The Masters 2025 LIVE: Round 1 leaderboard, tee times, golf scores & radio from Augusta

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Thanks for joining us today.
It was all going so well for Rory McIlroy as well until two double bogeys in the last four holes sent him tumbling down the leaderboard.
There don’t appear to be any quotes from the Northern Irishman to bring you at this time.
Still it has been quite a day for England’s Justin Rose and ominously world number one, Scottie Scheffler is in hot pursuit in a trio three shots back.
You can read our report on the first round and Jose Luis Ballester’s, external mid-round toilet habits if
We will be back on Friday at 13:00 BST for the second round of the Masters.
Catch you then.
Couples -1 (71)
Media caption,
Fred Couples makes 191-yard eagle on 14
Earlier in the first round, Fred Couples became the second-oldest man to shoot under par at the Masters – and only by a month from Tom Watson!
At 65, the 1992 Masters winner turned back time majestically with this frankly ridiculous shot from 191 yards and finished one under par.
That’s basically better than world number two Rory McIlroy, number three Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa, who is fourth in the rankings..
Last year, he shot 80 and 76 on his way to missing the cut.
He’s in with a shout of the weekend this time round.
Just the group containing Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka and Sam Burns to come now.
None of the trio are threatening the top of the leaderboard mind.
Rahm +3, Fleetwood +1, (18)
It has largely been a frustrating day for Jon Rahm but an inventive shot from the right greenside bunker on the 18th, aiming miles right of the pin, helps him restrict the damage at least, as he walks off with a par.
Tommy Fleetwood also ends with a par and it is a one-over 73 for the Englishman.
The last few players finishing off their first rounds on the course now…
Rose -7 (65)
England’s Justin Rose speaking after a seven-under 65 to lead the Masters in round one: “Starting the day it was very much in my own bubble, my own game. And you’re off to a good start, and you’re aware you’re in the tournament from the word go and your name is on the leaderboard, and the crowd around you know you’re playing well and you get energy from them as well.
“And then there was a nice special run, eight, nine, 10, and I got to six under. That’s when the day felt a bit different. That’s when I felt I was doing something potentially more on the special side.
“You have Amen Corner to come, and you’re never really ahead of yourself until you’re through 12 anyway, but good pars on 11 and 12. And felt like there was an opportunity to really post a low score, to be honest with you, and I did a great job on the back nine.
“The putt at No. 16, at that point maybe got ahead of myself. I felt like 17 and 18 were potential birdie holes with where the pins are. So I felt like, you know, I was definitely looking forward and looking to do something special today. Overall, I think great day. And yeah, I played a lot of golf here at Augusta National. So to come away with my equal best score is certainly an achievement for me.”
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -3, Lowry -1 (18)
Shane Lowry finishes his round with a flourish but there are no birdies for Bryson DeChambeau or Hideki Matsuyama on the 18th.
Matsuyama has a look of disbelief as his putt scoots all the way around the cup and stays up.
That one looked like it defied gravity. Lots of love for Bryson as he heads off the green with a par and an opening 69 will give him plenty of encouragement for Friday.
Rahm +3 (17)
Jon Rahm, a winner in this parish in 2023, looks seriously miffed as he stomps off the 17th green. The Spaniard, looked to have drained a birdie putt from 11 feet only to see his ball lip out.
He’s had plenty of looks today but very little fortune on the greens.
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -3, Lowry E (17)
Superb shot from the 2021 winner. Hideki Matsuyama zips into four feet with his approach into the 18th. The gallery are loving that.
Bryson DeChambeau stiffs his effort into 11 feet before Shane Lowry absolutely flushes one into five feet, Three birdies to finish?
Lowry is currently in a tie for 26th with his big friend Rory McIlroy.
Recent history says you just have to be in the top 10 after the first round to stand a chance of winning the Masters – as only two of the last 20 Green Jacket winners sat outside the top 10 after 18 holes.
And on both occasions that was Tiger Woods, who as T11 in 2019 and 33rd in 2005. So apart from Tiger the winners of 18 of the last 20 Masters have all been inside the top 10 after Thursday’s play.
And even in terms of the score, the furthest an eventual champion has ever been behind after round one is seven strokes, with only Nick Faldo (1990) and Tiger Woods (2005) managing to win after ending the first round seven shots behind the leader.
Simply put, players outside the top 10 tonight might as well go home, right?
McIlroy E, Aberg -3, Bhatia -2 (18)
Rory McIlroy, goes right into the pines off the tee on 18. His direct route to the green is blocked so he punches a low shot up towards the dance floor and then nearly chips in before saving his par.
There is a slight look of resignation as he does that. What might have been eh?
Akshay Bhatia rounds of his round with a third consecutive birdie, what a finish from the 23-year-old American.
It’s also a very satisfactory ending to the first round for Ludvig Aberg, who collects his fourth birdie on the back nine to move into a tie for second.
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -3, Lowry E (17)
Bryson DeChambeau gets off 17 having shipped just one shot.
Can he bounce back on the 18th?
McIlroy E, Aberg -3, Bhatia -1 (17)
This is where it all started to go wrong for Rory McIlroy, who has tumbled down the leaderboard into a tie for 28th.
Media caption,
McIlroy finds water to double 15
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -4, Lowry -1 (16)
Bryson DeChambeau was cruising but a loose tee shot down the left has him in all sorts of bother down the 17th.
Is his round about to go the same way as Rory’s?
Hovland -1 (71)
Viktor Hovland has had an indifferent opening day but his post-round meal is going to taste a little better after he closed with a birdie on the 18th.
That’s three birdies in his final five holes and the Norwegian is in the red to start round two.
Media caption,
Rose extends Masters lead to four with consecutive birdies
While Rory McIlroy is making a meal of his closing holes, he’s a reminder of what our leader did a little earlier.Successive birdies helped Justin Rose open up a healthy lead.
McIlroy E, Aberg -3, Bhatia -1 (17)
Rory McIlroy makes a mess of another chip shot which doesn’t check at all and sprints almost 30 feet past the pin.
His par putt drifts on six feet and all of a sudden, what had been a very good round is unravelling.
Can he knock this in for a bogey? No, it stays left. This is going to be a double. His second in three holes.
Akshay Bhatia’s charge into the red number continues but it’ll just be a par for Ludvig Aberg.
Rahm +3 (15)
The 2023 Masters champions is having one of those rounds. Nothing seems to have gone right for Jon Rahm all day and he’s gesticulating wildly after his tee shot on the short 16th.
It’s not that bad Jon. His ball finds the heart of the green and meanders back down the hill to leave him with a 20-footer for birdie.
Fleetwood E (15)
Well, the television pictures have been a little Rory focused so we didn’t get to see Tommy Fleetwood’s eagle try on 15. I can tell you he missed it but had a short one for birdie to get back to where he started the day.
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -4, Lowry -1 (15)
A fairly simple birdie putt on the 16th and Bryson DeChambeau moves into a tie for second with Corey Conners and Scottie Scheffler.

