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Key events
Xander Schauffele nearly holes out from a deep bunker to the left of 9. He whips out elegantly, the ball dropping almost on the shoulder of the trap, kicking straight left and rolling gently towards the hole. It stops one dimple short of dropping for birdie. But that’s a sandy save he’d have grabbed with both hands a moment ago. The two-time major winner turns in 35.
Birdie for Tommy Fleetwood at 9! It comes after an approach from 150 yards to 13 feet. Pin high, not too much movement in the putt, and he’s out in 32. His playing partner Patrick Reed pars to hit the turn in 31 of your golfing strokes.
-5: Reed (9)
-4: Fleetwood (9)
-2: Burns (11), Taylor (10), Bhatia (9), Stevens (6), Campbell (5)
-1: Li (F), Kitayama (12), Reitan (12), Lowry (10), Schauffele (8), M Kim (3), Harman (1), Couples (1)
Rory McIlroy hit one of the shots of his life last year from the 17th fairway on Sunday. He hits another fine one from there now … though he’s playing the 7th hole at the time. His driver is seriously misbehaving today. But he finds the fringe of the green with his second back over the trees, before getting up and down for par. The defending champion remains at level par.
Kurt Kitayama becomes the first highly visible victim of Rae’s Creek. From the back of 12, he clunks a wedge through the green, down the bank, and in. He does very well to limit the resulting damage to double bogey by taking his drop, chipping to 15 feet, and sinking the putt. But having briefly led the Masters all on his own, he’s now back in the pack at -1.
Xander Schauffele sends his tee shot at the par-five 8th into the patrons down the left … and into someone’s shopping bag. Let’s hope that hasn’t broken their gnome. It’s kinda broken Schauffele’s concentration, though. Once it’s all sorted out, he sends a poor chip into the green, followed by a weak putt. Just a par. He remains at -1.
Shane Lowry has done very well to bounce back from those miserable par-threes. Having doubled 4 and bogeyed 6, he’s just carded back-to-back birdies at 8 and 9 to move back into red figures. Meanwhile, having given short-hitting Brian Campbell the big-up, he misses the 4th green short and right, en route to his first dropped shot of the day. He’s back to -2.
All change at the top! A three-putt bogey for Kurt Kitayama on 11. Meanwhile, Patrick Reed finds the front of the par-five 8th in two big hits … then sends a big right-to-left swinger from downtown for eagle! His second eagle of the day! That putt from 56 feet. Hope he’s got plenty of space on his shelves for all the crystal he’ll be getting from the Club this evening. And it’s a birdie-birdie-birdie start now for Brian Campbell, taking full advantage of the fiery conditions that benefit the shorter hitters.
-5: Reed (8)
-3: Kitayama (11), Fleetwood (8), Campbell (3)
-2: Burns (10), Bhatia (8)
Haotong Li doesn’t have much of a record at the Masters. A tie for 32nd on debut in 2018 is the Chinese star’s best result so far. But he does have a third-place finish at the 2017 Open to his name, plus a tie for fourth at the same event last year, and that latter effort gained him entry to this Masters. He was out first this morning, and was going along quietly until crashing his second at the par-five 15th from 233 yards to 18 feet. It wasn’t quite up there with Rory’s famous shot last Sunday … but the eagle putt was better. In it went, and Li has ended the day with a one-under 71. Thursday’s very, very, very, very, very early clubhouse leader.
Anyone for memories of the 1980 and 1983 champion, the legendary Seve Ballesteros? Yes, me too, so please let me recommend this episode of This Golfing Life, a wonderful new golf podcast hosted by the award-winning journalist and author Dan Davies. (Fans of Paddington and Maurice Flitcroft may enjoy this episode too.) Get on it.
