The winner of last year’s green jacket, Sergio Garcia, quickly ended any thoughts of a repeat performance. On the par-5 15th, Garcia continually attempted to spin the ball toward a front hole location, and five shots wound up falling into the water. Garcia finished with a 13 on the hole, tied for the most in Masters history.
Spieth, on the other hand, was dialed in. After birdieing two of his first three holes, he bogeyed Nos. 5 and 7 to drop back to even. But an eagle on No. 8 got him going. And at Amen Corner, where he lost the Masters in 2016, he started a remarkable run. It was the first time he birdied five holes in a row at Augusta.
He zipped past Tony Finau, who, playing in first Masters, suffered a high-ankle sprain on Wednesday while celebrating a hole-in-one at the Par-3 Tournament. Finau was cleared to play Thursday, and though he was walking somewhat gingerly, his game somehow did not show any ill effects. He had the outright lead for a bit before Spieth overran him.
Conditions were perfect by the afternoon, which played into Spieth’s favor, as one of the last groups to finish. And for the ninth time in just 17 career rounds at Augusta, he holds the lead.
Here’s how the first round of the Masters played out:
Spieth’s Amazing Round Ends With a Bogey
Well, Jordan Spieth’s birdie streak ended. He made somewhat of a mess of things on the 18th (he’s not the first), hitting a tee shot into the woods, then wedge out, then a 3-wood into the gallery. But he still always has the capacity for something brilliant, and he delivered again, deftly sticking his wedge within three feet to tap in for bogey. So Spieth is in with a 66, the ninth time he has led or shared a lead in 17 career rounds at Augusta.
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Spieth Makes It Look Easy at Augusta
Five. Five birdies in a row for Jordan Spieth. The 2015 Masters winner has never done that before at Augusta. But even when things aren’t looking so great — like his tee shot on 17, which hit some tree limbs — the ball still bounced into favorable position in the fairway and he took advantage. Tremendous performance. Now 7-under par.
Spieth Continues Birdie Run to Build 2-Stroke Lead
Make it four straight birdies for Jordan Spieth. He’s so confident with his swing that he didn’t even need to look where his tee shot on the 172-yard par-3 16th wound up. He knew it was good when he hit it and just walked straight over to his caddie, Michael Greller, to grab his putter. He would like what he saw: a tap-in to take a two-stroke lead. The cup must look the size of Grand Canyon right now for Spieth.
Jordan Spieth Makes Three Straight Birdies for the Lead
Conditions at Augusta National have been almost idyllic, and Jordan Spieth is taking advantage. After an errant tee shot left on the par-5 15th, he had to lay up in front of the water. But he stuck his 90-yard approach within just a few feet and made the putt to grab sole possession of the lead at five-under par. Spieth has now birdied three in a row. The eagle on eight really jump-started his round after two bogeys.
Tony Finau Finishes With a Share of Lead
After a beautiful drive on the last hole, Tony Finau made one of his only mistakes on the day, missing left with his approach and then leaving himself with a long putt. But if we’ve learned anything today, it’s that the 28-year-old Tongan-American is pretty resilient. He made the delicate 13-foot putt to record a 68, currently tied for the lead with Jordan Spieth. The 18th had been a great equalizer on Thursday. Four players came to the 18th with at least a share of the lead, and all four had bogeyed before Finau.
Rory McIlroy in the Mix at 1-Under
Rory McIlroy is plodding along steadily at 1-under. His tee shot on the par-3 12th sailed right over the pin and off the green, but he was able to putt it back on to save par. He’s been great off the tee but a three-putt on No. 7 is his only blemish on the round as he heads to the 13th hole.
Tony Finau Leads, Sprained Ankle and All
He suffered a high-ankle sprain, yesterday, while celebrating a hole-in-one in the par-3 tournament. But that hasn’t slowed down Tony Finau in his first Masters appearance. He’s been walking gingerly but is somehow now tied for the lead at four-under through 12.
Henrik Stenson Fall Out of Lead on No. 18
Trouble on the 18th hole cost Henrik Stenson a stroke as he finishes at three-under par, one stroke behind Charley Hoffman and Adam Hadwin for the lead. Stenson has never finished in the top 10 at the Masters, so he changed his strategy by dropping his trusty 3-wood in favor of his driver on most holes. He hit 10 of 14 fairways, so that wasn’t bad. But on 18, he hit a poor chip that left him with a long putt that he missed to bogey.
Jordan Spieth Runs Into — and Out of — Trouble
After birdieing two of the first three holes, Jordan Spieth bogeyed Nos. 5 and 7 to drop back to even par. But he just eagled the par-5 8th for a big rebound as he starts to make the turn.
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Sergio Garcia Takes a 13(!) on the 15th Hole
The defending champion has made his mark at the Masters again. Unfortunately, it’s the wrong kind of mark.
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Sergio Garcia hit five straight balls into the water on the par-5 15th hole and tied a tournament record with a 13 on the hole. That’s an octuple bogey for those scoring at home. He’s now 9-over par.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” García said after finishing with an 81. “It’s one of those things. I feel like it’s the first time in my career where I made a 13 without missing a shot. Simple as that.”
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No. 18: Tiger Finishes at +1, but Ends on Positive Note
That’s a wrap for Tiger Woods. He ended on another good drive on the 18th. Then from 171 yards was yelling for it to bite but it didn’t listen and went just a bit long. He missed the putt coming back and finished with a par to close at one-over. Currently five strokes off the lead, but it could have gone much, much worse after a difficult stroll through Amen Corner. He kept his composure, rediscovered his swing, and finished two-under on the final six holes.
“Seventy three is fine,” Woods told reporters after the round. “By the end of the week there will be a bunch of guys with a chance to win this tournament.”
Bill Pennington: Two takeaways from Woods’s round: Pretty good job of keeping it together today considering he didn’t make a birdie on a par 5; no one can mount a charge at the Masters without making birdies on the par 5s.
No. 17: Tiger’s Confidence Is Coming Back
Woods absolutely bombed a perfect drive down the middle (finally) on 17, leaving him with a wedge in. Looked like a good swing with the approach, which went a little long, but still left him with a relatively straightforward downhill birdie opportunity. Unfortunately he left his putt out to the right. But still, he looked much more confident and in control with his swing, and that’s a nice rebound from just a few holes earlier.
No. 16: Tiger Has Reason to Smile
Finally, a smile from Tiger. A great tee shot on the par-3 16th hit the slope and rolled back to give him an uphill look for birdie from about 20 feet. And he gave it a confident roll and buried it. Big bounceback for Woods, who’s back to 1-over with two holes to play.
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No. 15: Tiger Still Struggling Off the Tee
A critical hole for Woods, the par-5 15th, and he lost it way right off the tee with driver again. He was forced to lob it up over some pine trees to get back toward the fairway. He made a strong recovery to give himself a look for birdie from around 25 feet, but he left it short and had to tap in for par. He’s been grinding, that’s for sure.
But a birdie on 15 would have brought him back to 1-over, while Leishman, the co-leader, finished with a double bogey on the hole. Woods just has not taken advantage of the back-nine par-5s, though, mostly because he is nowhere near as sharp off the tee as he looked earlier in the week.
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Jordan Spieth Off to a Promising Start
It’s still early, but back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 have to make Jordan Spieth feel good about this weekend at Augusta. Spieth won the Masters in 2015 and tied Lee Westwood for second place in 2016.
No. 14: Another Birdie for Tiger, Finally
Woods rebounds with a great birdie on 14. He finally looked sharp with a 3-wood off the tee and then knocked his second shot within a couple of yards. Then he made the putt to move back to 2-over. He needed that.
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No. 13: Who is This Tiger?
The wheels are starting to come off for Tiger. A 3-wood off the tee at 13 also hung out too far to the right and left Woods among some trees on the pinestraw. He then whacked into some patrons on the right side of the fairway. After a decent pitch onto the green, he missed the 12-foot comebacker for birdie. He’s now even-par on the par-5s, which is very un-Tiger-like.
No. 12: Into the Water, Amen
Woods is not enjoying himself at the Amen Corner. His tee shot on the par-3 155-yard 12th went short and trickled into the water. Then he took a while to decide where to drop, looking pretty uncertain. He’s never played No. 12 well in his career, but he did manage to save a bogey with a clutch putt. Now at 3-over heading to No. 13.