Page 2

McIlroy -2, Aberg -3, Bhatia E (16)
Over on the 17th, Rory McIlroy’s tee shot strayed off to the right but he’s only in the first cut and takes a nine iron that flies through the green.
That was at least a club long and he’ll have a job on to just get up and down.
Both Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia will have realistic birdie chances coming up. This is a strong finish from the Swede in particular.
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -3, Lowry -1 (15)
Bryson DeChambeau is cooking on full gas at present. He plays a stunning iron into the 16th and will have pretty much have a tap in for birdie.
That was so good. No wonder he’s got a smile on his face as wide as the pond he is just about to walk around.
Fleetwood +1 (14)
Like so many before him today, Tommy Fleetwood finds himself in the middle of the 15th fairway and taking on the pond that guards the front of the green. Fairway wood in hand he hits a towering effort and his ball thuds into the green 10 feet from the pin and hops forward a few more.He’ll have a 25-footer for eagle. But it’s a treacherous putt. If he goes a couple of feet long, his ball will disappear into the water.
At least he’s going to have his putter in hand.
McIlroy -2, Aberg -3, Bhatia E (16)
Neither Ludvig Aberg or Rory McIlroy are able to convert difficult sliding putts across the 16th for birdies but both comfortably come away with threes.
Akshay Bhatia, who is playing in the Masters for the second time will have the honour down 17, after tapping in a putt even your average recreational golfer would be hard pressed to miss.
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -3, Lowry -1 (15)
How quick is that 15th green? As Rory McIlroy would testify to, it is pretty rapid but it does not catch Bryson DeChambeau out, who tickles an eagle putt from the back right down to three feet.
In goes the birdie putt and all of a sudden Bryson is in the mix in a tie for fourth.
McIlroy -2, Aberg -3, Bhatia +1 (15)
Ludvig Aberg’s round has very much been a slow burn but he lands his tee shot on the 16th right in the heart of the green and watches it trickle down closer to the pin to leave a birdie putt from 20 feet or so..
Akshay Bhatia goes one better with a glorious shot that rolls off the hump in the green and funnels down towards the cup. He’d expect to make a two from there.
Now what can Rory do? That isn’t bad but it’s only just maybe a fraction inside his Ryder Cup team-mates ball.
McIlroy -2, Aberg -3, Bhatia +1 (15)
Rory McIlroy plays a decent chip that settles around three feet from the pin. He has a putt for a double bogey.
Ludvig Aberg leapfrogs the Northern Irishman, making a birdie with two strokes from just off the back right.
McIlroy -4, Aberg -2, Bhatia E (14)
Rory McIlroy could really have done with watching what Patrick Cantlay did from the back of the 15th earlier. He pitches on with way too much gas and his ball rolls straight through the green, down the slope into the pond.
From playing his third from off the back of the green, he opts to go to the drop zone for his fifth and his chip goes right and ends up on the apron.
There could be more trouble to come here.
Media caption,
McIlroy finds water to double 15
Fleetwood +1 (14)
Here’s Tommy Fleetwood lining up his birdie putt on 14. Pulled it a fraction. Big chance to get back to level par goes begging.
Fleetwood +1 (13)
Following his birdie on the par-five 13th, Tommy Fleetwood goes flag hunting on the 14th with his second shot and his ball pulls up a dozen feet short of the hole.
He needs that to get back to level par.
McIlroy -4, Aberg -2, Bhatia E (14)
What a strike that is. Rory McIlroy has an iron out as he tries to travel the 232-yards to carry the pond on the 15th with his second.
He manages it easily, with his ball skipping off the back of the dance floor into the sort of area that Patrick Cantlay had so much trouble just a little earlier.
Ludvig Aberg is also over and just off the back fringe as Akshay Bhatia finds the drink coming round the trees from the left.
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -2, Lowry -1 (14)
Shane Lowry crouches in expectation as his knees buckle slightly and then sharply rises as his birdie attempt just stays left on the 14th. He’s had a few from 15 feet range and it’s maybe not quite been his day on the greens
Rose -7 (65)
Once the disappointment of that final bogey drifts away, Justin Rose will reflect on a stunning opening round of golf, and one that could give him a Masters record all by himself.
As Rose currently shares the record number of first round leads with the great Jack Nicklaus – with both men having previously had at least a share of the first round lead at four different Masters.
Should Rose still lead by the close of play that will make it five first round leads for him and the outright record. Of course, he’d swap them all to be leading at the close of play Sunday, but it’s a great start in any case.
Rahm +3, Clark -+1, Fleetwood +1 (13)
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Delicious from Tommy Fleetwood as he gets his approach game into gear at the par-five 13th. Three feet for a first birdie of the round and he tucks it in.
He’s back to one over par.
Jon Rahm has thundered onto the putting surface in two and eyeing up a long-distance eagle. It doesn’t drop but he claims a birdie too.
Unfortunately for Wyndham Clark, he’s gone backwards there and a bogey slips him to two over.
Rose -7 (65)
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Justin Rose can’t quite save his par, so annoyingly for him his one and only bogey of the day comes at the final hole, and it’s written all over his face just how disappointed he is in that.
Still, it’s a 65 for the Englishman, which ties his lowest ever Masters round, and more importantly it’s a three-shot lead he’s currently sitting on as he makes his way back into the clubhouse.
Rose -8 (17)
The smart choice from Justin Rose to just chip the ball out back to the fairway, and from there he hits the green with a solid iron but with still 15 feet or so to try and save his par.
McIlroy -4, Aberg -2, Bhatia E (14)
Rory McIlroy looks disappointed. He’s strolling off the 14th with a par scribbled on his card but after a very good looking second shot, he fancied himself for a birdie there from around eight feet.
That was a delicate one and he just misses on the right side.
Akshay Bhatia, has a slightly more cheery look after back-to-back birdies.
Matsuyama +1, DeChambeau -2, Lowry -1 (13)
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Bryson DeChambeau has endured none of the labours of his playing partners to get to the 13th and now drains a 15-foot putt for birdie.
Rose -8 (17)
Uh oh – Justin Rose has sprayed another tee shot wide right on the 18th and he’s in among the big trees looking for a gap to squeeze through to get back onto the fairway.
Just depends how willing he is to take his medicine or how much risk he wants to take on…
Matsuyama -1, DeChambeau -1, Lowry -1 (12)
Oh you’ve got to feel for Hideki Matsuyama there.
The 2021 champion lays up on the 13th and looks to have done everything right with his pitch on until it hits the flagstick and rebounds back into a tributary to Rae’s Creek winds in front of the raised green.
That’s an absolute shocker and will almost certainly cost him one, but more likely two shots.
Meanwhile, Shane Lowry takes the scenic route into the green, almost finding the flower bed to the left of the green, with his approach and will need to hit a couple of decent shots from there to regain any ground.