Another birdie for Kurt Kitayama, who snatches the lead for himself! He batters his drive downhill at the par-four 10th, then arrows his second back uphill from 187 yards to six feet! An outrageously good approach, and it gets the reward it deserves. Meanwhile … remember what we were saying about the conditions, and how they could help some of the shorter hitters? Well, here’s the shortest hitter on the PGA Tour last year, Brian Campbell, with birdies at 1 and 2. It’ll be within reach for one and all this week.
-4: Kitayama (10)
-3: Reed (7), Fleetwood (7)
-2: Olazabal (13), Burns (9), Campbell (2)
Bryson DeChambeau tugs his tee shot at 6 into the gallery down the left. It hits some poor patron slap bang in the special section of his trousers: the shot felt ‘round the world. The brave chap doesn’t crumple to the ground, while Bryson’s ball screws back off the cluster and onto the edge of the green. Unlucky for the patron, who gets a signed ball by way of apology, but lucky for Bryson, who chips up to three feet and tidies up for par.
Kurt Kitayama joins the leaders at -3! He makes his third birdie in four holes, the latest at 9 being reward for landing his approach pin high to six feet. Out in 33. This is an unexpected charge from the 33-year-old from California, whose best result at Augusta is a tie for 35th a couple of years ago; his only notable result in a major championship is a tie for fourth at the 2023 PGA Championship, thanks to a final round of 65 that whisked him up the standings from nowhere. And even that went pretty much unnoticed, with everyone talking about 46-year-old club pro Michael Block’s ace that day. Well, he’s in our line of sight now.
-3: Kitayama (9), Reed (6), Fleetwood (6)
-2: Olazabal (12), Burns (8)
Shane Lowry comes a cropper at another par-three. This time he drops a stroke at 6, sending his tee shot over the back to the left, and only managing to chip up to the fringe. Two putts later, and that’s three shots gone in two short holes. He’s +1 and that birdie-birdie start already feels like an awfully long time ago.
Before Rory can take his putt, some news of a fine par save up on 5. The co-leader Patrick Reed races a birdie effort eight feet past the hole … but he makes the one coming back. A similar dilemma for his playing partner Tommy Fleetwood … and that one goes into the centre of the cup too. Both remain at -3. But it’s bad news for McIlroy at 3. He dribbles his nine-foot par putt to the edge of the cup … where it stubbornly stays short, one dimple shy of dropping. He gives it the full ten seconds, plus the casting of his shadow in the hope of wilting the grass, but there’s nothing doing. A careless bogey to drop the champ back to level par.
Some bother for Rory McIlroy on the short par-four 3rd. Another misfire from the tee box, off to the left. His chip up onto the raised green is woefully heavy handed by his stratospheric standard: the flag’s front left, and his ball nearly topples off back right. The 40-foot putt he’s left himself is treacherous, because if he overhits it even a smidgen, the ball could trundle off past the cup and off the front of the green, back down the huge bank. So that explains his leaving it nine feet short. Big par putt coming up.
Bryson DeChambeau hits perhaps the shot of the day so far, a high draw into the par-three 4th, over the flag to six feet. But he doesn’t take advantage, his birdie putt dribbling past the right-hand edge of the cup. That’s a shame. He remains at level par and wanders off in a slightly deflated fashion.
More trouble for Rory off the tee. Down the right of 2 this time. Missing both ways. He manufactures a way out, sending his ball to the front left of the green … then from 66 yards, floats a wedge over the bunker, rolling out to three feet. He makes the birdie putt and the defending champ is in business at -1. Meanwhile his playing partner Cameron Young goes from bunker to bunker and needs a testing five-footer to save his par. In it goes, to avoid the ignominy of a 5-6 start. He’s +1.
Bryson bounces back with birdie at 3. He absolutely rattles in a straight ten-footer; the ball would be halfway to Alabama had it not been dead on line. Given the aggressive whip he sent out of the trees on 2, it would appear DeChambeau is in carpe-diem mode. No point dying wondering! He’s back to level par. Meanwhile up on 4, the willowy and always-entertaining left-hander Akshay Bhatia and Tommy Fleetwood take turns to walk in monster birdie putts! This Masters is already heating up. It’s Thursday morning!