Bill Pennington: Tiger’s tee shot on the devilish par-3 12th hole looked fat, with a good chunk of turf exploding beneath and behind the ball. That ill-timed contact likely led to the shot being short — it robbed his shot of a little momentum.
No. 12 is another of Tiger’s least favorite holes. He came to the tee there today 8-over par on the hole in his career.
Sometimes a converted bogey putt is more important than any holed birdie putt. By avoiding a double bogey at No. 12, Tiger still leaves open the possibility of an even par or 1-over-par finish today. Two reachable par 5s remain on the back 9.
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No. 11: Let the Crowd Say ‘Amen’
Trouble for Tiger Woods at Amen Corner. On No. 11, he smacks it into the trees on the right. Curiously, he urges the ball to go “way right,” hoping to get onto the next fairway instead. But no, he’s in the trees. Woods has been playing pretty quickly, but he takes his time over this puzzler, asking that some fans be moved. All he can do is punch it out, and it goes into the crowd again. He still has a way to go to the green.
Woods, now with a direct chance at the green, hits a high lofted chip to within 10 feet. He doesn’t come close on the par saver. The bogey drops him to 2-over. Leishman, who has been nailing his iron shots all day, makes another par and stays ahead of the field.
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Phil Mickelson Opens with a Birdie
Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, dropped a stroke on No. 11 after missing his second shot right of the green and then missing a Seven-foot putt to save par. That drops him back to even for his round. He’s there with Hideki Matsuyama, considered maybe the best player yet to win a major; he has opened with 12 straight pars.
And Phil Mickelson has started off his round on a good note with a birdie on No. 1.
No. 10: Strong Tee Shot. Still Par.
Another strong tee shot on the 10th hole by Woods. “No, no” from Woods on the second shot as his ball heads toward the bunker. But it luckily stays out and lands by the lip. He chips from there to a couple of feet and makes par. He remains at 1-over. Marc Leishman still leads at 3-under.
No. 9: Another Par for Tiger
On the par-4 ninth, Woods’s drive lands in the second cut of rough but is decently positioned. He puts his second shot on the green 30 feet away. The first putt doesn’t break as much as he expected; he makes a four-foot par putt. Marc Leishman escapes from the trees to save par, and his 1-stroke lead.
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No. 8: Another Great Drive, but Where are the Putts?
The eighth is a 570-yard par 5. Woods creams his drive down the center. With 265 to the hole, he can’t quite get it on the green though, and his third shot goes well past the stick. His 20-footer for birdie takes a huge break and is close enough for a three-footer for par. Another par for Leishman; he still leads by a stroke at 3-under.
Bill Pennington: Another striped drive by Woods, long and bouncing high down the 8th fairway. If Tiger was putting as well as he’s been hitting his driver, he’d be one or two strokes off the lead right now. But the putts haven’t been horrible, just not perfect. In other words, it’s just golf. At the Masters.
No. 7: Another Close Call for Woods, but Another Par
At the seventh, Woods has no problem with his 3-wood shot. His approach from 150 yards is on the green but a bit farther than he would have liked, leaving him with a good length putt for birdie. Going downhill again, he just misses it and remains at 1-over. Marc Leishman, playing in Woods’s group, makes a birdie to go to 3-under, still the solo leader, but now by two strokes.
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No. 6: After Great Tee Shot, Woods Takes Par
The sixth is another par-3, with the flag 195 yards away in the back corner of the big Augusta green. Tiger Woods’s shot is a beauty, less than 10 feet for the birdie. The putt just inches left though, and another opportunity is missed. Marc Leishman keeps churning out pars and still leads at 2-under.
Bill Pennington: Really a shame for Tiger. His tee shot at No. 6 will be one of the day’s best from anyone in the field. His missed birdie putt wasn’t stroked left of the hole as much as it broke left of the hole in the final 16 inches.
No. 5: Another Bogey for Woods
At the par-4 fifth, Tiger Woods shouts “down, down” after launching his drive. That tends to be a bad sign, and sure enough, despite the ample landing area, he’s in a fairway bunker. He’s out safely and just sneaks onto the green, but has a long way to go to the hole. He goes past the hole with the putt and was tested by an 8-foot comebacker. Just missed, and Woods has back-to-back bogeys to move to one over par. No change at the top; Leishman still leads at 2-under.
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No. 4: Leishman Takes the Lead as Woods Bogeys
The first par 3 of the day is the tricky fourth. Woods, from 240 yards, puts it in the bunker in front of the green. He extricates himself but has a 15-footer for par. It just misses, and Woods bogeys to drop back to even par. His playing partner Marc Leishman is now the solo leader at 2-under.
Bill Pennington: That’s a botched bunker shot for Tiger at No. 4 and it cost him par. But Tiger hates the fourth hole here — he’s now played it in 16-over par in his career.
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No. 3: Woods Drains a 12-Footer for Birdie
On the 350-yard par-4 third, Tiger Woods goes with a driver and easily clears the fairway bunkers for a good angle to the green. His second shot is merely a pitch, and he lands it for a downhill 12-footer. It’s in! Woods moves to 1-under, joining Justin Thomas and Mark O’Meara a stroke off leaders Vijay Singh and Marc Leishman.
Bill Pennington: I would say there is a very good chance that Tiger made that downhill birdie putt on the 3rd because he learned something from the downhill birdie putt miss on No. 2. He read the speed better on No. 3 green, having gauged it from No. 2. That let the ball find the hole.
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No. 2: Woods Still Even After Near Miss
On the par-5 second, both his playing partners find the bunker, but Woods smashes a drive deep into the fairway. His iron shot from a good position 220 yards away finds a greenside trap, and he stomps his foot in frustration. He blasts out and goes past the flag by 10 feet. The downhill birdie putt breaks dramatically and just misses. If Woods is going to win this week, he needs to go low on the par 5s. This was a good birdie opportunity squandered.
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Tiger Woods Saves Par on No. 1; Singh Leads
The crowd is cleared for Woods’s second shot. He makes it out of the trees and winds up just short of the green. Good shot. His long putt ends up a foot from the hole, and he saves par. Meanwhile, ageless Vijay Singh has three birdies in his first four holes and leads the tournament by three clear strokes.
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Tiger’s First Drive? Off the Mark.
Here we go! Tiger Woods is first to tee off and hits it to the left of the fairway behind the ropes and crowd. Not a good start.
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The pinnacle of golfing excellence is upon us. The 2018 Masters is officially here with 87 of the best golfers in the world set to tee it up at Augusta National beginning Thursday morning. The smallest field since 1997 just happens to feature arguably the best golfers at the top in recent memory.
With Tiger Woods playing great, Phil Mickelson with a win under his belt this season, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas all with wins in 2018 and innumerable young stars ranked in the top 10 in the world, this could be an all-time major.
The Masters starts today at Augusta National and here is how I rank the field from most to least likely to wear a green jacket on Sunday afternoon.
Want to watch the Masters this week? Stream Featured Groups, Amen Corner, Holes 15 & 16 and On the Range live on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App.
1. Jordan Spieth (Won in 2015): He should be the favorite until he gives us a few years' worth of reasons to think otherwise. Spieth should have two green jackets, could have three and at least had a shot at four. This is his fifth trip to Augusta. Is the putting an issue? Yes, the putting is an issue. But I can't, with a clear conscience, use four months of evidence that goes against four years of evidence of how Spieth plays on this course.
This is Jordan Spieth's fourth Masters.
It's the first time he doesn't hold the 54-hole lead. He's 2 back.
Let that sink in for a second. — Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) April 8, 2017
2. Justin Thomas (T22 in 2017): It feels odd to rank somebody who has never finished in the top 20 at Augusta this high, but his game is almost perfect for this course. He hits it higher than most, and the course for him (like many of the longest guys) plays to a par of 69 or 70. He also lives for the moment. Toss him into the second nine on Sunday with the world at stake, and I already know what I'm going to get.
3. Dustin Johnson (T4 in 2016): It seems almost … too obvious. This course (and almost every course) plays as a par-69ish for D.J. so, theoretically, if he shoots D.J. Par then he wins five of the last six green jackets. It is obviously not that simple, and he's never really been in the hunt on a Sunday, but his path to a 44 long seems cleaner than most.
