The Masters 2018: First round live scores and Augusta leaderboard as Sergio Garcia takes 13 on one hole

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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.

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.

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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 Master’s 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 amongst 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.

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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.

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Phil Mickelson Opens with a Birdie

Zach Johnson, the 2007 Master’s 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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 3green, 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.

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.

Tiger Woods’s History at Augusta

If Woods is going to return to glory, Augusta is the place. Even when Woods was not playing great, he often managed something good at the Masters. He has missed three of the last four Masters with various ailments, but he placed fourth in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

Vijay Singh 2-Under After 2

Vijay Singh sinks a 6-footer to birdie No. 2 and move to 2-under, still alone at the top. Under par starts for Bernd Wiesberger and Satoshi Kodaira too. But even the world’s biggest Bernd Wiesberger and Satoshi Kodaira fans are likely to be turning their attention in another direction in 10 minutes time as Tiger Woods prepares to tee off.

Tiger Woods Warming Up

Tiger countdown: It’s one of the most anticipated tee-offs in years. Tiger Woods, rejuvenated and back at Augusta, site of some of his greatest triumphs. Will he be the Tiger Woods of old, shooting low and daring the field to come after him? Or the Tiger Woods who struggled with injuries and personal demons for years? We’ll find out soon. He’s on the practice tee right now, with a black cap and black sweater. His first swing comes at 10:42 a.m. Eastern.

Injury Update: Tony Finau Will Play

Tony Finau is expected to be among those starting at 12:43, to his relief. Finau celebrated a hole-in-one in the par-3 exhibition on Wednesday a little too jubilantly and dislocated an ankle. He did not finish the event, but word is he will play today.

The First Group Is Off the Tee

The Masters got underway at 8:30 a.m. Eastern with an opening threesome that lacked big names: Austin Cook, Wesley Bryan and Ted Potter Jr. All three qualified by winning a Tour event in the last year, but among them they have only four career Tour wins. Cook is the (very) early leader after making a birdie. Former champ Ian Woosnam is in the second group, and amateur fireman Matt Parziale in group 3. Tiger Woods tees off at 10:42.

What to Expect in Round 1

• Woods loves Augusta National. In 18 professional appearances at the Masters he has four wins and 11 total top-10 finishes.

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• Who’s hot? Well, three big names all won important events in March. Phil Mickelson, a three-time Masters winner, won in Mexico for his first PGA victory in almost five years. Rory McIlroy, who has won every major but the Masters, won the Arnold Palmer. And Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters winner, won the match-play event in Texas.

• Who are those guys with Tiger? All eyes will be on Woods in his threesome, especially since his playing partners are relatively unheralded. Marc Leishman, a 34-year-old Australian, has three PGA wins, while 27-year-old Tommy Fleetwood plays mostly in Europe. Each is about 75-1 to win. (Woods is among the favorites at 15-1.)

• At 24, Justin Thomas is the reigning PGA champion, won a Tour event in Florida in February and is the second ranked golfer in the world. But is Augusta his kind of course? He was 39th and 22nd in his two starts here.

He acknowledged that he has been picking the brains of veterans to make up for his inexperience. But, he said, “I think that Tiger’s probably going to be a little harder to get stuff out of than when he was hurt and I was asking him questions.”

• The battle for low amateur can be an entertaining sideshow. Joaquin Niemann of Chile, the Latin American Amateur champion, is the favorite of the six amateurs, but firefighter Matt Parziale may be the sentimental choice.

• The Masters has the smallest field of any of the majors, but does allow all ex-champions to play, even those who have not contended in a while. This year those include Bernhard Langer (1985 and ’93), Fred Couples (’92), Ian Woosnam (’91), Sandy Lyle (’88) and Larry Mize (’87). All of them can be had at 1,000-1 odds.

• Jack Nicklaus (six wins) and Gary Player (three) aren’t playing, but were the ceremonial honorary starters.

Still no Sky coverage until 8pm, so we plod along with the featured groups. Matsuyama pars the 16th to stay at two-over. Fleetwood is making a pig's ear of 14 but almost makes a monster par putt to get himself out of jail. Not to be, he's back to two-over.

The hero of the hour Leishman lags to within inches of the cup, and that's another par on the card. Playing beautifully.

Tiger stalks another birdie chance...this one looks very makeable. But then they all do from here.

Catches enough of the left edge, and that's a birdie three. Boy, Eldrick needed that. Two-over with a par-five next and an accessible pin at 16.

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