-3: Reed (4), Fleetwood (4)
-2: Olazabal (10), Kitayama (7), Bhatia (4)
So much for Shane Lowry’s fast start. He makes an awful balls of the par-three 4th. The tee shot looked good enough, landing just past the pin and rolling off the back edge of the green. But after knocking his second to three feet, he three-putts, and that’s a calamitous double bogey. Back to level par. Better news, however, of his Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood, who flops up from the bank at the front of 3, not particularly adroitly it has to be said … but then rolls in the 20-foot left-to-right slider! Back-to-back birdies, and it’s a flying start for Southport’s finest.
-3: Reed (3)
-2: Olazabal (10), Kitayama (7), Bhatia (4), Fleetwood (3)
Rory sends a low hook out from the trees towards the front edge of 1. His chip up leaves a tricky five-footer across the green. But in it goes. A staunch par after that drive. His partner Cameron Young meanwhile lands his approach in the middle of the green … but in the wrong place. The slope takes his ball all the way back to the fairway. He doesn’t get up and down, and that’s an opening bogey for the Players champion. And a brilliant par for the third member of the bunch, Mason Howell, who followed up his hat-juggling antics on the tee box by finding the fringe of the green from the trees. Up, down, and a huge smile to celebrate his par. Lovely to see.
Bryson DeChambeau sends his drive at 2 into creek-based trouble down the left. He’s forced to take a drop and does pretty well to find the centre of the fairway with his whip out of the woods. But his wedge in stops way short of the flag, and two putts later that’s a bogey on a hole he’d have been looking to birdie. His face betrays his feelings. Not the start he was after. He’s +1.
It’s a 3-3 start for the 2018 champion Patrick Reed! Having birdied 1, he creams his drive at 2 down the middle, then his approach, which only just gets over the bunker guarding the front left of the green, nearly topples off the back. From the fringe, he tickles a downhill 27-foot putt straight into the cup. That four-week rest seems to have done Reed the power of good. Birdie meanwhile for his partner Tommy Fleetwood, who gets up and down from a tight spot to the right of the green. He’s -1.
-3: Reed (2)
-2: Olazabal (8), Burns (4), Lowry (3)
McIlroy begins defence of Masters crown
Rory McIlroy arrives on the 1st tee … as the defending champion. A huge smile as another box is ticked, another dream realised. A man living his best life. But a look of anxiety as he peers after his drive, which disappears into a line of patrons behind the trees on the left. Rory’s going round today with the new Players champion, Cameron Young, and the 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell, who suffers the indignity of his cap falling off mid-swing, then hitting the head of his driver on the follow through. The ball sails off to the left, just as Rory’s did. The only way is up for the US Amateur champion.
An adventurous start for Matt Fitzpatrick, who sends his opening drive into the trees down the left of Tea Olive, then hits a branch with his punch out. He’s short and left of the green, with a huge bunker to get over, but there’s plenty of green to work with, and he gently lobs to kick-in distance. That’s a great save. Meanwhile his playing partner Bryson DeChambeau sets up a glorious birdie chance, knocking his second pin high, but lets the 12-foot birdie putt dribble past on the low side. Xander Schauffele makes up the all-star three-ball and that’s pars all round.
Shane Lowry joins the leaders at -2. Having birdied 1, he doesn’t look particularly pleased with his high fade into 2 from 200 yards. No idea why, because it’s a doozy, rolling right to left like Sam Burns’ effort before him. The ball rolls 20 feet past, and though he doesn’t get particularly close with the putt coming back, he tidies up for a birdie from four feet.