4. Rory McIlroy (4th in 2015): Like D.J., McIlroy's path to next year's Champions Dinner seems frictionless. So many have predicted so much from McIlroy, and interestingly his closest call (2011) is not even close to his best finish (he's been in the top 10 in each of the last four years). In a year in which three different golfers have a chance to complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy's quest is the most compelling because he needs Augusta to clinch it. A win this year would ensure he's the third-youngest to the Slam just behind (are you ready for this?) Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Want more on who may win the Masters? Listen to this week's edition of SportsLine DFS where we break down the field. Available for free on iTunes
5. Tiger Woods (Won in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005): His institutional knowledge of Augusta National is unassailable. I'm convinced he could break 90 blindfolded. He played in one of the final four pairings on a Sunday in 2015 after not having played for two months. I'll believe he can't win Augusta when they roll him into the Champions Dinner in a wheelchair. Until then, he'll remain in my top 20. And given that he's top 10 in strokes gained on the PGA Tour this year, I have to put him in the top five. It's a minor miracle that we've gone from "will he play this year?" one year ago to "which pairing will he be in on Sunday afternoon?" one year later.
6. Justin Rose (2nd in 2017): The stats on Rose at Augusta are staggering. He's finished in the top 10 five times in his last 10 appearances and in the top five three of those times. His average finish on the leaderboard in the last five years is 10.6. He's clearly proven he has what it takes to win this event (I'm talking about the monster shades for early spring and pure long irons for the par 5s, of course), and the question for me this year is whether someone different gets in his way.
7. Bubba Watson (Won in 2012, 2014): He used to be my go-to guy at the top of this list. He kind of fell off the map last year, though, and he still only has four top 10s at major championships. Of course, two of those are green jackets, and he has already won twice on the PGA Tour this season. How good is this tournament if Watson is ranked seventh on this list?!
8. Jason Day (T2 in 2011): Day in the cauldron on Sunday would be fascinating. His best finish is still that T2 in 2011 when Charl Schwartzel upended the leaderboard at the very end. But Day has had two other top 10s and four top 20s since that event. His ball flight is great for any course, but it's essentially perfect for an Augusta bereft of wind.
9. Phil Mickelson (Won in 2004, 2006, 2010): If you're into ridiculous numbers games, Mickelson's history at Augusta National presents an interesting case. He won his second green jacket two years after his first. He won his third four years after that. If we're doubling the time frame between jackets, this year marks eight years since the last. I do think Mickleson gets close to or wins one final time at the Masters. I just don't know what year it will be.
10. Jon Rahm (T27 in 2017): I think he wins here at some point in his career. Of course, he's probably just as likely to snap a driver on the Hogan Bridge. Either one would be a compelling viewer experience.
11. Sergio Garcia (Won in 2017): It's still crazy to type the words "Sergio Garcia won the Masters," but he did. It was a real thing that I watched happen just 12 months ago. If Garcia wins another major, and I think he will, I suspect it's going to be one of the Opens because, I mean, he can't win two Masters, right?!
12. Rickie Fowler (T5 in 2015): I just realized my pick to win the Masters only has one top 10 here in his career. He does, however, have three top-12 finishes in the last four years. Last year was crystallizing for me, too. He didn't have anywhere close to his best stuff, and yet, he figured out how to play his way into the second-to-last group on Sunday with Spieth. That matters. His record in closing 54-hole leads concerns me, but he certainly has the goods to win here. Will it happen in 2018? I have no idea. I do think he has a big week, though.
13. Louis Oosthuizen (2nd in 2012): It's always so easy to see him winning a major championship, isn't it? My favorite stat in golf is that Oosthuizen is four swings from four majors. He has the 2010 Open in the bag, lost in playoffs at the 2012 Masters and 2015 Open and finished one stroke out of a playoff at the 2015 U.S. Open. He's also seven strokes from five majors as he lost the 2017 PGA Championship by three to Justin Thomas.
14. Matt Kuchar (T3 in 2012): Kuchar has four top-10 finishes in his last six showings here, including one last year that included an ace on the 16th hole. We're not supposed to root (yeah right), but there aren't many in this profession -- not to mention players, caddies and everyone else associated with this sport -- who would lament Kuchar throwing on a green jacket.
Watch Matt Kuchar's hole-in-one on No. 16 to move into a tie for third. #themasters pic.twitter.com/fyh44hVSuh — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 9, 2017
15. Hideki Matsuyama (5th in 2015): Is it an absurd take to think that Matsuyama might never win a major championship? It feels like it is, and yet, his closest calls (2015 Masters, 2016 PGA Championship and 2017 U.S. Open) have all been when he goes low on Sunday but has no real chance to win. I don't think it's that Matsuyama lacks talent (he obviously has that in bunches), there's just something about him closing out Augusta or Shinnecock or Troon on a Sunday that is difficult for me to envision. Which means he'll shoot a 30 on the second nine at Augusta this year to clip Spieth by one.
16. Paul Casey (T4 in 2016): Casey has three straight top-six finishes, which is a thing I had to stare at for five minutes to confirm. Again, three straight top-sixes! That's a Spieth-ian number. The difficult part to reconcile is that Casey, even after taking the Valspar Championship in March, only has two wins on this side of the pond in his career. Still, he's playing some of the best golf of his life and could force Augusta National to rethink what type of material it uses to make the forearm sleeves in its jackets.
17. Adam Scott (Won in 2013): Scott has finished in the top 20 in six of the last eight years at the Masters (including a win). It's almost always a question of putting when it comes to Scott, though, and he noted at the end of 2017 that he's going to go to the not-anchoring style of putting (that certainly looks like anchoring) used by Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron.
18. Thomas Pieters (T4 in 2017): Pieters had a tough post-Masters 2017, but I'm still purchasing stock (and the exchange rate is solid). His length and ball flight off the tee are ideal for Augusta National. He predictably played the par 5s in 9 under last year when he finished top five. If he plays the other 56 holes in even par, he's in a playoff. Star to superstar.
19. Marc Leishman (T4 in 2013): There's a bit of a misnomer (maybe just by me?) that Leishman crushes at big boy events. The reality? He only has four top 10s at majors, and only one of those has come outside The Open. His T4 in 2013 when he played with eventual winner Adam Scott late on Sunday is his best finish at Augusta. And yet it's still easier for me to see him winning on Sunday than most of the guys on this list. Props to Leishman for having the reputation that probably outpaces his reality.
20. Tommy Fleetwood (Cut in 2017): His game shapes up better for one of the opens, but his form hasn't changed since last year's career breakout. I'm not sure the hair and blade collar would play at the 2019 Champions Dinner, but he'd be an awesome winner.
21. Charl Schwartzel (Won in 2011): Schwartzel only has two top-20 appearances in eight tries, but one was a win and the other was a solo third behind Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia in 2017. Wait, Schwartzel finished solo third last year?! That's right. After opening with a 74, the South African shot 68-68 on the weekend to fall three shots shy of a playoff. I wouldn't wager on him, but he's at least in the conversation.
22. Patrick Cantlay (T47 in 2012): Remember the name because you're going to be saying it for a long time. I remember as a patron watching Cantlay hole out for eagle in 2012 on the first nine back when he was low am as a student at UCLA. The labels have changed (for both of us), but his game has only gotten better.
23. Tony Finau (First appearance): He probably won't win in his first appearance, but I think he has the best shot of the first-timers. Course plays to a par 69 with his length -- currently averaging over 320 yards off the tee, which is No. 1 on the PGA Tour -- but he'll have to get hot with the putter. Like, really hot.
24. Henrik Stenson (T14 in 2014): It's amazing to me that Stenson has never finished in the top 10 at this event. Early-40s star whose game seems to have slipped ever so slightly since his Open Championship win in 2016 and doesn't perform great at Augusta to begin with. I don't love him here. Of course, he's been lights out in 2018 so far so he'll probably win by five.
25. Alex Noren (Cut in 2017): Noren is ahead of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods in strokes gained overall on the PGA Tour this year. He might upend Stenson as low Swede at Augusta this year. He has gone, in my mind anyway, from being one of the more overrated players in the world to one of the more underrated in the span of about six months.
26. Bryson DeChambeau (T21 in 2016): I know it's crazy to have the No. 94 player in the world just a few weeks ago this high on the list, but I can't get that vision of him playing with Spieth on Friday afternoon in 2016 while flirting with the lead out of my head. I don't think he will win, but I know he thinks he can (which at this level can take you pretty far … maybe not all the way to Sunday afternoon, but he could make it interesting). Goodness, I'd pay an entrance fee into his presser if he won, too. See the dynamic load of my shoulder allows me to wear a 42 long whereas most people my size would be in a 42 regular.