Page 3

Cantlay +2 (15)
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We’ve not mentioned Patrick Cantlay today.
Well, allow me to welcome the American in our live text in gruesome fashion – he’s just gone swimming at the par-five 15th. Twice.
Finally, he tidies up onto the green with a nicely judged seven iron and careful putt to make his triple bogey.
But eight shots on the hole makes it a snowman and perhaps the end of Cantlay’s challenge this week.
Rose -8 (17)
Justin Rose gets himself into a spot of trouble off the 17th tee, but he plays a brilliant escape from the pine straw down the right, then backs it up with a delicate chip and run to leave just a tap in for par.
So no 62 for Rose but a three up the last will give him a share of the course record of 63.
Fitzpatrick -2 (14)
Let’s not write off Matt Fitzpatrick shall we. He may have split with veteran caddie Billy Foster but he’s doing just fine in the first round here, with a birdie on 14 taking him back to two under.
McIlroy -4, Aberg -2, Bhatia +1 (12)
Rory McIlroy aims miles out right and tries to feather his eagle putt down the slope but that’s never going to turn in, so instead it’ll be a birdie putt from three feet.
Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia also claim very welcome birdies and are striding off as McIlroy’s ball is dropping into the cup for his four.
The Northern Irishman is now four strokes off the lead and in a tie for second with world number one Scottie Scheffler and Canada’s Corey Conners, who are already in the clubhouse.
Rahm +4, Clark -+1, Fleetwood +2 (12)
A settler for Jon Rahm at the 12th after consecutive bogeys. And particularly given he dumped his tee shot in the bunker around the par-three green.
Tommy Fleetwood makes it six pars in a row and Wyndham Clark matches them.
McIlroy -3, Aberg -1, Bhatia +2 (12)
Rory McIlroy will take that all day long. From almost in the pines on the 13th, he lands his second 20 feet from the pin.
There’s even a slight stroke of good fortune in the process with his ball catching Akshay Bhatia’s already stationary ball on the green and slowing up slightly quicker than expected.
Eagle chance incoming.
Rose -8 (16)
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Justin Rose needs to birdie one of the last two holes to equal the course record of 63 held jointly by Nick Price and Greg Norman – or even birdie both of them to become the first man ever to shoot 62 at Augusta National.
Norman shot just the second ever round of 63 at Augusta in 1996, and despite all the technology advances that modern players enjoy nobody has been able to match that in nearly three decades.
So while there have been 22 rounds of 63 shot in men’s majors since Norman’s effort, none of them have come at Augusta.
The other majors have all given up 62s – Brande Grace got the first at the 2017 Open Championship before Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler bagged two within minutes of each other at the 2023 US Open.
Schauffele again and Shane Lowry hit 62 at last year’s US PGA Championship – but Augusta will just not surrender to these modern big-hitters and all their technology!
Matsuyama -1, DeChambeau -1, Lowry -1 (12)
Oh that’s horrible for Hideki Matsuyama, who had been cruising along without a bogey but gets the speed of a three-foot putt for par all wrong on the 12th.
Bryson DeChambeau is also in difficulty after flying over the back of the green into the sand trap.
His bunker shot comes up well short and he drops back as well with a bogey the best he can do from there.
Rahm +4, Clark -+1, Fleetwood +2 ()
Haven’t been watching Jon Rahm down the 11th but I’ll have to update you that he’s dropped another shot.
At four under – and 12 behind the leader – he already looks a long way from contention at this year’s Masters tournament.
Rose -8 (16)
These holes at Augusta must seem as big as buckets to Justin Rose now as he rolls in yet another birdie – his eighth of the day – to power into a a four-shot lead at the Masters.
Media caption,
Rose extends Masters lead to four with consecutive birdies
Watson -1 (71)
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I mentioned Bubba Watson earlier and the two-time champion has helped himself to a tidy final third to his round.
He’s even finished up with an excellent par save at the last to ensure he shoots under par.
Not a bad day out.
McIlroy -3, Aberg -1, Bhatia +2 (12)
Akshay Bhatia can’t get down in two from 55 feet and drops back further. The 23-year-old American has found it tough going at times today.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy tidies up for a solid par as Ludvig Aberg drains his birdie putt from 20 feet. He’ll feel much happier about his round if he can break par.
Ballester +4 (F)
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport senior golf reporter
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When making your Masters debut you’d think you’d be on best behaviour. Eyes are everywhere to make sure rules and etiquette aren’t broken.
So I wonder what the Augusta National committee makes of Jose Luis Ballester’s admission… he took relief in Rae’s Creek.
No, not golfing relief. Bladder relief at the 13th tee.
“I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box,” the young Spaniard amateur explained.
“I really need to pee. I didn’t really know where to go, and since Justin Thomas had an issue on the green, I’m like, I’m just going to sneak here in the river.
“Probably people would not see me that much – and then they clapped for me.
“Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny.”
Matsuyama -2, DeChambeau -2, Lowry -1 (11)
Bryson DeChambeau tries to go over the trees to get to the 11th but stays well right and can only chip on to 14 feet.
He has not looked comfortable over the last few holes but there’s a fist pump and huge roar as he drops in that putt to save his par.
Rose -7 (15)
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He missed a great chance earlier, but Justin Rose is not missing this time, as he rolls in a birdie chance from about 10 feet on the 15th to extend his Masters lead to three shots.
Like a lot of players, Rose was long and wide when going for the green in two. His chip was pretty good but he still had work to do with the putter, and after a shorter miss on 13 the nerves would have been there.
Not that you’d know it from the way Rose confidently stroked that home.
McIlroy -3, Aberg E, Bhatia +1 (11)
Textbook stuff from Rory McIlroy on the short par-three 12th, as he drops a lovely looking chip shot right into the heart of the putting surface.
All three players are on the green albeit Ludvig Aberg is probably in closest by the looks of it.
Akshay Bhatia is way off left, almost playing that as though we’ve hit Sunday already.
Scott +4, Schauffele +2, Hovland +1 (12)
Xander Schauffele gets a huge break on the 12th as he holes out monster 60 foot putt for a birdie – and he didn’t half need that after three straight bogeys.
The double major winner last year has struggled this year with a rib injury and obviously isn’t quite yet as sharp as he would like to be, but he’s hanging on in there.
Rahm +3, Clark -+1, Fleetwood +2 (10)
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As for tolerance, Tyrrell Hatton’s LIV Golf team-mate Jon Rahm needs all the patience he can muster as a putt for par slides by the 10th hole.
He stares at it, puts his hand to the mouth and then ruefully trudges after his putt.
Pars for playing partners Tommy Fleetwood and Wyndham Clark.
Hatton -3 (69)
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Golf could test the patience of a saint. But Augusta National needs bundles of tolerance.
Tyrrell Hatton, who is known for having a short fuse, kept his frustrations in check on his way to a three-under 69.
“I don’t know if I’ve worked on my patience. I think it just depends what side of the bed I get out of, if I have a little bit or none,” he says.
“Obviously today was a good day. Drove the ball pretty well, which in years gone by is something that I’ve struggled with.
“Naturally I’m disappointed with making bogey on 17. I don’t feel like I did a huge amount wrong there. But you don’t really have to do anything wrong to drop shots at this place.
“I’m a little bit disappointed with that, but happy to shoot another round in the 60s.”
McIlroy -3, Aberg E, Bhatia +1 (11)
Rory McIlroy has largely looked in full control of everything he is doing and makes a regulation par on the 11th, with two putts from 38 feet.
His playing partners Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia are really struggling to get anything going.

