGirt
-2: Westwood
-1: Henley, Chappell, Sullivan, Fitzpatrick, Mickelson, Rose, Dufner, Garcia
E: Kjeldsen, Pieters, Casey, Els, Kichar, Lowry, McIlroy
+1: Piercy, Couples, Fowler, Willett, Rahm, Leishman, Thomas
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Haas, on the front fringe of the green, doesn’t hit a particularly convincing putt up towards the hole. Leishman thankfully hasn’t brained anyone, but he’s up on the bank and duffs his chip coming down. Thomas misreads his 40-foot putt, leaving it well out to the right. This is all very average. Leishman trickles his second chip dead, and finishes with a bogey and a one-over 73. Haas can’t knock in his 15-footer; bogey, and he ends with a three-over 75. And finally Thomas rolls in the tricky eight footer he’d left himself. A par, and he signs for a 73 too. Nobody out of this yet.
Two groups left out on the course. The absence of Dustin Johnson still keenly felt. On 17, Bubba and Jimmy Walker par; they remain +1 and +4 respectively. Up at 18, Justin Thomas (+1) and Bill Haas (+2) play fairly average approaches into the green; the third man in the group, Marc Leishman (E) slices an awful effort into the crowd to the right of the green and may have clocked some poor punter upside the head.
McIlroy scampers a delicious chip up the bank at the left of 18 to a couple of feet. That’s saved his par, and he’s signing for a level-par 72. The main thing to take away today is that he’s not played himself out of contention, which looked a very live prospect through the first 12 holes. But some staunch par saves at 10, 11 and 12 turned things round for him. And the subsequent birdies at 13, 15 and 16 will put him in a good humour. Rahm whistles his birdie putt six feet past, though, then underhits the one coming back. A needless par, a bogey-bogey finish, and a disappointing 73. But at +1, he’s hardly out of it.
Bernhard Langer’s round went a bit south after the turn. Four bogeys and just the one birdie coming back, and he’s signing for a 75. Back down the hole, McIlroy sends his tee shot into the first cut down the left, then pulls his second down the swale to the left of the green, near the punters. That’ll be a testing up and down to save his par; he won’t want to undo all of that good work coming in. Rahm meanwhile knocks his second pin high. He’ll have a 30-foot look at birdie for 71.
McIlroy whips his second into 17 to 12 feet. He’s left with a very gettable uphill left-to-right breaker for birdie; it somehow stays high on the left. Par, and he stays at level par. His playing partner Rahm bogeys to drop back to the same mark. Meanwhile back on 16, more putting lunacy from Bubba Watson; he duffs a putt from the fringe, leaving himself a very treacherous downhill 40-foot drifter. And in it trundles! That’s another gallery-fluffing moment from Bubba, who waves his arms in the air in spluttering disbelief! He stays at +1.
An exquisite bunker shot from Lee Westwood, who sends his ball screeching to a halt 18 inches from the hole. That breaks his five-hole run of birdies, it’s a closing-hole par. And that’s a marvellous 70. That major duck could be broken yet. Shane Lowry takes his two putts for a par, and he’s signing for a 72; it could have been better, but those bogeys at 15 and 16 will hurt. And finally a great two putts from distance from Sergio Garcia, who scratches his name at the bottom of a bogey-free 71. All three men can be happy with their rounds, but it’s Westwood who has the widest smile as they depart the scene.
Lee Westwood dunks his approach at 18 into the sand to the right of the green. Sergio’s up next, and he can only make the bottom tier of the green; remember Rickie Fowler and Matthew Fitzpatrick struggling from there. And finally Shane Lowry bumps one onto the top tier from the bank on the right; he’ll have a look at birdie from 25 feet or so.
Up on 18, Charley Hoffman flirts with the bunker to the right of the green. But the ball skips over the bank and breaks onto the putting surface. He’s left with an uphill 12-footer for a 64! But he can’t make his fifth birdie in a row. It’s just - just - back in 31, and a round of 65. He’s four shouts clear of William McGirt after the opening round. Back down the hole, Lee Westwood splits the fairway; a sixth birdie in a row (!) would tie him with McGirt. But let’s not get carried away. Not yet, anyway.
-7: Hoffman (F)
-3: McGirt (F)
-2: Westwood (17)
Photograph: Rob Carr/Getty Images
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Well this is indeed astonishing; Rahm misses his tiddler for birdie and remains at -1. McIlroy makes no mistake, though, and after three birdies in four holes, he’s back to level par for this tournament.
Lee Westwood’s stunning run continues! He creams his second into 17 pin high, and the putt’s never going anywhere but straight into the cup! He’s -2, with only the extraordinary Hoffman and McGirt ahead of him! Meanwhile on 16, Rory McIlroy very nearly slam-dunks his tee shot at 16 into the cup; for a second he seems to think it’s a hole in one, and needs to squint down the hole to double check. Nope, he’s left with an 18-incher for birdie. Jon Rahm lands his tee shot into the heart of the green, but it’s equally as good, curling right to left from 50 feet to a couple. Surely that’s a pair of birdies. Some simply astonishing golf towards the end of the day here!
Crazy scenes on 14, where Bubba Watson nearly breaks an arm by hitting a root when blasting out of the trees down the right. Nearly. He’ll be OK by the looks of what happens next. After shouting quite a lot, he walks up to the green, rubs his sore arm, takes one look at the massive 90-foot putt he’s left himself ... and slaps it straight into the hole! Wow! A birdie, and the two-time champ is back up to +1. The patrons go wild. Birdie too for Rahm on 15, incidentally, the result of a lay up and crisp wedge to six feet. He’s -1.
McIlroy lays up at 15 and wedges over the flag to 12 feet. That was an aggressive line - a smidgen more juice and he could have been miles over the back of the green - but it hangs on the edge of the putting surface. And he’s rewarded for his bravery, the birdie putt dropping from 12 feet. He’s back to +1, right in this tournament again, the outlier Hoffman excepted. Meanwhile here’s Adam Hirst: “So… imagine the scenario.. the final pairing of Garcia and Westwood on the Sunday… both hanging on in there through the front nine and with Amen Corner approaching. They stand on the 10th tee and exchange glances. I’ll leave it there.”
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Lowry couldn’t get down in two putts at 16. Bogey. He deposits his ball into the water before he exits the hole in that lofty vehicle, high dudgeon. (One for the Flann O’Brien purists there.) Sergio lets his short birdie putt drift by the cup. Par. Finally Westwood, who makes it four birdies in a row and moves to -1. He’d be the hottest thing out on the course were it not for Charley Hoffman, who clips his approach at 17 to four feet. This is astonishing! That’s a ninth birdie of the round, and he’s -7! He’s tearing up the place on one of the most testing days in recent Masters history!
-7: Hoffman (17)
-3: McGirt (F)
Jordan Spieth has made three quadruple bogeys in his entire career. And two in two rounds at Augusta National. Here’s our man Andy Bull on today’s extraordinary events at 15.
Some move by Lee Westwood, by the way. He crashed onto the 15th green in two strokes, and though he woefully misread a 25-foot eagle putt, he knocked in a six-foot birdie effort. That’s three birdies on the bounce - 13, 14, 15 - and suddenly he’s level par for the tournament! Last year’s joint runner-up could be on for another tilt at the title! And he’s just landed his tee shot at 16 five feet from the flag! Sergio matches him. Lowry however is miles away facing a tricky downhill putt right across the green. How quickly things can change round here.
Birdie putt for Sergio on 15. He’s so close to making it, but his 12-foot effort drifts off to the right and somehow stops on the lip. Par will have to do. He’s -1. Lowry nearly spins his wedge back into the water after laying up, then fails to get up and down with the flat stick. He’s back to -1. Pars for McIlroy and Rahm at 14. And up on 16, Hoffman makes his fourth birdie in five holes, and he moves into a three-shot lead over McGirt.