27. Daniel Berger (T10 in 2016): He sure gets lost in the young American debate, doesn't he? Berger can be streaky, but he has a strong (albeit small) resume at this course. Two top 30s in two appearances, and he has the sense of the moment you absolutely need to win big time golf tournaments.
28. Kevin Chappell (T7 in 2017): If I were to ask you about the top 10 at the 2017 Masters, you wouldn't be able to name the next two guys on this list between Chappell and Ryan Moore. Chappell is to me a Tier 2.5 player on the PGA Tour, which means he gets lost in the conversation a lot of the time. Moore is much of the same. If D.J. is Tier 1 and Kuchar is Tier 2, those two guys aren't quite weak enough to be Tier 3 but aren't quite good enough to be with the Kuchars and Caseys and Leishmans in the world. In other words, it would be a surprise if Chappell or Moore win the 2017 Masters.
29. Ryan Moore (T9 in 2017): See above.
30. Zach Johnson (Won in 2009): In the last four Masters, Johnson has one top 10 … and three missed cuts. It's always been feast or famine for him at this course, though. In 13 appearances, he's only made the cut seven times, but one of those was a fat W back in 2009. Tough to see him repeating that barring some crazy weather that really neutralizes what the big boppers do well.
31. Matthew Fitzpatrick (T7 in 2016): His babyface-ness makes Spieth look like Thomas Bjorn with a full-blown winter beard by comparison. Might get his credential and his driver's license checked by the security guard at Magnolia Lane.
32. Martin Kaymer (T16 in 2017): The two-time major winner has five missed cuts to just one top 20 in 10 appearances here. He infamously changed his swing to contend at Augusta National. I think he might have a better chance of winning by petitioning the good folks of ANGC to move the event to Augusta Country Club.
33. Kevin Kisner (T37 in 2016): The last six winners of the Masters have all been terrific drivers of the golf ball. Danny Willett in 2016 was the "worst," and he still would have ranked in the top 40 in strokes gained in 2016. Kisner's ranking this year is well outside the top 100. He's good enough to overcome it, but the margin for error is small.
34. Brian Harman (Cut in 2015): It's a stunner to me that Harman has never made a cut here, but it's true. In fact, he's only played in one Masters, and he shot 76-72 to get the weekend off. Don't be surprised when he's in, say, the fourth-to-last pairing on Saturday, though. Loves the moment. Lives for big weekend pairings. Scared of nobody.
35. Branden Grace (T18 in 2013): Grace has five top 10s in major championships but none at Augusta National. He has such a low ball flight that I'm not sure his game is conducive to this course. Although, if he (or anyone) gets hot with the putter, all bets are off. Related: There are no trains at Augusta National.
36. Tyrrell Hatton (Cut in 2017): After finishing in the top 10 in the last two majors of 2016, Hatton missed the cut at all four in 2017. He's rebounded from that, though, and played some magnificent golf in 2018. And hey, he won't have to worry about bumpy greens at Augusta.
Perhaps the most dramatic Spike Mark Blame in the history of #TourSauce pic.twitter.com/4i6hkxBMpl — No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) February 26, 2017
37. Ian Poulter (7th in 2012): I'm so glad he made it. The more characters the better. And yes, I realize who I ranked just behind him. I crave a Sunday morning Reed-Poulter pairing just less than I crave a Sunday afternoon Tiger-Phil one.
38. Patrick Reed (T22 in 2015): If Reed ever wins this event, I'm praying it's in a year after Spieth has won it so Spieth can suit him up in an alternate jacket lined with stars and stripes. Reed can do that NBA Draft thing where players who are drafted show off the inside of their jacket. It would of course be lined with bald eagle feathers, and the buttons would be made from paper-mache of a replica U.S. Constitution.
39. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (T17 in 2016): His odds for low Spaniard are pretty intriguing given Garcia's relative volatility at this place (::remembers Jon Rahm is playing:: … never mind), but I don't think he's going to legitimately contend for the win.
40. Charley Hoffman (T9 in 2015): The greatest first round golfer who has never actually won a major in major championship history. His 65 in Round 1 last year should go down in the annals.
41. Jason Dufner (T20 in 2013): After he wore Notorious B.I.G. and Toronto Blue Jays hats in his first tournament out this year, I'm hoping we see something special at Augusta. Maybe a hat with Bobby Jones face on it for the first two days and one that just says "Hootie" for the weekend.
42. Xander Schauffele (First appearance): Speaking of getting lost in the young American debate. I keep thinking, "This is the stretch where Schauffele fades!" and he keeps failing to fade. He's not going to win the Masters in his first rattle out of the box, but he could certainly finish in the top 10. Sort of a low-key good fantasy play depending where you can get him.
43. Haotong Li (First appearance): As my buddy Tron Carter has noted, there is nothing better than awakening to Li bucking his head across the pond. First appearance here, but he finished third at Royal Birkdale last year. I'm not sure if head-bucking travels like feels do, but I'm excited to find out.
44. Jimmy Walker (T8 in 2014): He did not start the year very well, but he does have a nice history at Augusta. It's incredibly unfortunate on a number of levels that the back part of his career has been upended by Lyme disease because he's had some really strong major performances and should probably be contending more at events like this one.
45. Danny Willett (Won in 2015): I'm a big believer in pedigrees, and Willett's is pretty good. He's among a list of 31 different golfers who have spent time as the No. 1 amateur golfer in the world. His ride following that 2015 Masters victory has been bumpy, to say the least, and maybe he goes down as more of an outlier than Weir. But I'm unconvinced we're done hearing from him. Plus he's got the next 50 years of playing Augusta to figure it out.
46. Si Woo Kim (Cut in 2017): Certainly he has a good pedigree for a 22-year-old with wins at the 2016 Wyndham Championship (at age 20!) and the 2017 Players Championship (at age 21!). The majors are a different story, though. Three cuts and a withdrawal in five appearances (although he was sixth going into the final round of the U.S. Open at Erin Hills, where he shot 75). Pending his back holding up, I think he's going to be quite good for a long time, but I'm going to have to see him light up Augusta on a more consistent basis to bump him into my top 25.
47. Ross Fisher (T15 in 2011): I like Fisher, but he only has one top 10 at a major championship. He might be a middle class man's Noren.
48. Francesco Molinari (T19 in 2012): The greater Molinari brother has won just once anywhere in the world in the last six years, and yet he's figured out a way to get into the OWGR top 25. If he's going to make the Ryder Cup team, a big time performance here might be needed.
49. Pat Perez (T18 in 2017): Perez has played here just once in the last eight years (last year's top 20). The champions dinner would be unfathomable if he was able to somehow win this tournament.
50. Kyle Stanley (Cut in 2012): I like Stanley, and last year was a tremendous season for him. As a fellow Kyle, I'm rooting for him, and as a connoisseur of ball-striking wunderkinds, I'm entranced. But he's not going to win the Masters (I don't think ...).
51. Cameron Smith (T55 in 2016): A sneaky fun pick for low Aussie. His T4 at the 2015 U.S. Open with an eagle at the final hole was as good as finishes get.
52. Gary Woodland (T24 in 2011): His record here is kind of shocking given his length. Woodland has never finished in the top 20 at Augusta, mostly because his short game isn't good enough to keep rounds tidy. He should start trying to drive every green just to see what happens.
53. Russell Henley (T11 in 2017): Henley has zero top-10 appearances in major championships, but he's had a decent record at Augusta. A pair of top 25s in his last two starts here, including a T11 in 2017 on the back of a 71-69 weekend.
54. Kiradech Aphibarnrat (T15 in 2016): The Barn Rat can really play, although I'm not sure vaping is allowed in the Augusta National clubhouse, so this could be an angsty week for him.
55. Fred Couples (Won in 1992): Like Tiger, I'll believe Couples can't win the Masters when he's in a wheelchair, and he'd certainly win a wheelchair Masters if they had one. Couples has finished in the top 20 in six of his last seven appearances at Augusta National, which is outrageously impressive. He turns 59 (!) later this year, so an actual win is getting more and more improbable, but I'm here for his contention until he turns 75.
56. Billy Horschel (T17 in 2016): It's amazing to me that Horschel only has one top 10 at a major championship in 19 appearances. We've seen him ride heaters, but he's not on one heading down Magnolia Lane. A victory here would be a stunner.
57. Webb Simpson (T28 in 2015): The craziest Simpson stat might be that his only top 10 ever at a major championship was his 2012 U.S. Open victory (the anti-Sergio!). He's never finished in the top 25 at Augusta.