Page 4

Rahm +2, Clark +1, Fleetwood +2 (9)
More frustration for Sergio Garcia’s fellow Spaniard though as Jon Rahm’s second shot screws left of the 10th green.
The 2023 champion has not had his best stuff yet and he swipes his club to leave us in no doubt exactly how he feels about it.
Garcia +1 (13)
If you ever wondered what country Sergio Garcia was from…
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Matsuyama -2, DeChambeau -2, Lowry -1 (10)
Shane Lowry misses right of the dance floor on 10 and has the worst sort of chip, straight over a bunker on to a down slope.
The 38-year-old tries to flop that over the sand and land it on the fringe but it just runs on and on and all of a sudden he’s faced with a par putt from some 30 feet away which stops six inches short and results in his second bogey of the round.
Fitzpatrick -1 (12)
Matt Fitzpatrick cards his first bogey of the day, and it comes on the 12th after he found the back bunker off the tee and failed to get up and down.
The Englishman slides back to one under.
Rahm +2, Clark -+1, Fleetwood +2 (9)
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We think Jon Rahm got a lucky break on the ninth as his drive was heading out of state but must have hit a tree to come back onto the fairway.
He’s found an unlikely birdie chance and, while he’s not quite managed to clinch it, maybe that’s the stroke of fortune he needs to get himself going.
Also making the turn at two over par is England’s Tommy Fleetwood whose putter has been stone cold so far.
Hideous hole for Wyndham Clark as he four putts on his way to a penal double bogey that throws him back to one over.
Reed -1 (71)
The 2018 champion Patrick Reed carded a one-under 71 in his first round but it would be fair to say he is not overly happy with it.
“Hit it fine, missed it in the wrong spots, and putted like a blind man,” he said.
“I expected the greens, just from previous years when they kind of have that type of look, I just kept leaving putts short. When I finally got the ball to the hole, didn’t have the right read. Hit the ball fine and putted horribly.”
When it was pointed out that breaking par might not be that bad, he responded:”I don’t care. It’s not good enough. You’re not going to win golf tournaments putting the way I putted today. You’ve got to give putts a chance. Leaving them short, there’s just no need for that. You want to break it. You want to break the putter. That’s what you want to do.”
McIlroy -3, Aberg E, Bhatia +1 (10)
Listen to that thud. Rory McIlroy cut a frustrated figure a few minutes ago when he splashed into the greenside bunker at the 10th.
However, he plays a superb sand wedge out to leave a one-foot putt for par.
Not a good couple of holes for Akshay Bhatia, who records successive bogeys after going left with his iron to the green.
Koepka +1 (11)
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Consecutive birdies for Brooks Koepka at 10 and 11 is a statement of intent.
The five-time major champ wasn’t on the agenda in 2024 but is usually highly competitive at golf’s biggest events.
He’ll be a brooding presence at one over par. Plenty of time for him to eat into the leaders above him over his final seven holes.
Rose -6 (13)
He’s not missed much today, but Justin Rose misses his birdie try on 13 from only around five feet to let a golden opportunity to stretch his lead slip by.
It’s not the end of the world making a par, but he’s already two ahead and if he could make that three or four then he’d be in a commanding position.
And players always want to get the very most out of rounds when they’re playing this well.
Matsuyama -2, DeChambeau -2, Lowry -2 (9)
Laser-guided stuff from Bryson DeChambeau on the ninth as he zips into eight feet and then sinks his birdie putt.
And it’s also a case of anything you can do and all that as Shane Lowry replicates that to grab successive birdies.
All of a sudden the leaderboard is looking a lot better for the Irishman.
Scheffler -4 (68)
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport senior golf reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler says he felt “pretty good” out there in his opening round. Four birdies and no bogeys on his card suggested so.
“Anytime you can keep a card clean out here, it’s a really good thing,” says the defending champion.
“I struggled for what felt like two pars today. I had to make two really good up-and-downs.
“But other than that, the golf course was in front of me most of the day, kept the ball in play, did a lot of really good things out there.”
Rahm +2, Clark -1, Fleetwood +2 (8)
Oh Jon Rahm – that should have gone in!
And the burly Spaniard knows it as a great birdie chance goes begging.
No luck for Tommy Fleetwood either but 2023 US Open champ Wyndham Clark does at least manage to pick up a shot.
McIlroy -3, Aberg E, Bhatia E (9)
Signs that Rory McIlroy is finding his stride as he knocks a wedge shot into four feet before dispatching the resulting birdie putt.
Three under par at the turn with consecutive birdies, McIlroy is now up into a tie for fourth and three off the lead.
Media caption,
McIlroy birdies ninth to move to three under
Rose -6 (12)
Justin Rose hits a wild drive on 13 that flies miles out to the right, but that just means he can lay up to a good number on the par five and then sticks a wedge nice and close so he’ll have another look at birdie.
Rahm +2, Clark E, Fleetwood +2 (7)
Let’s check back in with Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood who are two over through seven.
Both could benefit from this par-five eighth and Rahm is on the green in two.
A serious putt awaits him on this long narrow green.
Matsuyama -2, DeChambeau -1, Lowry -1 (8)
Bryson DeChambeau can’t half whack a golf ball but there’s no birdie waiting for him on the eighth despite some big hitting, in this case, three putts equals par, albeit the first might as well have not been on the green it was that far back
Hideki Matsuyama does drop in a birdie chance from 13 feet, mind. The 2021 champion is on the move, while Shane Lowry also picks up his second birdie of the round.
Spieth +1 (73), Hatton -3 (69)
Image source, Getty Images
Oof so close from Tyrrell Hatton as his 28-foot birdie putt at the last pulls up agonisingly close to the hole.
Still a fine round though and he’s well positioned.
A solid finish for Jordan Spieth too who pars the 18th to card a one-over 73.
We said earlier being within five shots of the lead after round one is key – as things stand, he’s a little off that.
Davis +1 (16)
Image source, Getty Images
A bizarre stretch of holes for Australia’s Cameron Davis.
He bogeyed the 13th, sank a good birdie on the 14th before a magnificent eagle on the 15th from way off the green.
Then he found the water off the tee on the 16th, the bunker from his lay-up and walked away with a double bogey.
So he’s now back where he started the 13th at one over par.
But what a journey to get there!
Scheffler -4 (68)
Image source, Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler has a 10 footer for birdie on the 18th green but he just doesn’t hit it and it pulls up about a foot short so he has to settle for a par.
Still, that’s a bogey-free 68 to start the defence of his Masters title and a share of the clubhouse lead as it stands. Not bad Scottie, not bad at all.
McIlroy -2, Aberg E, Bhatia -1 (8)
That’s not far away from eagle at all for Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman can’t drain his putt from 21 feet but has a tap-in birdie as his consolation prize.
Nowt doing for Ludvig Aberg though even if the shot tracker tells me he’s just recorded a birdie. I definitely saw that effort slide just past!

