What term do you want to search? Search with google
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.
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.
Photo
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.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
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.
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.
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.
Photo
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.
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.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
Keep Watching
Bill Pennington: 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.
No. 12: Into the Water
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.
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.
Photo
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.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
Singh Joins Leishman Atop the Leaderboard
Vijay Singh just missed having a near-perfect second shot on the par-5 13th. But his shot instead was a foot too far to the left and rolled down into the collection area beside the green. Still, he managed to putt it from off the green to within a few feet and tapped in to save birdie, pulling him atop the leaderboard alongside Leishman at 3-under. The 55-year-old went 2-under par through Amen Corner, with birdies at 11 and 13.
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.
Photo
Henrik Stenson is On a Roll
With all due respect to 55-year-old Vijay Singh, the player at 2-under who is most dangerous is Henrik Stenson, the 2016 British Open winner. He has two birdies and no bogeys through 7, playing in a group with Bubba Watson (1-over) and Jason Day (4-over after three straight bogeys).
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.
Now That’s an Up-and-Down Round
Ted Potter Jr., part of the first group of the day, is having a round to remember. He sank to 5-over through 11, then ripped off birdies at 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 to get back to even par. He missed the cut in his only other Masters appearance, in 2013.
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.
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.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
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.
Related Reading: Will Sponsors Return to Tiger?
Despite his troubles and controversies, golf fans seem willing — even eager — to embrace Tiger Woods’s comeback. Will corporate America feel the same? Read this article from Zach Schonbrun.
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.
Photo
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.
Photo
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.
Photo
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.
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.
Mickelson now at 17 with another excellent approach that really should have trickled back down the slop and got even closer. Still a good look at birdie from there.
Spieth makes no mistake at 15, he now leads on his own at five-under.
Fine save from Rory McIlroy at 16, he remains at three-under par. Jon Rahm bogeys and drops to two-over - not sure he has the patience for this course.
Dustin Johnson has a shy at the 15th in two, but it comes up short and in the water. Will need to get up and down from the drop zone to save his par.
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
RELATED: Introducing Golf Digest All Access, a new way to improve
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.