58. Adam Hadwin (T36 in 2017): At some point, all of these guys are the same guy when it comes to winning at Augusta. They all could because they're in the field, but none of them are going to.
59. Bernhard Langer (Won in 1993): He's been cut in two of the last four, but he also has a T8 finish and a T24 in there. His problem (obviously) is that he's shorter than I am off the tee, which doesn't play well when guys like D.J. and Day are in the field. He won't win, but a fun side game is, "Which winner from the early 90s will finish highest?"
60. Bernd Wiesberger (T22 in 2015): Wiesberger has made each of the last three cuts, which is more than Woods, Thomas, Mickelson, Fowler and D.J. can say!
61. Dylan Frittelli (First appearance): He might be the best player in the world that the fewest people know about. Frittelli has been cruising around the European Tour for the past year, racking up wins and top 10s. He has 10 top 10s worldwide since November 2017 alone! He should be a longshot for "low golfer who played on the 2012 national championship team at Texas," but he'd be a fun bet with the way Spieth is putting.
62. Patton Kizzire (First appearance): Two-time champ this season has a frame and lithe move at the ball resembling Ernie Els. Unfortunately for him at Augusta, his overall game doesn't approach the Big Easy's.
63. Brendan Steele (T27 in 2017): Steele is 0 for 13 in top 10s at major championships.
64. Jhonattan Vegas (Cut in 2017): Johnny Vegas might have the best name in sports, but he doesn't have the game to roll at Augusta National. He's currently an average drive and a poor putter. Not a great 1-2 punch for getting sized for a jacket.
65. Wesley Bryan (First appearance): To win this event he would have to take what Zach Johnson did in 2007 and blow it out of the water. Bryan is currently outside the top 200 (!) in strokes gained off the tee and hasn't really been using a driver. That's not a good formula for Augusta, although Johnson has proven it can work. You have to be absolutely unbelievable with your short game, though.
66. Shubhankar Sharma (First appearance): I'm all in on Sharma. I'm all out on him winning the Masters, though. He got overwhelmed by a Phil Mickelson grouping in Mexico. Imagine if he gets McIlroy or Woods in the final round on Sunday. Also, this remains a good take.
if you remove yourself from your amerocentric view of the world shub sharma and haotong li have the highest ceiling for stardom of any young player ok thanks bye — kyle robbins (@kylerrobbins) March 3, 2018
67. Yuta Ikeda (28th in 2010): The ultimate globalist. Ikeda has racked up OWGR points in far-flung locations all over Asia, but he doesn't have a top 25 at a major championship.
68. Chez Reavie (Cut in 2012): Three appearances, three missed cuts for the former Sun Devil.
69. Angel Cabrera (Won in 2009): The former champion has only missed two cuts since 2006 (he has four top 10s in that span), but one of those was last year when he shot 79-75. Cabrera finished in the top 10 of just one PGA Tour event last season, and it was the team event in New Orleans. He's on the fringe for me of players who can get into the top 50 and ties to make the weekend.
70. Satoshi Kodaira (First appearance): He did have a pair of top 50s at majors in 2017 ... which is more than Tiger Woods can say.
71. Austin Cook (First appearance): Only one missed cut so far this year. Also only one top 10. Thankfully for him, it was a win that got him into Augusta.
72. Yusaku Miyazato (First appearance): Has a top 25 at a U.S. Open. Won't have one at this year's Masters.
73. Ted Potter Jr. (Cut in 2013): Him winning here would be even more shocking than him holding off a thoroughbred like Dustin Johnson at Pebble Beach.
Ted Potter Jr. looks like the dude who takes his Golf Digests to the course on the weekend and double-checks DJ's "how to get the most power" articles every other hole. Leads by 2. #golf — Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) February 11, 2018
74. Joaquin Niemann (First appearance): He's one of nine amateurs who have been world No. 1 for 30 or more weeks. The list includes Fowler, Rahm and Cantlay. He recently won the Latin America Amateur Championship by five with a 63 in the final round. Might be a superstar, won't win the Masters.
75. Larry Mize (Won in 1987): Mize has made three (!) of the last four cuts at this event. I just quadruple-checked that, and yes, it seems to be correct. If you play a "former champs over 50" pool (and who doesn't?), Mize is definitely the value play.
76. Vijay Singh (Won in 2000): He doesn't have a top 20 in 2008. Singh is also going to be the future answer to the trivia question: "Who spent more money suing the PGA Tour than Augusta National spent purchasing property surrounding Augusta National?"
77. Trevor Immelman (Won in 2008): Immelman hasn't made a cut here since 2013 when he finished T50. In fact, Immelman has only made seven cuts in 33 events over the last three years. Making the cut this week would be more surprising than him winning back in 2008.
78. Mike Weir (Won in 2003): It's easy to make fun of Weir, and he's only made one cut here since 2010, but he also has nearly three times as many top 10s at major championships as Watson.
79. Jose Maria Olazabal (Won in 1994, 1999): Olazabal has only made two cuts here since 2008, and at age 52, he has pretty much no chance of winning as he hasn't won anywhere since 2005. Still, him and Garcia are going to have a delightful Champions Dinner.
80. Doug Ghim (First appearance): Ghim got into this event by way of finishing second at the U.S. Amateur. It would have been devastating to be leading the U.S. Amateur 2 up with two to play and not get into the Masters. Also, dude rocked a Masters hat at the semifinals, where he earned his spot, so his stones aren't all that small.
Takes some stones to wear this hat with a Masters berth on the line at the U.S. Am. pic.twitter.com/WLQmaiW58l — Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) August 19, 2017
81. Doc Redman (First appearance): And speaking of that, Redman has stones so big they wouldn't fit in Rae's Creek, and they were on full display at the U.S. Amateur last year at Riviera, which he won in about as dramatic a way as you can possibly win a U.S. Amateur.
Doc Redman needed to win hole No. 35 to keep the match going. So he made eagle. To No. 36 we go. #USAmateur https://t.co/vNk8PXKxqR — USGA (@USGA) August 20, 2017
Clutch play from Doc Redman. Another must make, another center-cut putt. We're headed to extra holes. #USAmateur https://t.co/lGDXjJzKw0 — USGA (@USGA) August 20, 2017
82. Harry Ellis (First appearance): Ellis one of just three golfers to win both the English Amateur and The Amateur Championship (Britain's premiere amateur tournament). He's also the youngest English Am winner ever. Unfortunately for him, the Florida State sophomore will not become the youngest Masters winner ever.
83. Mark O'Meara (Won in 1998): O'Meara has only made one cut since 2005, but it was a surprising T22 in 2015. This is an annual reminder of how good his 1998 season was. Won the Masters, T32 at the U.S. Open, won The Open and T4 at the PGA Championship.
84. Sandy Lyle (Won in 1988): The Scot is playing his last Open Championship this year at Carnoustie. This won't be his last Masters, but he's clearly winding down. This is the part of your career where you're really grateful for having won this event when you did because for one week every spring you get to be part of golf royalty again. This to me is the greatest perk of winning the Masters. Also of note: Lyle has four top 10s in majors ever. Two are wins. One at Augusta. One at Royal St. George's. He made them count!
85. Lin Yuxin (First appearance): More stones from an am. Yuxin went 3-3-3 to shut down the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October. He's not going to win the Masters, but he could certainly make the cut like fellow Chinese player Guan Tianlang did in 2013.
Lin Yuxin becomes third player from China to win Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He will now play in @TheMasters and @TheOpen! #AAC2017 pic.twitter.com/dOgGRGaNWt — AAC_Golf (@AAC_Golf) October 29, 2017
86. Matt Parziale (First appearance): A movie that would cast a Massachusetts fireman who heroically made it to the Masters in his off time as its protagonist would be categorically rejected by most major media companies. And yet, here we are. Parziale won the U.S. Mid-Am in Georgia 8 and 6 in the finals to punch his ticket and made it back to his station in Massachusetts for work the next morning. If you're not rooting for Parziale to make the cut, then why are you even following sports?
87. Ian Woosnam (Won in 1991): Poor Woosie hasn't made a cut since 2008. He caught the blunt end of a humorous Rory McIlroy gaffe a few years ago when it was suggested that he has no shot at winning this tournament (which is true). Sorry Ian, I'm with Rory.
The much-anticipated 82nd Masters Tournament is finally underway, and it looks like its going to be a chilly morning for the early wave of players at Augusta National. Temperatures will be in the mid-to-high 40s until around 11 a.m. before getting into the 50s and reaching the high 60s in the late afternoon.