-2: Olazabal (8), Burns (3), Lowry (2)
-1: Homa (9), Knapp (3), Gerard (3), Taylor (3), D Johnson (2), Reed (1)
Patrick Reed finished last year’s Tournament in style. He holed out from 146 yards on 17 for a one-bounce eagle, signing for a 69 and third spot all to himself. The 2018 champion loves this place – he’s also got top-ten finishes to his name in 2020, 2021 and 2023 – and at 35 “wants that adrenaline back” after time out on the LIV tour. He’s hungry and has just had four weeks off from his current gig, in a holding pattern on the DP World Tour until the PGA Tour allows him back in. An opening birdie, and there’s a fair chance he’ll be in the mix come Sunday evening.
The first eagle of the week! Sam Burns, from the centre of the downhill par-five 2nd, creams an iron from 209 yards to 11 feet, using the camber of the green to gather his ball in from the centre to the pin back-right. He rolls in the putt, and the 29-year-old from Louisiana, who led the US Open after 54 holes last year, joins Ollie at the top of the Leader Board.
-2: Olazabal (7), Burns (3)
-1: Homa (8), Kitayama (4), Knapp (2), Taylor (2), Lowry (1), Reed (1)
Mixed news for Aaron Rai at yesterday’s Par 3 Contest. The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton, who tied for 27th last year on debut, won it, with six birdies for a round of 21, finishing one stroke ahead of Jacob Bridgeman and Johnny Keefer. The only problem, of course, is that nobody has won both the Contest and the Tournament itself in the same year. But which Par 3 winner has come closest to Masters glory four days later? We spoil you …
Runner-up (lost in play-off): Raymond Floyd (1990)
Runner-up: Chip Beck (1993)
Fourth: Arnold Palmer (1967)
Tied fourth: Ben Crenshaw (1987), Luke Donald (2011)
Tied fifth: Tom Watson (1982)
Watson tees off at LIV rebels
Back to the Honorary Starters … and the boys keep swinging. This time they’re taking aim at Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, over their return to the PGA Tour from LIV, and Tiger for, well, y’know. Over to you, Tom and Gary.
The weather is set fair all week. Temperatures in the low 70s on Thursday and Friday, heating up into the mid 80s during Saturday and Sunday. There’s no rain expected on any of the four days, something that’s not happened at the Masters since 2011, and so the course will almost certainly get even more lively than usual. Springy fairways. Firm and fast greens. Some swirling wind. As a result, length might not be such a deciding factor this week, bringing a lot of the shorter hitters into the equation. Good news for the likes of Brian Harman, Collin Morikawa, Zach Johnson … and Brian Campbell, the shortest hitter on the PGA Tour in 2025, with an average drive of just (!) 278.4 yards. The moral? Don’t get hung up on distance, kids. Campbell won twice on Tour last year, while Harman, Morikawa and Johnson have five majors between them.
The first amateur to make a mark this week is Jackson Herrington. The 19-year-old from the University of Tennessee is making his first major-championship start, having finished runner-up in last year’s US Amateur. That’s often a springboard to success at the Masters: previous runners-up in the US Amateur to become Low Amateur at Augusta National include Ben Crenshaw (1973), Patrick Cantlay (2012), Doug Ghim (2018) and Neal Shipley (2024). Herrington has this morning carded birdies at 2 and 4, achievements bookended by bogeys at 1 and 5. He’s going along nicely at level par.
At some point today, someone will need to throw a consoling arm around Carlos Ortiz’s shoulder. Especially as he’s been here before, kind of, shooting 82 on his debut round in 2021. Perhaps they should remind him of the struggles of Nick Dunlap just last year. The 22-year-old Dunlap shot an opening day round of 90, a full 18 shots over par. He bounced back on Friday with a staunch round of 71, the best round-to-round improvement since Craig Wood shot 88-67 in 1936 … and Wood went on to win the Tournament in 1941, so these stories can have happy endings. Not that it’ll feel like that right now.