-6: Hoffman (16)
-3: McGirt (F)
-1: Henley (F), Chappell (F), Sullivan (F), Fitzpatrick (F), Mickelson (F), Rose (F), Dufner (F), Garcia (15), Lowry (15)
The wind has dropped considerably. It’s almost calm now. But Charley Hoffman continues to whip up a storm. He eases his tee shot to six feet at 16! Delightful. Back on 14, McIlroy and Rahm find the middle of the fairway, then the middle of the green; both will have long uphill putts for birdie.
Three putts on the final green for Danny Willett, and that’s a bogey that drops him back to +1. He’s signing for a 73, not too bad after that 6-6 start, and given his recent bog-standard form. But that’ll annoy the defending champion. Still, he remains in the picture, and should take heart from his overall performance on that back nine, when the Danny Willett of Augusta 2016 came out to play again for a little while. A good round tomorrow, confidence restored, and you never know, he might be joining Nicklaus, Faldo and Woods as a back-to-back winner yet.
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Scrub that about Rory’s misery! Thinking his ball is wet, he finds it plugged into the bank at Rae’s Creek, and is able to punch out to four feet. Then he rolls in the putt, and it’s his first birdie of the day! He’s back to +2, and there’s a clear spring in his step as he marches off to the next tee. Rahm meanwhile drops, chips stone dead, and escapes with par. And up on 15, Charley Hoffman rolls in a putt from 25 feet to make his seventh birdie of the day! That’s his career best, and his reward is a two-shot lead in the Masters!
-5: Hoffman (15)
-3: McGirt (F)
-2: Lowry (14)
-1: Henley (F), Chappell (F), Sullivan (F), Fitzpatrick (F), Mickelson (F), Rose (F), Dufner (F), Garcia (14)
Rory McIlroy’s misery continues. He fires his second shot at 13 straight at the flag. But he doesn’t quite catch his long iron, and that’s in Rae’s Creek. Jon Rahm then follows him in. Up on 14, Sergio leaves himself a six-foot tester for par, and rattles it straight into the hole.
Ernie Els wedges his third at 18 over the flag, but can’t tease the ten-foot slider he’s left himself into the cup. That’s a bogey, which takes a little shine off his finish, but not much: he’s back in 33, and signing for a level-par 72. The veteran former Open and US Open winner is in good nick. Jason Dufner meanwhile can’t get up and down from the front; a tired bogey for The Somnambulist as well. But that’s a very decent 71; the erstwhile PGA champion will be happy enough with that.
We have a new leader! Charley Hoffman looked to be in a bit of bother down the right of 14 with his drive, but managed to negotiate some overhanging branches, found the middle of the green with his second, and rolled home a 25-footer across the dancefloor. He’s now -4, a shot ahead of William McGirt in the clubhouse. Meanwhile up on 18, Ernie Els pinballs out of the trees and back onto the fairway with his second, while Jason Dufner lands short of the bunker on the right with his approach.
-4: Hoffman (14)
-3: McGirt (F)
-2: Dufner (17), Lowry (13)
That rarest of birds: a shot gained at 11! Justin Thomas picks it up, raking home a 30-footer from the back-left of the green, a deserved reward for bravely attacking the flag with his second. So many shots have died off weakly to the front right, well away from the water. Thomas is level par, and nicely set. Also going very well now is Matt Kuchar: out in 39, he’s birdied 13, 16 and now 17 to haul himself back to level par.
Rahm can’t make his par saver on 12, the ball staying high on the right. McIlroy, just inside, got a great read and knocks his straight into the cup. Rahm drops back to level par; McIlroy stays put at +3. Lowry couldn’t eagle 13, the ball skating past the left of the cup, but he taps in for birdie and moves to -2. Sergio meanwhile drops and screeches a glorious wedge stone dead, saving his par. He stays at -1.
For those of you who missed the earlier news, Dustin Johnson withdrew injured, minutes before taking to the tee. Here’s our main man Ewan Murray with details from Augusta.
Sergio thinks he’s cleared the creek at 13 with his second, but the ball was caught by the wind and he’s wet. By comparison, his playing partner Shane Lowry eases an iron into the heart of the green. The ball breaks gently to the right, towards the hole, and he’ll have a 15-footer for eagle! Back on 12, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy both hit their tee shots back left of the green. Neither man gets particularly close with their chip, sending their balls ten feet back past the hole. And up on 18, Els slices his drive into deep bother on the right.
Charley Hoffman drops in front of Rae’s Creek, wedges to ten feet, then strokes in the putt to escape with his par. He remains in the lead with William McGirt. Meanwhile a marvellous chip from the back of 17, Danny Willett Country, by Jason Dufner to 18 inches. Par, and he stays at -2. And it’s three birdies in a row for his playing partner Ernie Els, his fourth in five holes! He’s -1 and maybe that dream of a green jacket isn’t quite over yet!
Danny Willett’s tee shot into 16 is average. He’s left with a monster putt with a large right-to-left break. He does pretty well to work the ball down to eight feet. Then he rattles the uphill par putt straight into the hole! Overall, this is an extremely impressive effort from the defending champion, who has been seriously out of nick lately. It’s nice to see. McIlroy meanwhile bumps a stunning shot up from the side of 11. A little less juice, and it’s sticking on the bank. A little more, and it’s rolling miles past the flag. As it is, it’s on the button, creeping over the top of the bank and rolling serenely to three feet. It was all he could do from there. In goes the par putt, and that’s another fine scramble. He remains at +3.
Rory crashes a drive straight down the middle of 11. He’s in prime position ... and sends one down into Larry Mize Country. He’ll be doing very well to get up and down from there. It’s just not working for him today. Up on 13, the co-leader Hoffman goes for the green in two with his fairway wood, and sends the ball into Rae’s Creek.
Another birdie for Ernie Els! His third in four holes, this time at 16, thanks to a snaky 15-footer up the green. He’s level par. Meanwhile time to right a wrong: I don’t think I’ve mentioned Shane Lowry yet. Having come close at the US Open last year, he’ll have the taste for competing at the business end of the majors now. He’s started slightly erratically today: three bogeys and three birdies in the first six holes! But since then, he’s been the model of consistency: five pars and a birdie at 8. He’s -1 through 12. His playing partner Sergio gets up and down from sand, and he stays at -1 too.
But maybe McIlroy’s quality will out, simple as that. He’s out of position all the way down 10, but gets up and down from a tight position front left of the green. What a save! Another chance to mentally kick-start his round? Meanwhile there’s another fine up and down on 11, by Sergio Garcia, who doesn’t look the gift horse of that water escape in the mouth. And Charley Hoffman joins William McGirt in the lead after clipping a brilliant tee shot at 12 to six feet; the resulting birdie takes him to -3.
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Ernie Els took nine on the opening hole of the Masters last year. He’s having a much better time of it this time round; having gone out in 39, he’s birdied 13 and now 15, and he’s +1. The green jacket he so desperately wanted will almost certainly continue to elude him, but you never know I guess. Rory McIlroy should take note: Els, Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Walter Hagen ... worst comes to worst, and he joins the list of greats without a Masters title, that’s not bad company to keep. Maybe by looking at it that way, the pressure will come off his young shoulders.