Though the first few groupings each provide some intrigue, like 8:52 a.m. threesome featuring amateur Matt Parziale or the 9:14 a.m. with Bryson DeChambeau, the first marquee groups tees off at 10:09 a.m., Hideki Matsuyama, Patton Kizzire and Paul Casey. Two groups later marks the long-awaited Masters return of Tiger Woods, as he's set to peg it at 10:42 a.m. alongside Marc Leishman and Tommy Fleetwood. Soon after, Sergio Garcia, Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson, Jason Day and Henrik Stenson will all be out on the course, making for an exciting morning at Augusta.
We'll have updates for you on all the important happenings throughout the first round of the Masters right here in our live blog.
All times ET
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7:22 PM : Here are the tee times for Round 2, starting with Billy Horschel, Chez Reavie and Cam Smith at 8:30 a.m.
7:15 PM : Jordan Spieth was asked to sum up his fantastic pitch shot that ended up inside a foot at the last hole. He had the perfect response:
7:01 PM : Like we said, Spieth's going to have to do really well to make a bogey here. And that's exactly what he did. Even hitting a backward shot, Spieth has salvaged a bogey—which will surely save his momentum—after a tremendous pitch shot from the left of the green to inside a foot.
Your first-round leader, once again, at Augusta National, will be Jordan Spieth. Spieth finishes at 6-under, marking his ninth time leading or co-leading at the Masters (out of 17 competitive rounds). And it's the third year out of the last four that Spieth has led after the first round. Fantastic stuff from the 2015 Masters champion.
6:54 PM : So Jordan Spieth just made history—doing something he never did at the Masters: Birdie five straight holes—13 through 17. Now he has to get it home, sitting at 6-under. That's appearing to give him some trouble thus far.
His tee shot went so far right that he had to pitch out sideways—in fact, backward—before he hits his third shot. He's going to do well if he bogeys here.
6:47 PM: There it is. Five in a row for Spieth and he's now at seven under. Just hand him the green jacket now. Ha!
6:44 PM: Quite the finish from the group of Mickelson, Fowler and Kuchar. Kuch was the only one to birdie the last, giving him a four-under 68, but Mickelson and Fowler each turned in two-under 70s. Of the many marquee groupings, this trio provided the most entertaining, even though it took them awhile to do so.
In the group behind them, Rory McIlroy makes another huge par save at the 17th, this time from 13 feet after leaving his bunker shot short. He's at three under, and will need another tough up-and-down after missing the 18th green well left. At 17, Spieth hits one close again, giving himself a chance at a fifth straight birdie.
6:31 PM: Rickie Fowler keeps it rolling at the 17th, draining a 27-footer for birdie to get to two under. After sitting at one over through 12, and then saving a huge par at the 13th, Fowler has flipped the switch and gotten into contention.
Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth extends his lead by sticking his tee shot on the 16th and tapping in the putt for his fourth straight birdie. He's at six under, two clear of Finau. Back at the 15th, Dustin Johnson saves par with an impressive 102-yard up-and-down, keeping him at even par.
6:21 PM: Spieth holes his birdie and is now the solo leader. Up at the 16th, McIlroy makes an impressive par save to stay at three under.
Looks like Dustin Johnson's hot streak will end at 15. The world no. 1 just rinsed one in the water despite hitting it "as good as he could have hit it" as he told his caddie and brother Austin. Tough break.
6:14 PM: After laying up at the 15th, Jordan Spieth hits a beauty into the green on his third, leaving him a short one to get to five under and grab the solo lead.
6:10 PM: Bang. Bang. Bang! Mickelson, Kuchar and Fowler all make birdies at 16, two in a row for all three of them. The energy level is at an all-time high late in the day at Augusta. Kuchar is at three under, Mickelson at two under and Fowler at one under.
At the 16th tee, Rory McIlroy misses the green left, leaving him a tough chip. But he did just birdie the 15th, which has him one back at three under along with Kuchar & co.
6:05 PM: After missing the green well left at the 18th, then hitting his pitch way past the hole, Tony Finau still saves par from 13 feet to post a four-under 68. Adventurous, but good enough for the clubhouse lead. And to think we all thought this guy broke his ankle on Wednesday.
Back at 16, the trio of Mickelson, Fowler and Kuchar continues to thrill, each hitting a 7-iron inside 10 feet at the par 3.
6:00 PM: Guess who is back atop the leader board at the Masters.. Jordan Spieth, who just made a second straight birdie at the 14th. He could be the solo leader in a matter of minutes as Tony Finau, like many of the leaders coming up the 18th on Thursday, is struggling to hold that four under number.
Spieth isn't the only one making some noise late in the day either. Dustin Johnson has made three birdies in his last four holes, including at the 14th where he nearly spun it back into the cup for eagle. He's back to level par. Up ahead at the 15th green, Phil Mickelson makes birdie to get to one under and Rickie Fowler matches him to get to even par. The third member of their group, Matt Kuchar, also makes birdie and is at two under. It's all happening now.
5:45 PM : Nudge us if you've heard this before: Jordan Spieth is in the mix at Augusta. The three-time major champ is just one off Tony Finau's lead with another birdie.
5:05 PM : Tony Finau just hit another fabulous pitch shot -- this one on 15 -- to get back into a share of the lead with Haotong Li.
4:57 PM : How about Haotong! Your solo leader is now China's Haotong Li. The 22-year-old birdied the 16th hole to get to 4-under—good enough for the solo lead.
4:52 PM : Ouch! Tony Finau hit a sporty pitch from behind the 14th green to three feet—looking like he'd get up and down to keep the solo lead. Not so much. Short putts have been Finau's weakness all year, and another short miss at No. 14 has brought him back into a tie for the lead at 3-under.
Those now tied for the lead: Henrik Stenson, Adam Hadwin, Patrick Reed and Charley Hoffman (in with 3-under 69s) and Haotong Li (who has a good look for birdie at 16).
4:45 PM : Haotong Li hit one of the best shots you'll see to a front pin at the par-5 15th hole—giving him a chance to tie Tony Finau atop the leaderboard. But his putt just missed on the left side of the hole. Still, a tap-in birdie puts Li one back of Finau.
Li, who, you might recall finished third at the Open last year after shooting a 63, has serious game. He took down Rory McIlroy by a stroke earlier this year in Dubai to win on the European Tour. It's early—but this is an impressive start from the young Chinese golfer.
Also in Li's group is 58-year-old Fred Couples ... who before the tournament told us about his back injury that has prevented him from playing any golf since January ... is now under par at Augusta National. This should surprise nobody, given his penchant for contending at the Masters.
4:40 PM : Phil Mickelson made an absurd 46-footer at the first hole for a hot start, and then birdied the third in typical Phil fashion -- but his round has been up and down since then. This photo might say it all -- from the 11th hole.
4:35 PM: Thursday's leaders are having trouble finishing their rounds. Shortly after Henrik Stenson bogeyed No. 18 to fall to three under, playing partners Charley Hoffman and Adam Hadwin do the same exact thing. That means there are currently four players in the clubhouse at three under. However, there is now a new solo leader: Tony Finau. Yep, the same Tony Finau who dislocated his ankle about 24 hours ago and popped it back in himself. Other than Larry Mize (No offense, Larry), Finau probably would have been the last guy we would have predicted to be in this position. Incredible.
4:19 PM: Henrik Stenson bogeys the 18th hole, but he's still the early clubhouse leader after shooting 69. Not a bad way to celebrate your 42nd birthday. It matches the second-best score at Augusta National for the Swede, who has never finished better than T-14 at the Masters.
4:10 PM: Jordan Spieth has lived on leader boards at Augusta National in his career with a win and two runner-ups in four starts, and he's making another early push on Thursday. After giving back two early birdies with a pair of bogeys on No. 5 and No. 7, Spieth hit his second shot on the par-5 eighth hole to 14 feet and converted the eagle putt to jump back to two under. A T-3 in Houston last week put him back among the favorites entering this week, but his putting (Ranked 185th in strokes gained) has held him back this season. Still, seeing his name among the leaders on this golf course is never a surprise.
4:00 PM: After a bogey on No. 7, Rory McIlroy birdied the par-5 eighth to get back to red figures for the day. McIlroy began the week as one of the foursome of tournament favorites (10-to-1 odds), according to Westgate Las Vegas Sportsbook. This is his fourth attempt at completing the career Grand Slam.
