Masters 2016: The ‘Big Three’ watch
Before every Major tournament the main focus always appears to be on how the so-called ‘Big Three’ of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory Mcllory will do.
All three got their 2016 Masters campaigns off to a great start, but it was defending champion Spieth who shone brightest.
The 22-year-old Texan stormed into the lead with a bogey-free round, the only player to achieve that out of the 89 players on show, and is on six-under-par after shooting 66.
Perhaps surprisingly Spieth was some way down the board in hitting greens in regulation.
The World No 2 hit 12 out of 18 greens (66.7 per cent), some way behind joint second-placed Shane Lowry, who is on four-under-par, after he hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation (83.33 per cent).
Mcllory (72.22 per cent) and World No 1 Day (77.78 per cent) fared slightly better than Spieth in hitting greens and both enjoyed solid opening rounds.
World No 3 Mcllory is on two-under-par after shooting a round of 70, which included an eagle on the par-5 13th.
Day was five-under-par through the front nine, but a triple bogey on 16th, which was sandwiched either side of a bogey, meant his promising start ultimately ended in a level par round of 72.
Ernie Els six putting the first hole for a record nine grabbed a lot of the main headlines, but Spieth’s clinical golf, should he maintain his current form, will surely be the biggest talking point come Sunday.
And one statistic shows just how impressive the youngster has been at the Masters:
First nine rounds at the Masters as a pro
Spieth -29
Woods -21
Nicklaus L
Watson +3
Faldo +10
Player +18
Palmer +19