A huge stroke of luck for Sergio, who sends his second into 11 towards the water. He drops his head, he knows it’s wet. But it somehow grips on the bank over the drink, and doesn’t topple back in. He’s technically in the hazard, but his only punishment is not being able to ground his club; the main thing is, he’s not dropping back up the hole. Up on 15 meanwhile, Jason Dufner hits a hot chip as he attempts to get up and down from the back of the green. Having sent it 20 feet past the cup, he’s not getting the one coming back. He drops out of the lead, back to -2.
Now, let’s remember this is McGirt’s first visit to the Masters. He bumps up the bank from the left, six feet past the flag, a fine effort from there. And he knocks in the one coming back! He’s the first man to break 70 today, signing for a three-under 69. What a debut! Meanwhile a brilliant par save from 30 feet on 14 for the defending champ Danny Willett. And in the final pairing - the group Dustin Johnson should have been in - Bubba Watson and Jimmy Walker both improve their lot with birdie at 8; they move to +2.
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A birdie opportunity at long last for Rory McIlroy, who finds the middle of 9 in regulation. But he lets his uphill 15-footer drift off to the left, and he’ll have to make do with a par. He reaches the turn in 39, and doesn’t look as though he’s enjoying himself at all. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that he wants a green jacket too much. Poor guy; look how it used to drain the life out of Greg Norman. Rahm meanwhile hits a weak second into 9; the ball falls back off the front of the large green. But he gets up and down. He hits the turn in 35. Meanwhile par at the last for Jason Day, who signs for a two-over 74. And coming behind him is the co-leader William McGirt, who hoicks his second into the patrons on the left. That’ll be a test to save par from there.
Jason Dufner joins William McGirt at the top of the leader board! He smoothly sends his second at 14 to three feet, a stunning approach, and in goes the birdie putt. Meanwhile the 59-year-old Bernhard Langer, winner here in 1984 and 1993, rakes in a long birdie effort on 9 to reach the turn in level par. Langer challenged hard here last year. He couldn’t do it again, could he? And finally Justin Rose, who followed up his bogey at 16 with another at 17, finishes strongly by playing 18 pretty much perfectly. Straight drive, arrowed approach, putt tucked away. Birdie, and he signs for an excellent 71. He looks very pleased, as well he might.
-3: McGirt (17), Dufner (14)
-2: Hoffman (10)
Rory isn’t the only big name struggling today. Lee Westwood is +3 through 9, Bubba Wastson is +3 through 7, as is Jimmy Walker. Hideki Matsuyama ended up shooting 76, Louis Oosthuizen 77, Martin Kaymer 78. But some very pleasing news of the defending champion Danny Willett. He started abysmally, with a double on Tea Olive followed by a bogey at 2. But he fought back with birdie at 3 and 10, and now has responded to bogey at 11 with eagle at 13, having knocked his second to ten feet from 220 yards. He’s level par!
Another hole, another scrappy fight for Rory McIlroy. He finds sand with his drive down 8. After whipping out, he whistles his chip through the green, and puts far too much spin on the one coming back. That leaves a six footer, and he’s not escaping with par this time; it lips out on the high side. He’s +3 now, and looking thoroughly miserable. His mood probably isn’t helped by playing partner Jon Rahm finding the green in regulation and stroking in a 12-footer for his first birdie of the day. The young Spaniard is -1. Meanwhile up on the 18th, Phil Mickelson pars with relative ease and signs for a brilliant 71. He’s right in the mix, though let’s face it, if he’s only got one more major left in him, please could it be the US Open?
You’ll have noticed the name of Jason Dufner on the latest leaderboard. He’s wandering around Augusta in his own sweet, heavy-lidded, sleepy style: one over through 5, he birdied 6, 8 and now 13 to quietly move to -2. No fuss, no drama, all hail The Somnambulist.
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From the trees down the left of 18, Fitzpatrick manages to find the bunker front left of the green. That’s a decent result from where he was. But his splash from sand is undercooked, lands in the centre of the green, and spins back 50 feet from the hole. This is where Rickie Fowler three-putted from. He lags up pin high, but the four-footer he leaves himself lips out. A double bogey, and he’s back to -1. A fine round, but it could have been so much better. Meanwhile his playing partner Jordan Spieth gets up and down from the back of the green. A wonderful scramble for par, and that’s a pretty decent 75 considering he took a quadruple-bogey nine at 15. He’ll have to put his gameface on in his post-round interviews; there’s no avoiding comparisons to last year on 12.
-3: McGirt (16)
-2: Dufner (13), Hoffman (9)
William McGirt joins Matthew Fitzpatrick at the top of the leader board with birdie at 16, having curled a lovely tee shot in from the right to six feet. He might have the sole leadership soon, because for the second hole in a row, Fitzpatrick has snap-hooked his drive. Pieters and Fowler have already tarnished good rounds with mistakes down 18; is the young Sheffield star to follow? Meanwhile Charley Hoffman, who gave the Masters a good run in 2015, staying on Jordan Spieth’s shoulder before falling away towards the end of the week, is at it again. Perhaps. Birdies at 6, 8 and now 9 have taken him up to -2. And a birdie for Ross Fisher at 14 moves him to -1.
-3: Fitzpatrick (17), McGirt (16)
-2: Hoffman (9)
Sergio has parred his way through the first seven holes. And now at 8 he knocks in a 15-footer for his first birdie of the day! Jason Day knocks his tee shot at 16 straight over the flag. Maybe 15 feet past. But he slips his putt straight into the back of the cup, and after going birdie-birdie he’s back up to +1! Bogey for Justin Rose, though, who hit a poor tee shot wide right of the green and couldn’t recover. Meanwhile back on 7, McIlroy has to punch up towards the green from under the branches of the trees down the left. He can only reach the front, and his chip up isn’t much cop. But he rolls in a stunning 20-footer to save his par, and he remains at +2. Will that street-fighting escape kick-start his round?
A miserable end to the day for Rickie Fowler. A poor drive at 18 forces him to lay up; then he leaves his wedge into the green well short. A poor putt from 40 feet isn’t hit at all, and that’s a double bogey to finish. A one-over 73 is OK in these conditions, but that won’t make him feel much better. On 17, the leader Fitzpatrick has a shot into the green over the trees on the left. He’s short and right with his second, but the wild drive doesn’t cost him; he gets up and down for a stunning par save! Meanwhile the Open champion Henrik Stenson birdies the 10th, the hardest hole on the course. Problem is, he’d reached the turn in 40 strokes having bogeyed 1, 3, 4 and 5. He’s +3.
Phil Mickelson creamed his tee shot at 16 to four feet, and was never missing the putt. He’s -1. Marc Leishman, who birdied 2, takes on the bunker guarding front-left of the par-three 6th and lands his ball ten feet from the cup. But he doesn’t hit his uphill putt. He stays at -1. Meanwhile a much-needed birdie for Jason Day at 15; he’s back to +2. And Rory sends his drive at 7 into trees down the left.
The leader Matthew Fitzpatrick would have found the branches of the Eisenhower Tree at 17, if the old loblolly still existed. Straight left, almost. He’ll be chasing par from there. Jon Rahm wasn’t far off a 20-foot birdie effort at 6; he’s started out with six pars. Freddie Couples signs for a very impressive 73; not bad for a 57-year-old, huh. Paul Casey pars 18 for a solid 72. And before them Pieters three-putted from ten feet on the last for a double bogey that dragged him back to level par; out in 32, back in 40. He’s got the face on as he leaves the workplace for the day.
Thanks to Michael, who deserves a break and hose-down of his own. Because what’s happened here?! You leave for an hour or so, and by the time you return the world number one has pulled out, Rory McIlroy has stumbled at the start of yet another Masters, 22-year-old Matthew Fitzpatrick has claimed the lead, and Jordan Spieth has carded a quadruple-bogey on the easiest hole on the course! Then followed it up with birdie at 16, having drawn a gorgeous tee shot to six feet. Remember, he birdied 13 after his meltdown at 12 last year; what a competitor he is. He’s +3, and has anyone won the Masters after making a quadruple bogey along the way before? You wouldn’t rule it out, would you.