Page 5

Fitzpatrick -2 (9)
Former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick has enjoyed a strong front nine as he added a birdie on the ninth to one at the fourth to turn in two under – and crucially without a bogey on the card so far.
He’s the fourth Englishman in the top 10 on the current leaderboard – and also Harris English, who of course is American, is in there too…
Watson E (13)
Back-to-back birdies for the 2012 and 2014 champion Bubba Watson claw him back to level par with five holes to go.
Going well on his 17th start at Augusta National.
Scheffler -4 (17)
Scottie Scheffler plays a stunner out of the fairway bunker on the 18th, so he’ll have a great look for a closing birdie to finish off his first round.
Spieth +1, Hatton -3 (17)
It’s been such a solid round for Tyrrell Hatton but a first chink in the armour costs him a shot at 17.
It was his second shot that caused the issue, overshooting the green and then he missed from four feet for par.
A bit of chuntering from the Englishman.
McIlroy -1, Aberg E, Bhatia -1 (7)
Rory McIlroy takes a five iron from the middle of the fairway after booming his drive over 340 yards on the par-five eighth hole.
It hops off the ledge to the right of the dance floor and all runs on and on, to leave an eagle putt from 20 feet.
Mickelson +3 (75), Day -2 (70), Bradley +2 (74)
Image source, Getty Images
Earlier on today, we were keeping an eye on Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley.
Well, they’ve just polished up at 18 with Mickelson bogeying his final two holes to finish at three over par.
Keegan Bradley has carded a two-over 74 and while Australian Jason Day is much more content with a bogey-free round of two-under par.
Rose -6 (11)
Justin Rose navigates the tough 11th hole with a solid par and he stays two in front as he heads to the 12th – still with a bogey-free clean card, so far!
Watch his birdie on 10 that was his sixth of the day…
Media caption,
Rose birdies 10 to extend Masters lead
Morikawa E, Niemann E, Lee -1 (F)
Really disappointing finish to the round for Collin Morikawa, as he drops a shot on 18 to make it three bogeys in his closing four holes to finish on level par when he was three under after 14.
Kind of a similar story for Joaquin Niemann who was also three under early in his round before letting three shots slide away, and after the quietest round it’s actually Min Woo Lee who finishes with the best reurn.
The Australian had just one bogey and two birdies but that one under round is the best of the group.
I’ve totally trusted Getty with that to upload a picture of Rasmus and not Nicolai, Hojgaard.
I think.
But really, can we ever be sure??
N Hojgaard +4 (76), R Hojgaard -1 (9)
Nicolai Hojgaard had a wild day earlier.
His countdown scorecard contained:
Five bogeys, five birdies, four pars, three double bogeys and one eagle.
His twin brother Rasmus on the other hand?
Of course he started with eight stress-free pars. And now he’s birdied the ninth to get into the red.
Far from an identical round. Golf, eh.
Image source, Getty Images
Matsuyama -1, DeChambeau -1, Lowry E (7)
Bryson DeChambeau’s short irons are pretty much all the length of a standard six iron and after missing the seventh green left, he now scoots right the way across and off it again with a bump and run.
Ouch. Bryson looks pretty puzzled by that and will need to chip in to save his par. That’s not going to reach though and he’ll cough up a stroke.
Hideki Matsuyama, who has largely been anonymous on the TV coverage has a birdie putt from 10 feet on the way and rattles it home.
Rahm +1, Clark -E Fleetwood +2 (6)
Another tricky green for Tommy Fleetwood at six as he gifts a second shot of the round to Augusta National.
Nothing is dropping for Jon Rahm yet either as he leaves his birdie putt short and has to settle for par.
Couples -1 (71)
The 1992 winner Fred Couples is under par after round one and has played beautifully today.
It’s also a result of this magnificent moment at the 14th earlier.
Drink it in and enjoy watching a master at work.
Media caption,
Fred Couples makes 191-yard eagle on 14
Scott +2, Schauffele +1, Hovland +1 (7)
Just two birdies between this group after seven holes so far, with nothing much going on for former Masters champion Adam Scott and last year’s double major winner Xander Schauffele.
Viktor Hovland is without a birdie as, despite his recent win, he still seems to be struggling to get the most out of his game.
Spieth +1, Hatton -4 (16)
A tough birdie chance down the hill at 16 for Tyrrell Hatton. He trundles it towards the hole and it scoots six feet by but that is a confident conversion to save his par.
Jordan Spieth also safely navigates a tricky hole without losing a shot.
Two to go for this group.
McIlroy -1, Aberg E, Bhatia -1 (7)
Good recovery from Rory McIlroy on the seventh after he comes up short with his pitch into the green.
A tricky chip from just off the fringe awaits McIlroy, who deftly clips it to two feet before saving par.
Rose -6 (10)
Stop that Justin Rose! This is getting ridiculous now as the Englishman fires a laser of a second shot from 185 yards out down to 11 feet and it’s almost inevitable as he drains it to now lead the Masters by two.
Media caption,
Rose birdies 10 to extend Masters lead
Matsuyama E, DeChambeau -2, Lowry E (6)
Talk about eventful. Bryson DeChambeau misses the green with his second into the fifth, nudging his ball left and pays with a bogey, which he then cancels out on the par-three sixth.
A majestic iron into six feet from around 180-yards sets him up as he snaffles a birdie.
Dunlap +18 (90)
Image source, Getty Images
Spare a thought for young American Nick Dunlap.
He’s making his second start at the Masters after debuting last year at just 20 years old.
He has a veritable nightmare today and has just wrapped up at 18 over par. That’s more than twice as bad as anyone else has shot today.
He’s carded a 90 – but that’s still not the worst round in Masters history. That dubious honour belongs to Charles Kunkle who scored 95 in 1956.
A very, very tough day at the office.
Scheffler -4, Thomas +1, Ballester +4 (16)
Scottie Scheffler take a bow! The world number one makes another monster putt as he picks up a birdie on the 16th to move to four under.
This time it’s from 42 feet after he earlier drained one from 62 feet away as the Scheffler putter, often the Achilles heel in his game, is on fire today.

Page 6

Spieth +1, Hatton -4 (15)
I mentioned Tyrrell Hatton had tree trouble but he’s played his way carefully out of that down the 15th.
He’s not going to take advantage of the 15th but he’s stayed clean with a par.
As for Jordan Spieth, his topsy turvy round continues with a magnificent third shot to two feet that he taps in for a much-needed birdie.
Live BBC radio commentary has just kicked in – click the link at the top of this page, or tune in to 5 Sports Extra or via BBC Sounds.Mark Chapman presenting, Iain Carter, Ali Bruce Ball, Kat Downes, James Gregg and former Tour pro Andrew Magee with the descriptive words.
Tune in, it’s essential listening.
McIlroy -1, Aberg E, Bhatia -1 (6)
Just a par for Rory McIlroy on the sixth. He drops his iron shot into 18 feet and two putts. Safe as houses.
Scheffler -3, Thomas +1, Ballester +4 (15)
Scottie Scheffler’s chip from off the back of 15 is just a touch weak, and from there he can’t find the bottom of the cup with his birdie putt so he has to settle for par here.
Spieth +2, Hatton -4 (14)
Hmm, that’s an erratic tee shot from Tyrrell Hatton at the 15th.
Plenty of trees down the right side of that fairway and it looks like he’s heading for the middle of them.
Rose -5 (9)
Stunning, just a stunning front nine from Justin Rose who adds a fifth birdie on the ninth hole and that’s five under and the solo lead.
That front nine 31 is just one off the record at Augusta, with seven players carding 30 for the first nine holes over the course of Masters history.
Great shooting so far from Rose!
Image source, Getty Images
Rahm +1, Clark -1, Fleetwood +1 (4)
Not quite sure what I’m seeing here but Tommy Fleetwood seems to have just missed pretty much a gimme at the fourth.
A chance to get his round back on track but a two-feet birdie putt doesn’t drop.
Jon Rahm is also frustrated as he drops back to one over with a bogey.
Morikawa -1, Niemann -1, Lee -1 (16)
Collin Morikawa lets another shot fade away after a wild tee shot on the par-three 16th that misses the target by a country mile, leaving a huge putt down the hill that always seemed a tough task to get down in two.
And so it proved as Morikawa slipped back to one under.
McIlroy -1, Aberg E, Bhatia -1 (5)
Not a great second from Rory into the fifth green. He’s got the yardage slightly out and his ball trickles backwards to leave an awkward uphill putt for birdie, which he prods to seven feet.
The Northern Irishman has looked extremely solid so far and saves his par, unlike Akshay Bhatia, whose approach flew 20 feet past the pin.
There’s also a par for Ludvig Aberg, although the 2024 runner-up narrowly misses his birdie attempt.
Spieth +2, Hatton -4 (14)
Up at 14, Jordan Spieth’s round has fallen apart and he is now at two over after missing from six feet to save par.
He needs to look across at Tyrrell Hatton who is rock solid at the moment. No bogeys on the card today for the joint leader.
Rai -2 (70)
Image source, Getty Images
I tell you what, he had a sticky spell down the back nine but that two-under round of 70 is pretty good for Aaron Rai on his Masters debut.
Yes, after turning in four under it could have been better, but after three straight bogeys down Amen Corner it could also have got worse.
He’ll take a 70 all day.
Matsuyama E, DeChambeau -2, Lowry E (4)
A bounce-back birdie for Ireland’s Shane Lowry on the fourth. He shoots through the green on off the tee but judges his chip beautifully and watches as it’s swallowed by the cup.
Langer +2 (74)
Bernhard Langer’s 41st and final Masters appearance begins with a round of 74.
The all-red look he’s rocked today is very much in homage to his first Masters triumph in 1985.
“The red was when I won in ’85 on Sunday, and tomorrow may be green and yellow, which was my outfit in ’93,” the 67-year-old German said.
“So it’s more or less to celebrate the two outfits that I put the green jacket on. That’s the idea behind it.”
Image source, Getty Images
Conners -4 (68)
Image source, Getty Images
I briefly mentioned Corey Conners before but he warrants another entry as he’s just birded the last to set a clubhouse lead at -4.
That’ll take some beating today.
Fine effort from the Canadian who birdied three of his final four holes.
He can rest up now until he goes out as one of the later starters on Friday afternoon.
We are 30 minutes from live radio commentary from Iain Carter and the team out in Augusta. There will be a link on this webpage, or listen on 5 Sports Extra, or BBC Sounds.
Matsuyama E, DeChambeau -2, Lowry +1 (3)
Back-to-back birdies for Bryson DeChambeau on the third as he pitches into four feet having found the perfect spot to the left of the green off the tee.
The two-time US Open champion is cooking as Shane Lowry drops a shot after problems on the putting surface.
Morikawa -2, Niemann -1, Lee -1 (15)
Collin Morikawa lets a shot slip at 15 as his chip from way off the back pulls up just short of the green, and from there he can’t get down in two as his par putt just rolls across the right edge of the hole.
Rahm E, Clark -1, Fleetwood +1 (3)
Both Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm set up birdie chances at the third while Wyndham Clark’s second has clunked off the flagstick and rolled back two feet.
Tommy misses but his playing partners tuck home.
Rose -4 (8)
It’s an all English affair at the top of the Masters leaderboard as Justin Rose makes his birdie on eight to join Tyrrell Hatton on four under and leading the tournament.
Textbook par five play from Rose, with a nice drive, amd second shot that’s just short of the green then a nice chip to six feet.
Justin Rose means business today.
Spieth +1, Hatton -4 (13)
Whatever has happened, it’s a bogey six for Spieth at the 13th so he’s now over par for his round.
As for Tyrrell Hatton? He’ll escape Amen Corner at -4 and a one-shot lead over the field.