3:55 PM: Oh, Canada! Adam Hadwin makes back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 to join Henrik Stenson and Charley Hoffman at four under at the top of the leader board. Hadwin is trying to follow in Mike Weir's footsteps as a Canuck green jacket winner.
3:45 PM: Tiger Woods makes two-putt pars at both 17 and 18 to finish with a one-over 73. Not what he or his legions of fans were hoping for, but it also could have been a LOT worse. Woods looked like he would drop to four over until he rolled in a long bogey putt from the fringe on No. 12. He then made birdies on 14 and 16.
And if you're worried about Woods not getting off to a great start at the Masters, don't. Only once (2010) has he opened with a score in the 60s. In his first three wins, he started with 70 and in his fourth, he began with 74. Woods is currently five shots behind co-leaders Henrik Stenson and Charley Hoffman.
Meanwhile, playing partner Marc Leishman made a sporty par on 18 after finding the trees with his tee shot and having to punch out. Leishman was leading for most of the day until a double bogey on No. 15. Still, a 70 is a strong start for the Aussie in search of his first major championship. The third member of this featured group, Tommy Fleetwood, opened with 70.
3:40 PM: Zach Johnson, the 2008 Masters champ, is in the mix again following a birdie on No. 18 for an opening 70 that gives him (for the moment) a share of the clubhouse lead with Bernd Wiesberger. Meanwhile, another former champ, Fred Couples, flashed some magic on the 12th hole:
Of course, it was there where he got one of the most fortuitous breaks in golf history in 1992 when his tee shot hung up on the bank above Rae's Creek and he saved par. Whenever Freddie finally goes, he might want his ashes scattered on the famed par 3. . .
3:37 PM: Gotta give Sergio Garcia some credit. After carding that 13 on 15, he made a 2 on 16 for a bounceback birdie. In other news, Charley Hoffman -- a perennial early-round leader board lurker at Augusta National -- is now tied for the lead with Henrik Stenson.
3:27 PM: Sergio Garcia will be back at next year's Champions Dinner, but it doesn't look like he'll be selecting the menu again. The Spaniard just suffered a Tin Cup-esque moment on the par-5 15th, depositing five balls (yes, FIVE) in the water.
Garcia arrived at the hole at two over par, but after carding a disastrous 13(!), he is suddenly 10 over and in second-to-last place. Hey, he named his daughter "Azalea" (after the par-5 13th), not "Firethorn."
3:20 PM: An incredible story is developing as Tony Finau has tied for the lead after making the turn at three under. Masters rookies rarely contend no matter the circumstances, but it's a minor miracle that Tony even teed it up today after dislocating his ankle celebrating an ace in Wednesday's Par 3 Contest.
3:13 PM: BANG! Woods rolls in a birdie on the par-3 16th to get back to one over. It wasn't quite an "IN YOUR LIFE!" moment, but it was an important putt for Tiger, nevertheless. We expected Woods see to make two birdies in a three-hole stretch on the back nine, but not 14 and 16.
3:07 PM: Woods' birdie effort comes up short, but a par to stay at two over looks good now that we've seen what Leishman did. The Aussie made a mess of the 15th, hitting his second over the green and then pitching his third into the water in front of the green. He walked away with double bogey to drop to two under, two back of Stenson, who is now the new solo leader at four under after two-putting for birdie at the par-5 13th.
Charley Hoffman also converted on a birdie at the 13th, putting him one back at three under with Adam Hadwin. Two back along with Leishman are Spieth and Finau, who is not only playing well in his first Masters start, but doing it with an injured ankle.
2:55 PM: Woods' drive goes right again at 15. That's been the miss, and it forces him to lay up. He's using up the whole course on Thursday.
2:48 PM: Bang. Woods holes the birdie putt at 14. Big momentum shift with the par-5 15th coming up. Knowing him, he might just salvage this round.
Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth quickly moves on to the first page of the leader board with two birdies on his first three holes. He joins Wiesberger, who is in the clubhouse, and Charley Hoffman, who just made his third birdie of the day at the 12th to get to two under.
Vijay Singh finishes with a bogey at 18 to post a one-under 71, matching Satoshi Kodaira, who birdied 18 for his 71. One under is looking pretty good right now, with Leishman at four under through 14. Henrik Stenson and Adam Hadwin are just one back at three under.
2:40 PM: Woods finds the fairway at the 14th and then hits one of his best approach shots of the day to seven feet. It's not even 3 p.m. on Thursday, but this feels like a must make, especially considering Leishman has a good look at birdie as well to get to five under.
2:26 PM: Leishman was able to convert at the 13th, two-putting for birdie to get to four under and regain the solo lead.
2:25 PM: With a 27-foot birdie conversion at the 11th, Stenson now joins Leishman at three under. Both players have yet to make a bogey. At the 12th, Justin Thomas makes his third birdie of the day to get to one under, joining a group that includes McIlroy and Mickelson.
Everybody is now out on the course, including Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, who are all at even par early in their rounds.
At the 13th, Woods finds the green with his third shot and just misses the putt for birdie. Three over through 13, and no birdies on the par 5s yet.
2:14 PM: Your new leader in the clubhouse is Bernd Wiesberger, who carded a two-under 70 highlighted by this 36-footer for birdie at the par-5 15th:
Vijay Singh can match him with two more pars at 17 and 18, or perhaps best him with a birdie. Also at two under are Henrik Stenson and Adam Hadwin, who are each through 10 holes.
2:10 PM: Woods' pitch comes up just short of the green in the fringe at No. 12, but he's able to drain the putt for bogey. What a save to only fall to three over, with two par 5s coming up. He can still grind out a solid round.
Leishman continues to plug along, making his fifth consecutive par to stay at three under. Wiesberger, Singh and Stenson are just one back.
2:00 PM: Oh boy. Woods' tee shot at the 12th finds Rae's Creek. Big trouble.
1:56 PM: Woods falls to two over after a two-putt bogey at the 11th. Not ideal, but still just five back of Leishman. No one going crazy low quite yet at Augusta.
1:54 PM: Major trouble for Woods at the 11th after his drive misses way right and then his second shot .. well, I'm not sure what happened. But it did not go far and it went into the gallery on the right. Par would be a minor miracle at this point.
Meanwhile, a few other players have gotten to two under, including Patrick Reed and Charley Hoffman, who went off at 11:15 a.m. together. They both birdied the par-5 eighth.
All the way back at the first hole, Phil Mickelson starts is quest for a fourth green jacket with a birdie at the first. Rory McIlroy also birdied the first, and he and Mickelson join a large group at one under that includes Thomas Pieters and Tony Finau, who has bounced back with two birdies at the second and fourth holes after a bogey at the first.
1:36 PM: Woods' drive finds the fairway at the 10th, but his approach shot missed the green just right. He got lucky though, as it stayed out of the bunker and he played a delicate chip to tap-in range for a par. Leishman makes another par as well to stay at three under, which is now good enough for the solo lead after Singh makes bogey at the 14th. He's back to two under along with Stenson and Wiesberger.
1:34 PM: While all the masters.com featured group coverage has been focused on Woods, the other group they're following features Hideki Matsuyama, who has made 11 straight pars to start his round, including a testy nine-foot slider for par just now at the 11th. Matsuyama's fellow countryman Satoshi Kodaira also has a great round going in his first Masters appearance, sitting at one under par thanks to this hole-out at the par-4 seventh. He's followed with six straight pars:
1:24 PM: Two-putt par for Woods and he turns in one-over 37. He's four back of Leishman, who also made par at the ninth to stay at three under.
Another past champion, Zach Johnson, gets into red figures, holing a 16-footer for birdie at the par-4 10th. He joins Immelman, Lyle and Singh among the pack of past champs who are under par. Speaking of Singh, he just got to three under to grab a share of the lead with a birdie at the 13th.
1:17 PM: First group is in, with Potter, Jr. posting a 73 and Austin Cook and Wesley Bryan each carding two-over 74s. As for some of the other marquee names, they aren't doing much better than Woods, who just found the green with his second shot at the ninth. Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson are also at one over, Sergio Garcia is two over and Jason Day has fallen all the way to four over.
1:10 PM: Leishman is still the solo leader, but now Henrik Stenson is just one back after making his second birdie of the day at the par-4 seventh. He and Singh are tied for second.
How about this card from Ted Potter, Jr.? The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner was five over after making a double at the 11th hole. Time to pack it in for the week, right? Wrong!