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Scott Murray is back from his break, and he’ll take you through to the conclusion of day one. Bye!
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William McGirt goes to -2, draining a 16-footer on the 13th for a share of the lead. But wait, we have a new leader: Matt Fitzpatrick! The Englishman records back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th to go -3. Lovely stuff.
Pieters, meanwhile, finishing his round with even par. He sounds disappointed in his post-round interview, after a front-nine 32, but that’s a magnificent debut effort. Well placed.
–3: Fitzpatrick (15)
-2: Rose (14), McGirt (14)
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Spieth is in the drink! He got round Amen Corner without getting wet but comes completely unstuck on the 15th, falling short with his approach and then nearly doing the same from the drop zone! It’s still a poor shot and his chip isn’t much better, flying to the back of the green. From there, he three putts, the second woefully short. That is a quadruple bogey for the young American! What is it about this back nine. Spieth is now +4! Wow, the 15th is supposed to be the easiest hole on the entire course!
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McIlroy continues to hack his way round, saving par on the fourth with a 15-footer. Not the smoothest start for the Northern Irishman – remember, you don’t win the Masters on the first day but you can lose it. Any sub-par score is an excellent one in these conditions. McIlroy has got the nasty fifth hole next: two bunkers on the left to avoid going down the fairway, and a horrible green which slopes horribly towards the front. Par is an excellent score here.
The wind is really picking up, it’s Augusty out there. Sorry. Adam Scott’s ball was blown right off the green and Alex Noren’s cap has just left his head. Further back in the field, Martin Kaymer has bogeyed the last six holes and is +6 through 14, Henrik Stenson has slipped to +4 through seven, whilst James Hahn is back at +1 through 12 after his excellent start.
93 players played the first hole today.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 6, 2017
Only one made birdie. pic.twitter.com/x4j5kRp0Ic
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Here come the English! Or at least two of them. Both Rose and Fitzpatrick respond to Pieters’ birdie on the 16th with one of their own: Rose tickling a 20-foot putt into the middle of the hole on the 13th, whilst Fitzpatrick did the same from off the green on the 14th!
-2: Pieters (17), Fitzpatrick (14), Rose (13)
Johnson speaks! For those catching up, the world No1 and tournament favourite withdrew on the first tee, after injuring his back last night.
I was wearing socks and slipped and went down the three stairs. The left side of my lower back took the brunt of it and my left elbow is bruised as well.
I got ice on it, lay down, had a doctor come over. We treated it all last night and this morning. I could swing maybe 70% and it still hurt. I just felt like I’m not going to be able to compete.
My heart is in it and wants to play but the more I thought about it, I’m not going to have any chance. It’s unbelievably difficult – I feel like I’m playing the best golf of my career. It sucks. The worst thing is that in two days I feel like I’m going to be just fine. But right now, I can’t do it.
That means Spieth is your new favourite, currently around 4/1, followed by McIroy, Rose and Fowler.
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Kevin Chappell finishing for -1: he’s the current clubhouse leader, alongside Russell Henley. But hold on to your baseball caps, here comes Pieters again! He birdies the 16th to edge out in front of that large chasing pack, his tee shot rolling to just five feet from the pin. The new outright leader on -2.
McIlroy, meanwhile, is +1 through two holes, just avoiding another bogey on the second after finding the sand again with his second shot, just to the left of the green. But he scrambles, and gets his par.
It’s now a 15-way tie at the top of the leaderboard! Here is a full list of all those currently leading the Masters on -1.
Henley, Chappell, Pieters, Casey, Fowler, Spieth, Fitzpatrick, Dufner, Rose, McGirt, Simpson, Wood, Haas, Noren, Leishman.
Spieth is safely through Amen Corner, joining those leaders with a nice birdie on the 13th, going left to right up the hill to go -1.
Watch @JordanSpieth birdie No. 13 to get to 1-under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/R5jUHck4Lk
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 6, 2017
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Pieters, Rose and Fowler all drop shots at their respective holes, so now they are three of a 13-way tie at the top on -1! Remember Pieters was four shots clear going into Amen Corner. That said, I’ve been hugely impressed by the debutant Belgian, who grew up playing on a course with just 13 holes and one bunker. The 25-year-old tweeted his first invitation to Augusta earlier this year – it’s nice to see that professional golfers still get giddy from time to time. Looking like a handwritten envelope, that. Class.
It's been a long time coming... #TheMasters #JeansShorts #TeeingItUpOnTheFairway pic.twitter.com/baJKI75QYX
— Thomas Pieters (@Thomas_Pieters) January 8, 2017
If you are wondering where Andy Sullivan has gone, he has dropped to -1 after a poor showing on the green at the 16th, three putting. Defending champion Danny Willett, meanwhile, has had a poor start – +2 through six holes – but does well to scramble for his par on the 7th, after finding himself in a bit of bunker bother. Spieth made his par at the 12th, by the way. On to the next one.
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A nice stat from Ewan Murray’s blog yesterday: Rory McIlroy has made at least two double bogeys or worse in six of his eight Masters starts. You need go back to 1982 to find the last champion who had more than one double bogey over 72 holes.
And I’m sorry to report that McIlroy has started this year’s Masters with a bogey. He launched a huge drive up the right side of the 1st, but it trickled into the bunker, and struggled to make the green on his way out, eventually down in five. Not the start he was looking for.
Meanwhile our joint leaders are:
-2: Pieters (14), Fowler (13), Rose (10)
Johnson was moving gingerly on the range a few minutes ago, his coach Butch Harmon confirming that he wasn’t struggling with movement on his backswing but on his follow through, particularly with the driver. The first two holes would have tested him had he not withdrawn, 445 and 575 yards respectively, the latter the longest hole on the course. Such a shame to lose the tournament favourite, but perhaps the right decision – too many champions have seen their career blighted by back injuries, just ask Tiger.
World Number One to miss #TheMasters:
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 6, 2017
2014: Tiger Woods
2017: Dustin Johnson
That's it. pic.twitter.com/7yjuPe57P4
Jimmy Walker and Bubba Watson trot out to the first tee on their own. They are the last out on the course today.
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Dustin Johnson has withdrawn from the Masters!
The tee-time has been slightly delayed but Dustin Johnson is on his way to the first tee! After his fall on some stairs yesterday, there were concerns that the world No1 was never going to make it but here he com … no he has withdrawn! Johnson is out! The drama! His back injury has proved too much.
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Spieth is safely over the drink at 12! It’s not the best shot – he’s slightly off the back off the back of the green – but he will be mighty relieved that that episode is over after the disaster at this hole last year that led to his collapse. His legs will surely have been quaking on the tee. Well done son.
Hello world. Tea Olive, Pink Dogwood, Flowering Peach, Flowering Crab Apple, Magnolia, Juniper, Pampas, Yellow Jasmine, Carolina Cherry, Camellia, White Dogwood, Golden Bell, Azalea, Chinese Fir, Firethorn, Redbud, Nandina and Holly. Let’s do this.
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Sergio’s out and about! He’s made par at the opening hole. Just two off the lead. And after that news, I have to go and lie down. Michael Butler will be your guide around Augusta National, and I’ll see you again soon.