Page 7

McIlroy -1, Aberg E, Bhatia -2 (4)
Ludvig Aberg has such a classy, silky smooth swing.
And in fairness there’s a real retro look to his green trousers and white polo shirt.
But he finds the front bunker on the fourth and his promising start is halted with a bogey, when he clips five feet past and can’t sink the return putt.
Rory McIlroy and Akshay Bhatia both save their pars. The Northern Irishman was downtown there and rolled his first putt about four feet past.
Spieth E, Hatton -4 (12)
Image source, Masters
So I’m trying to figure out what’s happened with Jordan Spieth’s third shot at the 13th.
According to the Masters website shot tracker, he’s gone slightly awry – to the tune of four entire holes.
I’ve not totally written it off as a technology error.
After all, Spieth’s ball is probably the most well travelled in golf…
Conners -3 (17)
Image source, Getty Images
In seemingly every major, we have a moment when Corey Conners of Canada sneaks up the leaderboard and it’s happened on Thursday this time.
Birdies at 15 and 17 see him strolling down the 18th at three under par, one shot back from Tyrrell Hatton.
Rahm +1, Clark E, Fleetwood +1 (2)
This group have been scrapping their way down the second hole – and Jon Rahm is punished with an avoidable bogey.
Tommy Fleetwood and Wyndham Clark card pars, but this has been the easiest hole on the course today. None of the marquee trio have cashed in.
Morikawa -3, Niemann -1, Lee -1 (14)
Collin Morikawa air mails his second shot on 15 as he goes for the green in two, and it lands miles over the green and bounds down towards the water on the 16th hole.
Joaquin Niemann plays a similar shot and those two will face horrifying chips back onto the putting surface.
Scheffler -3, Thomas +1, Ballester +4 (13)
Scottie Scheffler will be fuming at that as he’s started with an eagle chance on the 13th green but ended up with a three-putt for par after missing a six footer.
OK, so it’s he’s not dropped a shot officiallly, but that will feel like one he’s left out there by the end of the day.
Matsuyama E, DeChambeau -1, Lowry E (2)
Bryson DeChambeau gets off the mark with a birdie at the par-five second.
Always helpful when you can nail your drive over 360 yards.
McIlroy -1, Aberg -1, Bhatia -2 (3)
Wow. Ludvig Aberg is right and short of the third green and zips right through it with a little chip that trundles on and on.
There’s a huge roar as Rory McIlroy chips close with his second and an even louder one as Aberg, playing in only his second Masters, chips in for birdie.
That is brilliant from the Swede. In fact it’s going to be birdies all around with McIlroy tapping in and Akshay Bhatia continuing his strong start.
Scheffler -3, Thomas +1, Ballester +4 (12)
The way Scottie Scheffler moves his dancing feet during his swing you wonder how he can do so well at Augusta considering almost every shot is on a slope, but he does it again as he smacks his approach from 205 yards to find the 13th green in two.
Outside chance for an eagle coming up.
Justin Thomas, meanwhile, also goes for the green but he’s hammered his shot into the azaleas and we’re not sure if he can find this one…
Image source, Getty Images
Day -2 (13)
Image source, Getty Images
Australia’s Jason Day, who has a runners-up finish here from 2011, is quietly making a move up the leaderboard.
He’s gone back to back at 12 and 13 – and is two shots off the lead.
And of course he’s got one of his typically statement shirts on too.
McIlroy E, Aberg E, Bhatia -1 (2)
Well undercooked from Rory McIlroy, who putts from just off the green at the second and leaves himself a tricky little putt for par, which he sinks.
Meanwhile, Ludvig Aberg has a look at a birdie…that’s also slightly short of gas but he tidies up from gimme range.
Akshay Bhatia does knock in his birdie putt from around six feet.
Morikawa -3, Niemann -1, Lee -1 (13)
Joaquin Niemann missed his par putt on the 13th, but he’s responded by drilling his tee shot 326 yards off the 14th tee and nailing an iron onto the green 20 feet from the flag.
Spieth E, Hatton -4 (12)
Sunk. Tyrrell Hatton gives his tee shot what it deserves and buries his birdie putt at the 12th.
Outright leader.
He then watches on as Jordan Spieth immediately hands back the shot he had won at the previous hole and drops to level par.
Rai -2 (17)
Aaron Rai is battling hard to make sure he finishes this debut round in good shape, and this chip-in from just off the 17th really helps with that.
He’d just bogeyed the 16th after finding the bunker off the tee so that’s another good response. One to go.
Rahm E, Clark E, Fleetwood +1 (1)
Well played Jon Rahm, nudging in for a par save after finding the sand and missing the green at the first.
No such luck for Tommy Fleetwood though who starts his challenge with a frustrating bogey.
Couples -1 (16)
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport senior golf reporter
You never lose it!
Fred Couples proves that with a magical moment on the 14th… he’s just holed out from 191 yards for an eagle. Boom boom.
The 65-year-old American, playing courtesy of a lifetime exemption in honour of his 1992 victory, is up to tied seventh on the leaderboard.
Image source, Getty Images
Morikawa -3, Niemann -1, Lee -1 (12)
While we focused on Joaquin Niemann messing about in the creek, Collin Morikawa had cracked one 207 yards onto the green in two, and then casually rolled in his put from 35 feet away for eagle!
Out of nowhere Morikawa suddenly now has a share of the Masters lead.
McIlroy E, Aberg E, Bhatia E (1)
Rory McIlroy does not like that all judging by his groan on the second tee.
His ball is heading off to the right and finds the fairway bunker. He should still be able to get somewhere close to the green on this 585-yard par five mind.
He lays up to the middle of the fairway and then skips through the green with his third. Work to do for the four-time major winner, who is chasing a career Grand Slam (again) at the Augusta National.
Spieth -1, Hatton -3 (11)
Magnificent from Tyrrell Hatton at the 12th.
Totally unflappable in the notorious winds that flank this sneaky par three, he flights his tee shot to within six feet.
Birdie chance to take the outright lead.
Morikawa -1, Niemann -2, Lee -1 (12)
Oh dear, Joaquin Niemann gets a lucky break on 13 when he finds the creek with his second shot but there’s not a lot of water in it and he’s able to take a swipe at his ball from the sand.
However, he doesn’t give it enough beans and the ball stops at the top of the hill and rolls back further into the creek and gets wet.
He can still get a club on it though and manages to escape up onto the green a leave a par putt.