Talk about a battle. Looks like we jinxed him though, as he just bogeyed the 18th. But to finish with a one-over 73 after falling to five over through 11 is remarkable.
1:02 PM: Woods' pitch shot runs long, and he settles for a two-putt par. He's one over through eight.
12:53 PM: Once again, Woods stripes a drive at the par-5 eighth, and then plays a rope hook up near the green. Should have a good chance to get up-and-down for par.
Meanwhile, Vijay Singh gets back to two under with a birdie at the difficult par-4 11th. Not a bad way to pick up a stroke on the field for the 2000 Masters champion. He's one back of Leishman in solo second. Also back in red figures is Bernd Wiesberger thanks to a birdie at the par-5 13th. He's among a large group at one under that includes Stenson, Reed and Hoffman. Some early highlights from the morning wave:
12:40 PM: Woods gave it a good run, but it just misses on the left side and he walks away with a par to remain at one over. Leishman extends his lead with a birdie, putting him a three under, two clear of Singh, Kodaira, Reed, Hoffman, and now Henrik Stenson, Sandy Lyle and Trevor Immelman. Interesting front page of the board right now.
12:31 PM: Vintage stinger 3-wood for Woods at the par-4 seventh, leaving 148 yards to the hole. His approach ends up on the green, but it's a bit long, and he'll have a tough downhill look for birdie.
12:24 PM: Woods' short birdie look never had a chance, sliding by on the left side. Disappointing par to stay at one over. Leishman's par save, however, was an impressive one, with the Aussie getting up-and-down from well off the left side of the green to stay at two under.
12:19 PM: Huge bounce back tee shot for Woods at the par-3 sixth, striping one to seven feet. Good look at birdie coming up.
12:07 PM: Woods went with the safe play at No. 5, opting to hit 3-wood, and it ends up in the fairway bunker. From there he put one on the front of the green, leaving him a long birdie putt, which he blew past the hole and then missed the next. Back-to-back bogeys for Woods and he drops to one over.
A couple groups back, Patrick Reed and Charley Hoffman join the one under party, each making birdie at the par-5 second. Thomas and Garcia both bogeyed the par-3 fourth to fall back to even par. Leishman remains the solo leader as he works on a bogey-free, two-under round through five holes.
11:48 PM: Woods hit his bunker shot well past the hole and it costs him a shot as he two-putts for bogey. Back to even par through four holes.
11:46 AM: Woods was staring down his tee shot at the par-3 fourth, but it ended up just short in the bunker. Tough break, but should be a pretty straightforward bunker shot. Leishman is now the solo leader at two under, as Singh drops a second shot in a row at the seventh. He's joined at one under by Woods, Kodaira, Garcia, Thomas and U.S. Amateur winner Doc Redman, who just birdied the par-4 third. Not a bad leader board early on Thursday:
11:36 AM: Woods' pitch shot rolled about 10 feet past the hole, and then he walked his birdie putt to get to one under. The aggressive driver play pays off, and he's now one off the lead, which belongs to Singh and Woods' playing partner Leishman, who rolled in a long birdie putt at the second. Here's Tiger's putt:
Two groups behind them, Thomas and Garcia both birdie the second hole to get to one under.
11:22 AM: Woods pulls driver at No. 3 and pipes it again. Very, very good sign, as that was the one club everyone was worried about coming into the week. He's got a short pitch shot coming up.
Up ahead, Singh drops his first shot at the par-3 sixth and now sits at two under, one up on Leishman and O'Meara.
11:17 AM: Following a decent bunker shot, Woods hits a great putt that just missed catching the edge. After that drive, par feels like a big missed opportunity, but it's still only Thursday morning. Leishman did make birdie, putting him at one under two back of Singh.
11:11 AM: With a golden opportunity to knock one on and get an eagle look, Woods mishits his approach and puts it in the front right bunker at No. 2. In the group right behind, Justin Thomas and Sergio Garcia each par the first hole.
11:01 AM: Great sign at No. 2 for Woods as he crushes one that bounds down the fairway and should leave him a mid-iron into the green. He's going to need a birdie to hang with these old guys. Check out this leader board:
Singh, O'Meara, is it 1999?
10:57 AM: From all the way at the front of the green Woods lags it perfectly to a back-right pin and cleans it up for par. Huge save after an ugly drive. Leishman and Fleetwood started off with pars as well.
10:51 AM: OK, Woods hits a solid second shot up near the green from the pine straw. Up-and-down would be a victory here, and it would put him three back of Vijay Singh, who is now at three under after making another birdie at the par-3 fourth. Impressive start from the 55-year-old.
10:45 AM: Well, it wouldn't be a Thursday at the Masters without Tiger pulling his tee shot well left of the fairway. Even with a 3-wood in hand, Woods tugged it a bit, but it looks to be not too bad. Meanwhile, Fleetwood finds the fairway with ease and Leishman misses a little left.
10:32 AM: Back-to-back birdies for Vijay to open his round, giving him a one-shot lead over Wiesberger and Japan's Satoshi Kodaira, who just birdied the second to get to one under. What a start for the Big Fiijan, who has missed his last two cuts at the Masters. Long way to go, but his form on the PGA Tour Champions of late suggests he could make the weekend at Augusta for the first time since 2015.
We're now just 12 minutes away from Tiger Woods' opening round of the Masters getting underway. Get excited, people.
10:02 a.m. : Just before 10 a.m. on Thursday, Tiger Woods appeared on the practice range at Augusta National, hitting some crisp pitch shots and warming up for his 10:42 tee time alongside Marc Leishman and Tommy Fleetwood. Not surprisingly, the cameras on the live feed from the range haven't moved off Tiger. Everyone is anxious to see how the four-time Masters champion plays in his return to Augusta—playing some great golf coming into the 2018 Masters.
We now have solo leaders—Austria's Bernd Wiesberger birdied the par-4 third hole to get to 1-under, and 2000 Masters champion Vijay Singh started his day with a birdie at the difficult first hole to get to 1-under.
9:57 a.m. : Some of the biggest news of the morning at Augusta National is that Tony Finau will attempt to tee it up after his freakish injury during Wednesday's Par-3 Content, in which he dislocated his ankle in celebrating his hole-in-one.
Now we have a live look at Finau's ankle, courtesy of ESPN's dogged reporter Darren Rovell.
Hopefully there are lots of highlights from Thursday's action so we can bury this photo of Finau's foot. Not exactly the type of photos you want to see early on Masters Thursday, we're sure—but it's significant news nonetheless.
9:52 AM: We have our third birdie of the day at the par-4 first, and it comes from 2000 Masters champion Vijay Singh, who now has the solo lead.
9:44 a.m.: From two under to one over in the blink of an eye. Colorful start for Ryan Moore:
That means we have a 10-way tie for the lead at even par at the Masters.
9:37 a.m.: Moore drops a shot at the short par-4 third, ending #59Watch on Thursday at the Masters, for now. Meanwhile, Cook gets a shot back with a birdie at the par-3 fourth. He and Bryan are at even par through four, one back of Moore, who is through three holes.
9:22 a.m.: Ryan Moore is off to a flying start, backing up his opening birdie with another at the par-5 second to get to two under. That gives that '04 U.S. Amateur winner a two-shot lead over Wesley Bryan, who is at even par through three holes. Austin Cook, the only other guy to make birdie at the first so far, has made back-to-back bogeys to drop to one over.
9:17 a.m.: After suffering that gruesome ankle injury while celebrating a hole-in-one in the Par 3 Contest, Tony Finau's MRI came back positive on Thursday morning, and it looks like he will give it a go. Great news, especially for a Masters first-timer. Finau looks poised to play in plenty of Masters in his career, but you never know how many chances you're going to get. He's set to tee off at 12:43 p.m. alongside Yuta Ikeda and two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer.
9:05 a.m.: Here's full video of the Honorary Starters ceremony. Good stuff, as always:
9:02 a.m.: Ryan Moore joins Cook in the lead with a birdie at No. 1. By the way, here are the pin positions for Thursday, making birdie at first all the more impressive with that back right location:
8:56 a.m.: Before Austin Cook grabbed the first-round lead, Jack and Gary got things underway:
8:51 a.m.: The first group is off and have completed the first hole. Austin Cook made birdie, making him the solo leader at the Masters. He'll always be able to share that fact! Ted Potter, Jr. and Augusta native Wesley Bryan each made par. We're off and running.