Matthew Fitzpatrick pushes his second at 11 towards Larry Mize Country. Then doesn’t give his chip up the bank enough juice. In less sodden conditions, that ball would have come back to his feet, but it clings to the fringe. However that still leaves him an up and down for his par. He can’t make it. He’s back to -1. A three-putt bogey for his playing partner Martin Kaymer, who drops to +3 after a disastrous double at 10. And finally Spieth lags up to four feet, and scrambles his par. He was so close to finding the water there; he’s been pretty lucky there. But fair’s fair, after last year, Amen Corner owes him a little something! He stays at level par.
Some news of one of the big pre-tournament favourites, Hideki Matsuyama. He was going along nicely enough, parring the first six holes, but then found trees twice along 7. A double bogey there was followed by another bogey at 8, and suddenly he’s +3 for the piece. Meanwhile a huge stroke of luck for the equally hotly fancied Jordan Spieth at 11. From the top of the hill, he sent his second dangerously close to the water front-left of the green. One more bounce and it’d have been in; as it stands, it clings to the fringe of the green and he’ll have a long putt for birdie!
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Matthew Fitzpatrick makes it three birdies in a row at 10. He joins the leaders at -2, then crashes a drive down the middle of 11. Up on 13, Thomas Pieters guides a lovely nerve-settling wedge into the heart of 13, the slope taking the ball down towards the hole. He can’t reclaim the sole leadership by making the eight-footer he leaves himself, but a par will do in the circumstances. And at least he now knows what Amen Corner is all about.
-2: Chappell (16), Sullivan (13), Pieters (12), Fitzpatrick (10), Rose (9)
Amid all the hoo-hah, there’s been plenty of time and opportunity to pause and remember the legendary Arnold Palmer. Andy Bull watched Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and the gallery pay their respects to the great man earlier this morning.
Up on 13, Andy Sullivan is this close to making his second birdie in a row, uphill from 20 feet. But it’s a two-putt par. Still, he’s got a share of the lead on an ever-changing leaderboard with poor Pieters, Justin Rose, who has birdied 9, and Kevin Chappell, who knocked his tee shot at 16 to six feet. No Rickie Fowler, though: he’s bogeyed 11 to slip back into the pack at -1.
-2: Chappell (16), Sullivan (13), Pieters (12), Rose (9)
Back on 11, Paul Casey curls in a big right-to-left breaker to salvage par, and he remains at level. And news of Matthew Fitzpatrick: the 22-year-old from Sheffield tied for seventh last year, so he clearly has a feel for this place. And after starting out with bogey at 3, he’s just turned debit into credit with birdies at 8 and 9 to reach the turn in 35. Justin Rose has birdied 8 to move to -1 too.
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From the drop zone, Pieters flips a magnificent wedge pin high to eight feet. He’ll have a chance to save bogey. He can’t make it, though, and sends it a good four feet past the hole on the high side. He does very well to knock in the return, but that’s a double bogey, and Amen Corner is giving the Belgian a good kicking.
Amen Corner claims another victim! Thomas Pieters, having just shed his first shot of the day at 11, doesn’t commit to his tee shot at 12 at all. His ball never looks like clearing the water! In it plops, and though he remains stony faced, you can be sure his brain is currently in egg format, either scrambled or fried. A bogey would now be a huge result for him here. It’s the only way he can hold onto his position at the top of the leaderboard. He was leading by four strokes less than half an hour ago!
The putt Pieters faces might not be long, but has a big left-to-right break, and he misses it on the low side. It breaks to the right well before reaching the hole, and he’s forced to tap in for his first bogey of the day. Time for reflection, perhaps. It’s been a doddle for him so far, but this, remember, is his first trip around Amen Corner in a competitive context. He’s back to -4. His lead over Rickie Fowler is only two strokes - and Fowler is joined in second place by Andy Sullivan, who clips the shot of the day so far at 12 to two feet, and makes his birdie putt.
-4: Pieters (11)
-2: Fowler (12), Sullivan (12)
Pieters is 30 yards short of the green. He scoops a delicate chip over the mound between himself and the green; the ball lands pin high before sliding perhaps eight feet past the hole. He’ll have a chance to save his par. Meanwhile the woes of the 2007 champion Zach Johnson continue apace. After finding water at 11, and dropping another stroke at 12, he gets wet again at 13, despite having found prime position on the fairway. He nearly escapes by knocking his fourth over the flag to ten feet, but the putt coming back down is a tricky one, and lips out on the right. He’s +6, having come through Amen Corner bogey-bogey-bogey.
Pieters sends his drive down the right of 11. He’s just off the edge of the fairway, sitting down in the second cut. He plays it safe, perhaps fearing the water on the left, having seen his playing partner Francesco Molinari slam dunk his second in the drink. But that’s too safe, short and right. It’s not far enough up the hole to be in Larry Mize Country, so he’s faced with a tricky chip over a mound. His first big test at Augusta National awaits. Amen Corner, ladies and gentlemen!
Rickie Fowler keeps up the chase, with birdie at 9. He’s reached the turn in 34 strokes, two under par. Everyone else is holding their position, pretty much: Spieth, Kaymer, Casey, Fitzpatrick, Snedeker and Rose all hover at level par, with Mickelson the one big beast at -1.
-5: Pieters (10)
-2: Fowler (9)
Thomas Pieters marches on. He knocks his second at the notoriously difficult 10th from 170 yards to four feet, and makes his fifth birdie of the day. He’s -5, now four clear of the field, because the formerly second-placed Billy Hurley III found water at 15 and ran up a triple-bogey 8. Can Pieters be stopped? He’s clearly in the mood. Anyway, we’ll soon find out, because he’s about to travel round Amen Corner, with the wind playing silly buggers.
Russell Henley’s good week continues, then. The last man to qualify, after winning the Shell Houston Open on Sunday, was first out this morning and signs for a 71. It could have been even better had he not bogeyed 17, the result of missing the green down the bank to the right. He’s in the clubhouse safe and sound, with the wind still whipping around the old place, and will be more than happy enough. Meanwhile James Hahn bogeys 3, and swaps places with Billy Hurley III, who adds birdie at 14 to the excellent one he made at 11 and takes second place on his own.
-4: Pieters (9)
-2: Hurley III (14)
-1: Henley (F), Chappell (12), Holmes (10), Sullivan (10), Fowler (8), Mickelson (6), Pampling (4), Hahn (3), Perez (2).
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Some admin. Jason Day bogeyed 3 to drop to +1. Justin Rose did the same, handing the birdie he’d made at 2 back to the field; he’s level par. Paul Casey, with top-ten finishes on his last couple of visits, opened with a bogey but has birdied 8 to move back to even. Freddie Couples bogeyed 5 to drop back to level par. Scott Piercy followed his bogey at 11 with another at 12; he’s back in the large pack at level too. And the 2007 champion Zach Johnson is having a fairly miserable time of it. Having reached the turn +3, he found water at 11 and did very well to scramble bogey from the dropzone.
James Hahn has had a bang-average season so far: just one top-ten finish and three top-25s in 12 starts on tour. But the 35-year-old Californian has started out in a most acceptable manner today. Birdies at 1 and 2, and he’s -2. He’s also alongside Phil Mickelson, who drops his first stroke at 5. Rickie Fowler drops one at 7, meanwhile, so suddenly Thomas Pieters has a two-stroke lead over Mickelson and Hahn.
-4: Pieters (9)
-2: Mickelson (5), Hahn (2)
Thomas Pieters was pretty much the only good thing to come out of last year’s Ryder Cup from a European perspective. His performance at Hazeltine proved he’s got the moxie to deliver when the pressure is on. Then again, doing it at the Masters, and doing it on debut, is another thing altogether. The early signs are pretty amazing, though. He hits long then chips close at the par-five 8th, and now he’s in the lead on his own at -4! With all the talk of Jon Rahm, Pieters has rather flown in under the radar this week, though he’s long been considered a real major-championship prospect. A first competitive taste of Amen Corner coming up soon, though.