Page 8

Matsuyama E, DeChambeau E, Lowry E (1)
No early hiccups for Bryson DeChambeau, Hideki Matsuyama and Shane Lowry, who take a four on the opening hole and move on.
Spieth -1, Hatton -3 (11)
Jordan Spieth is an absolute rollercoaster.
He sunk a monster putt on the first hole, made a sloppy double bogey at the 10th and has just drained from nearly 50 feet at the 11th.
That’ll get your round back on track!
Steady stuff from Tyrrell Hatton to stay at three under.
Rose -3 (6)
Justin Rose is just rock solid with the putter so far – following up a brilliant par save on five with a lag putt from 40 feet on seven then he wasn’t far off holing.
He left just a couple of feet to save his par and looks to be in great form at Augusta today.
Rahm E, Clark E, Fleetwood E (18:34 BST)
2024 was a quiet year at the majors for Jon Rahm but maybe this is the year to get back on track.
He won’t be happy with that opening tee shot though. Swooping right and plonking into the fairway bunker.
Rahm, Clark, Fleetwood (18:34 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Now on to the penultimate group of the day and it’s another belter isn’t it.
The 2023 champion, the 2, external023 US Open winner and England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who has a couple of second places in majors but is missing that elusive triumph.
The 34-year-old recorded his best ever finish at the Augusta National, 12 months ago when he ended up third and openly admits this is one of his favourite tracks.
“I love playing here and I feel like I’ve played well here in the past,” said Fleetwood.
“Last year was my best finish by a long way, but I feel like I’ve had some years where I’ve been close to getting in contention or finishing top 10s and haven’t quite done it. But I’ve been on the edge, so last year was really good.”
McIlroy E, Aberg E, Bhatia E (1)
Oh wow that was close…Akshay Bhatia’s birdie putt grazes the left of the cup but just slides past.
Ludvig Aberg’s putt just lacks speed. The Swede will also start with a par.
Now for Rory McIlroy…he gets the line right but not enough gas on that and it just tipples right at the last moment and skirts the hole.
Scott +1, Schauffele +1, Hovland E (1)
Both former Masters champion Adam Scott and last year’s double major winner Xander Schauffele make disappointing starts with bogeys at the first.
Not a disaster but not ideal by any means.
Spieth E, Hatton -3 (10)
Image source, Getty Images
The 10th has been a really ugly hole for Jordan Spieth.
Into the bunker with his second, chipping long out of the sand and then clumsy with his pitch coming back.
A sudden double bogey is a card-wrecker.
No such drama for Tyrrell Hatton who serenely keeps himself up top at three under par.
Matsuyama, DeChambeau, Lowry (18:23 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Another pretty tasty trio on the first tee now. Reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama and Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who won the Open Championship in 2019.
What’s not to look forward to?
Earlier this week when asked what it would mean to be presented with a coveted green jacket on Sunday evening, DeChambeau said: “A lifelong dream come true. Something I dreamt about as a kid.”
“I think a lot of players revere this one. This is the tournament to win because it’s held at the same place, the way they take care of players, the way they talk about the competition.
“I don’t know any other way to describe it other than it’s an incredibly special, unique place that we all feel there’s just different energy that’s here, and we all want to be a part of it.”
McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia both play lovely approaches into the first to get a look at an early birdie…
Now for Rory McIlroy, the world number two has a very short iron in hand after hitting arguably the best opening drive of the day and zips his ball into around eight to 10 feet.
Time to see if that earlier stint on the practice green pays off.
Rai -2 (15)
Those three straight bogeys around Amen Corner threatened to ruin Aaron Rai’s round, but he bounced back nicely at the 15th with an impressive birdie considering he boomed his second 40 yards past the flag!
His chip back onto the green was immense though and left him just a tap-in for birdie.
Scheffler -3, Thomas +1, Ballester +4 (10)
Scottie Scheffler put his entire body on the line to try and draw rhe ball off the 10th tee but all he could manage was to hit it straight. No real problems though as he makes his par to keep the lead he’s just recently taken.
Pretty interesting the way even the very best modern players in the world struggle to move the ball both ways, and can only really play with a draw or more usually a fade these days.
Mind you, Lionel Messi is rubbish with his right foot isn’t he?
McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Rory McIlroy is away safely on the first tee and booms his drive down the left of the fairway.
The Northern Irishman was going through his putting routine shortly before getting under way and looked in a pretty relaxed mood.
BBC Sport Northern Ireland’s Stephen Watson was watching: “Rory arrived on the range and went straight to the putting green. Only missed one of his first 25.”
Media caption,
Masters 2025: Rory McIlroy prepares for opening Augusta round
McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Stephen Watson
BBC Sport Northern Ireland at Augusta National
I watched Rory McIlroy hit driver for his tee shot at the first hole during his final practice round on Wednesday.
It went deep into in the trees on the right of the fairway. It was a similar shot to the one he hit when in the final Sunday pairing with Patrick Reed in 2018.
McIlroy made a brilliant scrambling par back then. He’ll be hoping for no early drama today.
Spieth -2, Hatton -3 (9)
As for the aforementioned Tyrrell Hatton, he’s tidied up a trouble-free ninth hole to reach the halfway point with a clean card and three under.
It’s been tremendous so far.
There was a bogey for playing partner Jordan Spieth earlier but he is positioned very nicely one shot back as they make the turn.
Jaeger -2 (13)
England’s Aaron Rai hit the front and Augusta bit back.
The same has just happened to Germany’s Stephan Jaeger whose -4 lead swiftly turned into a -2 at the 13th.
It was brutal as well, landing his approach plumb on the green but watching in agony as it span back and was gobbled by the creek.
The 89th Masters welcomes Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose into the lead.
Hojgaard +4 (76)
Image source, Getty Images
Five bogeys. Five birdies. Four pars. Three double bogeys. One eagle.
Nicolai Hojgaard’s spectacular scorecard.
Are you not entertained?
And his twin brother Rasmus has just set out on the course too.
McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Media caption,
Masters 2025: Gary Player backs Rory McIlroy to win at Augusta
After hitting the ceremonial tee shots earlier, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson retreated to the media centre to answer a few questions…
Here’s the thoughts of three-time winner and high-kicking 89-year-old Player, who, in 1965, was the third of the five men to have completed the Grand Slam.
“I think Rory will win the Masters and I hope he does because it would give golf a great boost to have another winner of the Grand Slam.
“He has the best swing in golf, without a question.
“He went to Jack for advice on how to play this golf course, and nobody knows better than Jack.
“And I think timing in life, he’s had his opportunities to win majors and let them slip. I think his time is right.
“And there’s no golf course suits a man better than this does for Rory.”
McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Augusta National
It is often referred to as the most important distance in golf; the five inches between the ears.
The game is as much a test of temperament as technique and champions at the very highest level have to conquer both elements to land the biggest titles.
In their pomp the likes of Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood had the physical attributes to win any tournament they played. But something would always get in the way when it came to the majors; the big four tournaments that define careers.
There was always a stumbling block at the Masters, The Open, the US Open or US PGA Championship. It prevented them, and many others, from producing their best shots when they most needed them.
It is not a slight to say this. It’s golf. The mental challenge of pulling off key shots when the only inhibiter is the pressure of the moment encapsulates the magic of the game.
It will be evident in abundance again this week as Rory McIlroy embarks on his latest attempt to complete the career Grand Slam. He is among the world’s best who are all gathering together for the first time in eight months for the Masters at Augusta National.
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Rose -3 (3)
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What a start this is from Justin Rose! Three straight birdies to start his round as he’s come flying out of the traps at Augusta National and straight into contention right away.