While we’re on the subject of blowouts, spare a thought for poor Carlos Ortiz. The 34-year-old Mexican is making just his second start at the Masters, and his first since 2021. A tie for fourth at last year’s US Open at Oakmont shows the man has proper major-championship game, but Augusta National is capable of besting any man, and Ortiz has suffered a nightmare start. A drive into the creek down the left of 2. A fluffed splash out of a fairway bunker at 5. He’s started 5-7-5-4-6, a run of three bogeys and two doubles. At +7 through 5, he’ll already be wishing he was back in the clubhouse, and a par at 6 to snap that disastrous run won’t do much to help his mood.
It’s also the 30th anniversary of this. Oh Greg.
As Chas and Dave so nearly sung, it’s lucky for Jack Nicklaus when the year ends in six. This year marks the 60th and 40th anniversary of two of his wins at Augusta, and by happy chance we’ve previously covered two of those in the in-depth retro style. If nothing else, these articles should fill in some spare time while we’re waiting for the big guns to come out. Don’t forget to come back.
It may be very early doors, but for now, the old guard are in charge! Jose Maria Olazabal, winner in 1994 and 1999, rolls in a 15-footer for birdie on 2, then a big right-to-left swinger on 3, and the 60-year-old Spaniard leads the Masters! The only other man in red figures during these early moments? The 2009 winner Angel Cabrera, also with birdie at 2. Take a snapshot, because it won’t stay like this for long.
-2: Olazabal (3)
-1: Cabrera (3)
News of another Masters debutant. Naoyuki Kataoka is making his major-championship debut at the age of 28, having earned his place by coming from seven strokes back in the final round to win last year’s Japan Open. That’s a prestigious prize won in the past by Jumbo Ozaki, Isao Aoki, Hideki Matsuyama and Seve (twice). Kataoka now has the distinction of making the first birdie of the week, at the par-five 2nd, steering in a 20-foot left-to-right swinger. That gave him the lead, briefly, though he went on to make a mess of the 3rd, failing to get up the bank at the front with his approach, then toppling off the back of the green with his next effort. Double bogey, and welcome to Augusta National.
The first shot of the Tournament proper was hit by the 25-year-old Masters debutant John Keefer. He split the fairway at Tea Olive like Gary Player and Tom Watson before him. However he went on to miss a five-foot putt for his par and so registered the first bogey of the week as well. As for the first double bogey … that misfortune befell the 2025 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Adrich Potgieter. The 21-year-old South African zig-zagged his way down the 1st before blading a wedge through the green and into a gathering of startled patrons. He couldn’t get up and down from beside the bleachers at the back of the hole, and it’s very easy to do this at Augusta National. Hey, if Rory can do it on Sunday with everything on the line, then anyone can.
The Honorary Starters. Gary Player, who won this title in 1961, 1974 and 1978, took the first of the ceremonial tee shots down the 1st hole, Tea Olive. The 90-year-old sent his drive down the middle before performing a high kick that would be beyond many men half his age.
The 86-year-old Jack Nicklaus – the record six-time winner of 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986 – was up next, and showcased some sharp punditry skills. “Oh boy, watch out, and I don’t mean that facetiously,” he told the assembled patrons before sending a wild hook down the left. No high kick from the Golden Bear, who merely chuckled to himself.
Finally the 76-year-old Tom Watson, winner in 1977 and 1981, took his turn. He spotted that Nicklaus had left his tee stick in the ground. “May I use your tee?” Watson asked. “It’s why I left it,” Nicklaus replied. Watson striped his drive down the middle.
A combined 252 years, 140 Masters appearances and 11 Green Jackets between them. We’ll miss them terribly when they’re gone.
With the important stuff out of the way, let’s turn our attention to the Tournament. Here’s our other man in Augusta, Ewan Murray, with the big preview of the first Masters without either Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods since 1994.
Four long, lovely days stretch out ahead of us. No need to be racing out there first thing, let’s grab a spot of breakfast out on the porch. Here’s what our man in Augusta, Andy Bull, has plumped for. Iced Tea and one of the famous Egg Salad sandwiches. That’ll be $3.50 please. You have a nice day, now.