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Mickelson birdies 4 to join Pieters in the lead at -3! Getting ahead of ourselves here, but if he does it this week, he’d become the oldest winner of the Masters, beating Nicklaus by seven months. Getting way ahead of ourselves. Meanwhile another all-American hero goes the other way: Jordan Spieth leaves a 50-foot putt ten feet short at 4, he can’t knock in the saver, and he’s back to level par. “I’ve had a couple of quid on Westy and Sergio, what of it?” writes Lee in Glasgow. “In the words of Freddie Jackson, I have done this ‘for old time’s sake’. As a mate of mine put it, you’d have been better off buying some sweets.”
-3: Pieters (7), Mickelson (4)
-2: Henley (16), Fowler (6)
Some news of the Hampshire amateur Scott Gregory, who suffered that nightmare 7-6 start. The young man’s steadied the ship nicely since then: a row of pars to the turn, save just one more dropped shot at 7 ... then a birdie at 10, which is historically the hardest hole on the entire course! He’s +4, off the bottom now. Moving the other way, the 2008 champion Trevor Immelman, who has followed up bogey at 12 with a hoick into the trees down the right of 13 and another dropped shot. He’s +6, propping up the entire field. Meanwhile here’s Simon McMahon: “I never back Sergio now, even though it’s in my best interests to do so, my thinking being that if I do he’ll not win, but if I don’t he might, though probably won’t. Meaning I can never win. It’s like The Prisoner’s Dilemma. Game theory, or something.” That’s the sort of gloriously Byzantine logic only gamblers and golfers construct. Do you hear the hamster wheel whirring really fast in your head? Multiply that sound by ten thousand, and now you know what happens to Po’ Sergio when he’s coming down the stretch.
The first birdie of the week at the teak-tough 11th. Billy Hurley III creams a hybrid into the heart of the green, and drains a 40-footer to move into red figures. Scott Piercy can’t get up and down from Larry Mize Country, and he drops back to -1. Meanwhile a birdie for the 2015 runner up Justin Rose at 2. Rose is overdue a second major, and he’s proved on more than one occasion he’s got the game to do well here. A birdie for his playing partner Brandt Snedeker too, though the third member of the group, Jason Day, has to settle for a par-par start.
Russell Henley has been on some journey since the turn. The very early leader bogeyed 10 and 11, but he’s since birdied 12, 13 and now 14 to move back to -2. Suddenly this leaderboard is looking pretty glamorous, and we’re only three-and-a-half hours into the Tournament!
-3: Pieters (6)
-2: Henley (14), Piercy (10), Fowler (4), Mickelson (2)
-1: Chappell (9), Sullivan (7), Knox (4), Spieth (2), Kaymer (2)
A huge roar echoes around Augusta National! The sort that can only mean one thing: Phil Mickelson making eagle! He does so by finding the back of the 2nd green in two strokes, then rolling in a 40-foot putt. Lefty is 46 years old. Jack Nicklaus was 46 when he became the oldest winner of the Masters in 1986. Just sayin’.
The erstwhile PGA and US Open champion Martin Kaymer’s record at Augusta is, not to put too fine a point on it, beyond piss-poor when one considers his talents. He misses the cut more often than not, and has never finished higher than 31st. You’d not normally compare the quiet German to Lee Trevino, would you. But perhaps, like Supermex before him, Kaymer is slowly warming to the place. He bogeyed Tea Olive, but bounced straight back at 2, chipping in for an eagle that takes him to -1. Joining him there, his playing partner Jordan Spieth, who found the par-five green in two big booms, and took a couple of putts for a no-fuss birdie.
Sam Snead (1949) and Sandy Lyle (1988) are the only players to claim the Masters after winning on tour the previous week. In that sense, Rickie Fowler will be more than happy to have failed after a fast start at the Shell Houston Open last weekend. His opening-round 64 in Texas proved he’s in form, though, and he’s looking to continue in a similar manner this week: a second early birdie, this time at 3, and he’s -2. He momentarily held a share of the lead, but Thomas Pieters has birdied 5 to claim top spot all on his own.
-3: Pieters (5)
-2: Piercy (9), Fowler (3)
Back-to-back birdies for Oosthuizen! He makes his latest at 7, and suddenly things aren’t looking quite so bad for the 2012 runner-up at +2. But his compatriot Branden Grace has made a terrible start: a double at 1 after some faffing around in the bushes at the back, then a bogey at 2 as a result of some trouble in a greenside bunker. Here’s Hubert O’Hearn: “I just woke up from an afternoon nap, which isn’t very interesting in itself, except I dreamt of Sergio battling the winds, elements and a balky putter to win the Masters. Not sure if this was a prediction worthy of Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce, or the sort of nightmare brought on by cheese mould. We shall see.” We’ll have a rough idea at approximately 6.39pm, I’d imagine.
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The first really big name arrives on this year’s leaderboard. Yes, yes, Sandy Lyle and Fred Couples, but you know what I mean. It’s Rickie Fowler, who birdies 2 to move into red figures. The 2015 champion Jordan Spieth is out and about, by the way; he gets up and down from the swale to the right of 1 to save his par. Meanwhile it’s a second birdie for Thomas Pieters, this time at 2, and the big-hitting Belgian takes a share of the lead! And then Sandy drops one on 7, but Scotland still have representation at the top thanks to Russell Knox, who birdies 2.
-2: Piercy (8), Pieters (4)
-1: Holmes (5), Sullivan (5), Couples (3), Knox (2), Fowler (2)
Louis Oosthuizen finally stops the bleeding. He curls a delightful shot into the heart of 6, the ball coming off the bank in the middle of the green to curl round to the left and stop six feet from the pin. That’s a marvellous birdie that brings him back to +3. He likes a birdie run, does Oosthuizen; is this the start of a grand repair job? “Given the windy conditions and soft greens, do you think this is a course currently set up for those golfers who learned their craft where the wind blows, namely Northern Europe?” wonders Matt Emerson. “Sandy Lyle’s current view atop the leaderboard has led me to have a few quid on Bernhard Langer at a shade over 500-1 on the exchanges. He’s in prime form - again - on the Champions Tour and a good first two rounds here would see his price tumbling. See also Lee Westwood, although he’ll never win.” This is what sets golf fans apart: their determination to back their favourites year after year in the majors with hard cash money, despite knowing full well they’ll not see a single penny back. Sergio’s out at 6.19pm UK time, and is 40-1, by the way.
Scott nearly drains a downhill 35-footer on 4, but is happy enough to escape from that mini wind-tunnel with his par. He stays +1. Andy Sullivan had knocked his tee shot pin high to 15 feet, but couldn’t make the birdie putt. He remains at -1. Meanwhile birdie for the 1992 champion Fred Couples at 2! The 57-year-old has been a regular high finisher here as a veteran, with three top-six finishes in his last dozen appearances. His knowledge may go a long way today in these testing conditions.
It’s getting very gusty out there. Adam Scott takes forever and a day to take his tee shot at the par-three 4th, stepping away a couple of times as the breeze starts whipping around the hole. He eventually finds the heart of the green, but what an effort. This could be a long, slow day. Up on 5, the 2007 champion Zach Johnson, who won his title in high winds, doesn’t look like repeating the trick this week if the early signs are anything to go by. He sends his approach down a swale to the left of the green, and can’t get up and down. He’s +2. But that’s nothing on his playing partner, poor Louis Oosthuizen, who cards his fourth consecutive bogey. He slips to the bottom of the pile at +4 alongside the amateur Scott Gregory and the 2008 champ Trevor Immelman.
