It’s hard to keep up with all the goings-on at Augusta – so let us keep you up to speed with what you may have missed in our daily Masters report. Starting with…
Masters Report Day 1
It was a thoroughly entertaining Thursday at Augusta. Let’s dive in.
So what happened?
Brooks Koepka kept Greg Norman’s dream of a LIV Golf Masters winner alive with an outstanding round of 65.
Koepka will share the lead going into Friday’s second round with Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland.
The Spaniard shook off a four-putt double-bogey on the 1st and needed just 59 shots to play holes 2 to 18, while Hovland, playing with Tiger Woods, carded five birdies and an eagle for a bogey-free day.
A penny for European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald’s thoughts.
As for Woods, he made three bogeys in his first seven holes to fall down the leaderboard going on to card a 74.
And how are our boys getting on?
History is against Rory McIlroy, whose Grand Slam hopes look over for another year as his opening round woes here continued with a hard-fought level-par 72 that leaves him seven off the pace already. Only Tiger Woods has come from outside the top 10 to win the Masters.
Justin Rose is the leading UK player after a 3-under 69, while fellow Englishmen Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton are also in the red at 2- and 1-under respectively.
Like McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood is in the Crow’s Nest at level-par, while 2016 champion Danny Willett – the last Briton to win the Masters – slumped to a 3-over 75.
Northern Ireland amateur Matt McClean, playing in the second group, was 2-under through four to briefly lead the tournament, but he ended his day at 5-over, while 1988 champion Sandy Lyle, playing for the very last time in this competition, was the only player to fail to break 80.
Speaking of the amateurs…
Sam Bennett! Playing with defending champion Scottie Scheffler and patron favourite Max Homa, Bennett did this…
What was the biggest talking point?
Well, there were two key talking points – and you’ll be surprised that they both involved the Rules of Golf.
Social media lit up when a clip of Brooks Koepka’s caddie Ricky Elliott gesturing towards Gary Woodland’s bagman Brennan Little. Elliott, the amateur lip readers said, was telling Little what club Koepka had just used. This is, of course, against the rules.
Koepka was asked about it in his post-round interview, and he dismissed it as just gossip, while Augusta National also released a statement to say they had consulted the four people involved, there was no wrongdoing and no penalties would be dished out.
They wrote: “Following the completion of Brooks Koepka’s round, the Committee questioned the caddie and others in the group about a possible incident on No. 15. All involved were adamant that no advice was given or requested. Consequently, the Committee determined that there was no breach of the Rules.”
Earlier in the first round, Collin Morikawa was on the 6th green when he appeared to put his ball down a couple of inches in front of his marker.
Again, after initial social media uproar – when are we going to learn? – it transpired the two-time major champion’s ball had previously moved as he addressed it, and he put it back in the correct spot.
Here’s our Rules of Golf expert Steve Carroll to explain.
Well, if you ask a silly question…
Brooks Koepka decided to go into some pretty gruesome details about his injury, of which we’ll spare you, but this back and forth about why he’s not wearing LIV Golf-branded gear this week was very funny. (Footnote: Koepka has never worn LIV Golf-branded gear.)
If Koepka shooting down a reporter’s question with side-eyes and sarcasm doesn’t prove he’s back, then what will?
Any terrible clothing choices?
Well, it’s a matter of opinion, of course. Let’s just say Viktor Hovland turned most heads…
While Jon Rahm also had a rather interesting take on Masters-themed footwear…
Brooks Koepka was on fire at Augusta – shame his wardrobe wasn’t able to match…
What was the best shot of the day?
Viktor Hovland’s short game is as dodgy as his fashion sense, but this was something else…
Did everyone finish?
A big fat no on this count. Kevin Na withdrew after 10 holes due to illness, while Will Zalatoris’s rotten luck with injuries continued in Georgia as he was also forced to pull out during the first day.
The second-round tee times have been moved forward half an hour with weather threatening to put a dampener on proceedings. Wonder if we’ll be seeing an appearance from the famous Augusta marker…
Stat of the day
We started on Brooks Koepka, and we’ll finish on Brooks Koepka…
Alex Perry