Preamble
Welcome, patrons, to the 90th staging of the Masters Tournament. And with Rory McIlroy having finally got his hands on his holy grail, as the man himself wondered: what is there left for us all to talk about now?
Well, how about … can world number one Scottie Scheffler, supposedly in crisis with just the one win on Tour this year (!) sort himself out in time to grab a third Green Jacket? Will Jon Rahm or Bryson DeChambeau chalk one up for LIV Golf? Can Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg or Justin Rose, so often there or thereabouts at Augusta National, take the final step? Will Cameron Young repeat Rory’s feat last year of following up victory at the Players with success here? Would Tommy Fleetwood be the most popular winner? Or is that Bob MacIntyre? Oh, and what price Rory becoming only the fourth man, after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, to successfully defend his title? What about all of that?
It’ll all come out in the wash over the next four days. But first, some admin, and a reminder that the contestants are invited guests and should be treated with courtesy and respect. Although cheering and positive responses to great play are encouraged, unsolicited or consistent calls from the gallery are prohibited. Running is considered to be unacceptable behaviour. Prohibited items include Cell Phones, Beepers, Electronic devices, Tablets, any device with recording and/or transmission capability, Flags, Banners, Signs, Ladders, Periscopes and Weapons of any kind (regardless of permit). Pimento Cheese sandwiches are $1.50 and Iced Tea is two bucks. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is the favourite, all the tee times are below, and this is the famous CBS theme on a looooong loop to get you in the mood. It’s on! Masters fever is real; won’t someone please call Dr Golf?
First-round tee times (USA unless stated, all times BST, a denotes amateur)
1240 Johnny Keefer, Haotong Li (Chn)
1250 Max Homa, Naoyuki Kataoka (Jpn), Carlos Ortiz (Mex)|
1302 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), Aldrich Potgieter (Rsa)
1314 Angel Cabrera (Arg), (a) Jackson Herrington, Sami Valimaki (Fin)
1326 Ryan Fox (Nzl), Max Greyserman, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)
1338 Rasmus Hoejgaard (Den), Matt McCarty, Vijay Singh (Fij)
1350 Casey Jarvis (Rsa), Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan (Nor)
1402 Nicolas Echavarria (Col), (a) Brandon Holtz, Bubba Watson
1419 Sam Burns, Jake Knapp, Cameron Smith (Aus)
1431 Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor (Can)
1443 Jason Day (Aus), Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry (Irl)
1455 Akshay Bhatia, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Patrick Reed
1507 Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Xander Schauffele
1519 Russell Henley, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Collin Morikawa
1531 (a) Mason Howell, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Cameron Young
1543 Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland (Nor), Alexander Noren (Swe)
1603 Sung-Jae Im (Kor), Sam Stevens
1615 Brian Campbell, Tom McKibbin (NIrl), Andrew Novak
1627 Wyndham Clark, (a) Mateo Pulcini (Arg), Mike Weir (Can)
1639 Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Zach Johnson, Michael Kim
1651 (a) Ethan Fang, Davis Riley, Danny Willett (Eng)
1703 Daniel Berger, Brian Harman, Adam Scott (Aus)
1715 Fred Couples, (a) Pongsapak Laopakdee (Tha), Min-Woo Lee (Aus)
1727 Jacob Bridgeman, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Aaron Rai (Eng)
1744 Michael Brennan, Corey Conners (Can), Harry Hall (Eng)
1756 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Maverick McNealy, JJ Spaun
1808 Ludvig Aaberg (Swe), Chris Gotterup, Jon Rahm (Spa)
1820 Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose (Eng), Jordan Spieth
1832 Ben Griffin, Sepp Straka (Aut), Justin Thomas
1844 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Scottie Scheffler, Gary Woodland
1856 Harris English, Si-Woo Kim (Kor), Marco Penge (Eng)
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