The early leader Kevin Chappell gives one back to the field at 5. He’s passed by Scott Piercy and JB Holmes, both going the other way with birdies at 7 and 3 respectively. The super-early leader Russell Henley sheds a shot at 10 to slip back to -1. And the big-hitting Thomas Pieters, who could be a dark horse this week, birdies 2 to join a group of six players under par.
-2: Piercy (7), Holmes (3)
-1: Chappell (5), Lyle (5), Sullivan (3), Pieters (2)
Adam Hadwin looked to be another debutant struggling, having bogeyed 1 and 2. But the Canadian is one of the more in-form players on tour right now, having won the Valspar and come sixth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He’s responded to that dismal start with birdie at 3, then another at 4 secured with a Todd-Hamilton-at-the-2004-Open-style bump in from off the green with a hybrid. He’s back to level par. His playing partner Louis Oosthuizen’s miserable run continues, though: that’s three bogeys in a row now, 2, 3 and 4, and he’s +3 with only the amateur Scott Gregory below him on the leaderboard.
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Andy Sullivan, wearing a fetching pair of shoes with a Masters-green strip smeared across them, clips his approach at 2 to five feet, and knocks in the putt. He joins a group at -1 that now includes JB Holmes and still features SANDY LYLE. Lyle is one shot off the lead of the Masters. Now you may say this means nothing, a couple of hours into the tournament. But let me enjoy myself will you, I don’t ask for much.
-2: Chappell (4)
-1: Henley (9), Piercy (6), Lyle (4), Holmes (2), Sullivan (2)
An eventful start for the Masters debutant Tommy Fleetwood. The young Englishman was down to play the par-three contest yesterday with 1979 champion Fuzzy Zoeller, the only winner on debut here (bar Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen in 1934 and 1935, but y’know). He’d been hoping that some of Zoeller’s magical Masters mojo would rub off on him, but the weather robbed him of the opportunity. But never mind! A slightly depressing opening-hole bogey has been followed by birdie on 2, and it’s a solid enough start for a player who is in form and could do very well around here.
The 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen is one of those players who surely has another major in him, but always somehow manages to come up a little short in his quest for number two. Quite often as a result of a cold start, leaving him too much to do. Could it be the same old story here again? The 2012 runner-up has just bogeyed 2 and 3, the second dropped shot the result of a very tentative chip from the front of the green. Also down at +2: 2003 US Open champion Jim Furyk through 4, and Daniel Summerhays, who after that fast start with birdie at 2 has bogeyed 3, 6 and 8.
These are testing conditions - the wind is now expected to touch 40mph at times today - but that hasn’t stopped Kevin Chappell becoming the first player in this year’s Masters to reach two under. He follows birdie at 2 with another at 3. He’s one of just four men currently under par right now. One of those ... cue joyous trumpet trill ... is the man who hit the greatest shot in Masters history, the 1988 champion Sandy Lyle. Birdie at 3 has moved him into red figures. Though consider: that bunker shot is now 29 years in the past. Shudder.
-2: Chappell (3)
-1: Henley (8), Piercy (5), Alexander Walter Barr Lyle (3)
A poor start by the 2013 champion Adam Scott. His tee shot at 1 finds the bunker down the left. His approach is short of the green, and his chip up doesn’t make it over the ridge running across the middle of the green. He nearly drains a 30-foot saver, but he’s +1. The 2007 champion Zach Johnson, having bogeyed 1, misses a short birdie effort on 2 and spins around in frustration. And before that, there was more trouble for the English amateur Scott Gregory, who can’t get up and down from the back of 2 and drops to +4.
While we wait for the tournament to hot up ... some more good readin’ that you may have missed.
Another shaky start on debut to report, this time by Hampshire amateur Scott Gregory. The British Amateur champion was just over the back of the 1st green in two strokes, but took five to get down. He can take succour that Brian Stuard bounced back from his own triple-bogey introduction to life at Augusta National with a birdie at 2. Meanwhile up the other end of the young leader board, Kevin Chappell has joined early pacesetter Russell Henley at -1 with a birdie at 2.
“On TV, it seems Augusta National never changes, as if the place was pickled in the early 30s. The opposite is true.” Pity poor Andy Bull, over in Augusta, toiling away so you don’t have to. His working lunch yesterday was andouille gumbo, crayfish etouffe, red rice, corn maque choux, a slice of pecan pie and a Georgia peach ice cream cookie sandwich. The canteen restaurant has a sit-down waiter service, naturally. Anyway, he eventually heaved his weary body out of his luxuriously upholstered chair and filed some copy. Here’s his bit on the perpetual development at the club, and how they’re not stopping at their fancy new press centre.
Russell Henley is the only man in red figures right now. He dropped a shot at 3, but picked it up again at the par-three 4th. He’s -1 through 5. Daniel Summerhays bogeyed 3 so is back to level par. And a couple more former champions have opened with a bogey: Larry Mize and Mike Weir follow in Trevor Immelman’s footsteps. They’ll hope to go no further down that particular road, with the South African having now bogeyed 2 as well.
Just imagine making your debut at Augusta. Just imagine. The kneecaps would shatter into a million splinters from the knocking. The amateur Stewart Hagestad, a contemporary of Justin Thomas but now working in real estate in NYC, dropped a stroke at the opening hole, a result of sending his second wide right of the green. Not an ideal introduction to competitive play at the Masters, but not a total disaster. Certainly not in comparison to his playing partner and fellow debutant Brian Stuard; the 34-year-old from Michigan wanged a wild tee shot into the trees down the right, took three shots to extricate himself, and ended with a triple-bogey 7. Ow. I would say the only way was up, but we’re at Augusta National and it’s windy. God speed.
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Thunderstorms caused the cancellation of the par-three contest yesterday. When it was suspended, 2003 champ Mike Weir was leading the way alongside Brendan Steele, having made a hole-in-one at 4. But no winner was declared. Weir and Steele may breathe a sigh of relief; no victor at the par-three contest has ever gone on to claim the Masters in the same year.
All of which brings us on to the weather. There had been worries that thunder and lightning would mar the tournament proper, but it looks as though Augusta National will escape that fate. The forecast is for high winds today and tomorrow, especially in the afternoons, with gusts of up to 30mph. Survive all that, though, and it’s expected to be beautiful all weekend. The course is soft after all the rain, which should in theory play into the hands of the longer hitters. Good news for Rory, providing the North Antrim Coast style wind doesn’t blow him off the path of career-slam destiny.
Russell Henley was the final man to secure his place in this year’s field. He did so by winning the Shell Houston Open last weekend, his final-round 65 overhauling the unfortunate Kang Sung-hoon and nabbing the last available spot. The 27-year-old local lad - from nearby Macon - has continued his hot streak by carding the first birdie of this year’s event. He’s done that at the par-five 2nd; playing partner Daniel Summerhays follows him in for a birdie of his own. Back on Tea Olive, the first bogey of the week is made by the 2008 champion Trevor Immelman, a result of hoying his opening drive into trees down the right. To commemorate both feats, here’s an early leader board that means nothing whatsoever, but does capture a moment in amber.
-1: Summerhays (2), Henley (2)
E: Steele (1), Vegas (1)
+1: Immelman (1)
The tradition of Honorary Starters stretches back to 1963, when 1908 US Open champion Fred McLeod and Jock Hutchinson, winner of the Open Championship in 1921, hit ceremonial drives down Tea Olive. Then played the front nine for a beer a hole. Neither man had ever won the Masters, but each held aloft the Senior PGA Championship during the 1930s when it was played at Augusta National. Since then, the role has been fulfilled in turn by Masters legends Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
Last year’s ceremony was bittersweet enough, Nicklaus and Player sending their tee shots away as a frail Palmer looked on from a chair. But the King’s gone now, so this year it’s just the Golden Bear and the Black Knight doing the honours. The 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964 winner hasn’t been forgotten, though. How could he be? Every patron entering the grounds this morning will receive a special badge commemorating the godfather of modern golf: “I am a member of Arnie’s Army, Est. 1959, April 6, 2017.” Nicklaus and Player wipe away the tears as they gesture towards the heavens, then do their thing. Close your eyes, drift away, and you may be able to hear a third ball landing softly on the fairway.
Welcome, dear Patrons ...
... to our hole-by-hole coverage of the 81st Masters Tournament. Will Danny Willett become only the fourth player in history, after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, to successfully defend his title and pull on his own green jacket? On balance of probability, it’s unlikely. Then again, you’d not have given him much chance of winning last year either, not when Jordan Spieth curled a 25-footer into the cup at 9 on Sunday afternoon for his fourth birdie in a row and a five-shot lead. But look what happened there.
Spieth’s shocking quadruple-bogey meltdown on 12 tends to obscure the steely brilliance with which Willett seized the day. Upon being catapulted to the top of the leader board, he knocked his tee shot at 16 to six feet for birdie, then bumped an 80-foot chip to inches from the back of 17 for a street-fighting par that, in retrospect, sealed the deal with Spieth momentarily threatening to launch a comeback. The initial opportunity might have been gifted to Willett, but nothing else was handed on a plate: he still had to close it out, and under immense pressure did so with aplomb. Top class.
Willett’s poor form this season suggests a rerun is extremely unlikely, but fear of failure shouldn’t colour his judgement this week. Should the worst happen, and he misses the cut as defending champion, he’ll only be following in the footsteps of some other great names. Hey, if it can happen to Nicklaus, Faldo, Ben Crenshaw or José-María Olazábal, it can happen to anyone. Hell, it happened to Seve twice. Seve! Twice!
Plenty of folk are desperate to follow in Willett’s footsteps. Spieth, for a start: last year’s shenanigans around Amen Corner make it easy to forget the brilliant young Texan still finished in a tie for second. In his other two appearances, he’s tied again for second and won the damn thing. He loves this course, is blessed with the necessary calm constitution - hell, after his capitulation at 10, 11 and 12 last year he regrouped immediately to birdie 13 and 15 - and in a supposedly quiet year he’s already won a couple of times on Tour. Nobody who saw him drape the green jacket over Willett’s shoulders last year, wearing a genuinely warm and sporting smile despite raging inner turmoil, would begrudge him the favour returned.
Dustin Johnson has long been the favourite. He’s the world number one, the reigning US Open champion, the current holder of three of the four WGC titles, and on a run of three Tour victories in a row. Set against that is his relatively poor record at Augusta National - he’s never seriously threatened on Sunday, with a best-place tie for fourth last year - and the fact that no favourite has won here since Tiger in 2005. Oh, and the possibility of one of those trademark major meltdowns. If he were to throw away a winning position here, he’d complete a meltdown slam, having in the past found increasingly esoteric ways to pass up wins at the US Open, PGA and Open. But does he do that sort of thing these days? Possibly not... ah hold on, he’s fallen down the stairs. What a merry puddle. An injured back puts his very participation in doubt! We’ll keep you posted.
As for the others, Rory McIlroy is desperate to complete his career grand slam and banish the ghouls of 2011. His length and high ball flight will give him an advantage in damp conditions; it’s all down to his putter, then, never the most dependable of clubs. Softer greens will help. Jason Day has knocked on the door often enough at Augusta, with second, third and 10th-placed finishes already to his credit; his mental state is the only question mark, the young man understandably preoccupied with the health of his mum. Henrik Stenson has by contrast never seriously contested a Masters; now he’s got the major monkey off his shoulder, could he be ready for a tilt?
Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey have all come close in recent years. Former champions Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Zach Johnson and Bubba Watson can never be ruled out. Meanwhile Justin Thomas is perhaps the more likely of the two bright young things, partly because he’s won three times on tour already this season, partly because the much-fancied Jon Rahm is playing his first Masters and only one man (Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979) has ever won on debut, so history is not the Spaniard’s friend. (Well, Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen won on debut too, in 1934 and 1935, but those were the first two tournaments, which kind of compromises the feat.) Still, you wouldn’t put it past Rahm. Look how far he hits it!
And then there’s Brandt Snedeker, Mark Leishman, Bill Haas, Thomas Pieters, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Adam Hadwin, Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger, Tommy Fleetwood, Serg... but it’s probably best to stop now, we could be here all day. Let’s just agree the possibilities are infinite. So pour yourself an iced tea, spread some pimento cheese onto a cracker, and settle down for four days of sporting bliss. A severe fever is taking hold; won’t somebody please call Dr Golf?!!
We’ll get this hole-by-hole report underway soon. Meanwhile, here are the first tee times, with local time followed by British time in brackets, and the amateurs asterisked.
8am (1pm): Daniel Summerhays, Russell Henley
8.11am (1.11pm): Trevor Immelman, Brendan Steele, Jhonattan Vegas
8.22am (1.22pm): Mike Weir, Billy Hurley III, Scott Piercy
8.33am (1.33pm): Larry Mize, Brian Stuard, *Stewart Hagestad
8.44am (1.44pm): Soren Kjeldsen, Kevin Chappell, Jim Furyk
8.55am (1.55pm): Sandy Lyle, Sean O’Hair, *Scott Gregory
9.06am (2.06pm): Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Hadwin
9.17am (2.17pm): Tommy Fleetwood, Gary Woodland, JB Holmes
9.28am (2.28pm): Adam Scott, Kevin Kisner, Andy Sullivan
9.39am (2.39pm): Francesco Molinari, Daniel Berger, Thomas Pieters
10.01am (3.01pm): Fred Couples, Paul Casey, Kevin Na
10.12am (3.12pm): Russell Knox, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama
10.23am (3.23pm): Branden Grace, Brooks Koepka, Jeunghun Wang
10.34am (3.34pm): Jordan Spieth, Martin Kaymer, Matthew Fitzpatrick
10.45am (3.45pm): Phil Mickelson, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Si Woo Kim
10.56am (3.56pm): Brandt Snedeker, Justin Rose, Jason Day
11.07am (4.07pm): Rod Pampling, William McGirt
11.18am (4.18pm): Mark O’Meara, Hudson Swafford, Roberto Castro
11.29am (4.29pm): Ian Woosnam, James Hahn, *Brad Dalke
11.40am (4.40pm): Ross Fisher, Pat Perez, Byeong Hun An
11.51am (4.51pm): Jose Maria Olazabal, Ryan Moore, Webb Simpson
12.13pm (5.13pm): Ernie Els, Jason Dufner, Bernd Wiesberger
12.24pm (5.24pm): Danny Willett, Matt Kuchar, *Curtis Luck
12.35pm (5.35pm): Vijay Singh, Emiliano Grillo, *Toto Gana
12.46pm (5.46pm): Angel Cabrera, Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton
12.57pm (5.57pm): Charl Schwartzel, Steve Stricker, Mackenzie Hughes
1.08pm (6.08pm): Charley Hoffman, Chris Wood, Yuta Ikeda
1.19pm (6.19pm): Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Shane Lowry
1.30pm (6.30pm): Bernhard Langer, Alex Noren, Patrick Reed
1.41pm (6.41pm): Rory McIlroy, Hideto Tanihara, Jon Rahm
1.52pm (6.42pm): Marc Leishman, Bill Haas, Justin Thomas
2.03pm (7.03pm): Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Jimmy Walker
Updated