Page 9

McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Media caption,
Watch: Rory McIlroy revels in Augusta practice round
Rory McIlroy can “handle” any pressure that comes his way as he looks to complete a career Grand Slam at the Masters, says Shane Lowry.
The Masters is the only major missing from McIlroy’s collection and the Northern Ireland golfer is looking to win a first major since the PGA Championship in 2014.
Lowry, who won the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, has a best finish of tied for third at Augusta in 2022.
“Obviously there is a lot of pressure on him, but I think he’s at a stage now where he’s able to handle it,” Lowry said on McIlroy.
“He’s won everything there is to win at golf and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was able to give it a run this week.”
Lowry says both he and McIlroy are “in good form” and have prepared well for the annual major at Augusta.
McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Can Ludvig Aberg go one better than last year?
The Swede, finished second on his Masters debut 12 months ago, which was his first start in any major. There was also a creditable tie for 12th at the US Open but he did not make the cut at the US PGA Championship or the Open Championship in 2024.
And the 25-year-old arrives at Augusta National in mixed form having earned the biggest win of his career at the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines in February but then subsequently missing cuts at the Players Championship and the Valero Texas Open, which he described as “probably the lowest of lows” in his career so far.
“No matter if I win or tournament or lose a tournament or miss the cut in a tournament, I still do the same things,” Aberg said.
“I still wake up and try to do the same things in terms of practice, in terms of training, and that’s not going to change. I feel like that’s how I’ve approached these last couple of weeks, even though things have been going a little bit up and down.
“I understand it’s part of the game and it’s going to be like that if you have a long and successful career.”
Homa -2 (3)
This time last year we were watching Max Homa in the mix for victory here at Augusta.
Since then, his form has fallen off a cliff and he’s slumped to 81st in the world.
And yet, early on in his first round here, green shoots are evident.
He’s birdied the second and the third to move to two under par.
Good to see him back.
McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Media caption,
McIlroy prepares for 17th Masters tournament
Rory McIlroy believes he has never “been in better form” coming into the Masters as he looks to finally land the only major title that has eluded him.
The 35-year-old Northern Irishman returns to Augusta as one of the favourites to win the Green Jacket this weekend.
McIlroy, who has earned seven top-10 finishes in his previous 16 Masters appearances, has already claimed two tournament wins in 2025.
A dominant final round led to a two-shot victory at Pebble Beach in February, before he mentally reset to win The Players Championship at Sawgrass in a play-off showdown on the Monday.
It is the first time he has won two PGA Tour events before heading to Augusta National.
“I played great at Pebble Beach. Had to do it the hard way at Sawgrass, coming back on the Monday and playing in tough conditions,” McIlroy told BBC Sport NI.
“Those are great confidence builders, they are validations of the stuff I worked on at the end of last year and it shows me my game is on the right track.”
Scott, Schauffele, Hovland (18:01 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Former Masters champion Adam Scott heads out with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele very shortly and alongside them will be a rejuvenated Viktor Hovland.
The 27-year-old Norwegian won the Valspar Championship in March off the back of missing three consecutive cuts and has credited the turnaround with return to his old putter after trying three different models.
“I went back to the old gamer I’ve always had,” Hovland said, confessing he was fighting “noise” in his mind more than technique.
“It’s nice to experiment a little bit. I realised it definitely wasn’t the putters’ fault. I hadn’t put too much time on the putting green. I got more confidence over the ball. I think that was the issue in tournaments. I hadn’t put in the work.
“I certainly feel a lot more comfortable and confident with my game right now. So if I can give myself a lot of even mid-irons, short irons from the fairway into these greens, I think I can make some birdies. Just make a lot of easy pars. I think that’s where this course is at. Try to pick up birdies on the par fives.
Scheffler -3, Thomas +1, Ballester +4 (8)
Scottie Scheffler gets to three under thanks to a smart chip from the right of the eighth green followed by a 14 foot birdie putt.
That sees him close up to just one off the lead.
Rose -2 (2)
We spoke about Justin Rose being a fast starter at Augusta earlier, and just to prove that we know what we’re talking about the Englishman starts his latest Masters bid with two opening birdies.
It’s nice when all that reseach pays off (insert smug face emoji here).
Spieth -2, Hatton -3, T Kim +2 (8)
Image source, Getty Images
Bosh.
More jostling below leader Stephan Jaeger as both Tyrrell Hatton and Jordan Spieth make excellent moves on the par-five eighth.
Hatton is four feet from making eagle, but that birdie moves him one off the lead.
Meanwhile, Spieth converts from five feet and he joins the two-under crowd.
Rai -2 (12)
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport senior golf reporter
As every Masters debutant says, understandably, Aaron Rai is seeing a “dream come true” this week.
Well, the dream got even better as the 30-year-old Englishman rose to the top of the iconic leaderboard early in his first ever round in the Masters.
Playing at Augusta is a reward for the Wolverhampton player’s success over the past couple of years, which includes a maiden PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August and climb into the world’s top 50.
Image source, Getty Images
As we told you earlier, Rai is a rarity in that he wears two gloves – although he takes them off on the putting green.
He also uses iron covers as another homage to father Amrik, who introduced him to the sport aged eight.
One more fun fact? The first club he ever practised with was his elder brother’s hockey stick. Happy Gilmore eat your heart out.
Read more about Rai’s journey here.
Canter -2 (6)
Laurie Canter told BBC Radio 5 Live playing at Augusta was a “pinch me moment”.
Well, his dream is getting ever better as he’s just birdied the sixth to move into a share of third.
Fine start for the 37-year-old English rookie.
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Mickelson +3, Day E, Bradley +2 (9)
A disappointing close to the front half of Augusta National for Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley as they both bogey the ninth,
The vast majority of Masters champions have been within four shots of the lead after the first round.
These two could do with an improvement over the back nine.
MacIntyre +1 (10)
Bob MacIntyre is trying to bounce back after that unfortunate double on the seventh.
The 28-year-old Scot, who made a par on eight, takes a huge lump of turf out of the ninth fairway as he zips his iron shot into the putting surface but then sees his birdie putt from eight feet stay left and slip past the hole.
He rolls in for for a four and then makes par on the 10th. Very steady stuff from the left hander.
Morikawa -1, Niemann -2, Lee -1 (9)
Joaquin Niemann misses a good chance for birdie on the ninth but that’s still a tidy enough front nine 34 for the Chilean.
Collin Morikawa also misses a birdie look from 10 feet but he must be thrilled to get through nine holes under par having had to scrape and claw his way around for most of it.
Kirk +3
Spare a thought for American Chris Kirk who until very recently was lurking around the top of the leaderboard.
However, a quadruple bogey at the 13th after twice dumping his ball in the creek has seen him slip way off the top.
Crazy how quickly a good round can unravel at Augusta.
Knew I shouldn’t have asked my friend and colleague Phil to give his hometown input on Aaron Rai!
Rai -2 (12)
Aaron Rai finds the front bunker on 12, and he’s unable to get the sand save as his escape rolls to 12 feet and he then misses the putt.
That’s a disappointing run into Amen Corner for the Englishman but important he just hangs on here and steadies the ship on 13.
Stephen Watson
BBC Sport Northern Ireland at Augusta National
In his Champion’s Dinner speech on Tuesday evening, last year’s winner Scottie Scheffler said how good it was that all the world’s best players were back playing together in Augusta.
Currently this only happens at the four majors because of the split in the game, but there are 12 LIV players here this week.
Image source, Getty Images
We’re enjoying these early starters for sure but there are plenty more to come over the next hour or so.
Here’s what we’ve got to look forward to:
17:33 – Patrick Cantlay (US), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)
17:50 – Brooks Koepka (US), Russell Henley (US), Sungjae Im (Kor)
18:01 – Adam Scott (Aus), Xander Schauffele (US), Viktor Hovland (Nor)
18:12 – Rory McIlroy (NI), Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Akshay Bhatia (US)
18:23 – Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Shane Lowry (Ire)
18:34 – Jon Rahm (Spa), Wyndham Clark (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
So if you need to make your tea, probably worth getting on with it soon…
Couples -1 (10)
Fred Couples finished in a tie for 54th in a PGA Tour Champions event last weekend.
But the 1992 Masters champion, who is now aged 65, is currently under par and in the top 10 on the leaderboard as he tackles Amen Corner.
Spieth -1, Hatton -2, T Kim +1 (7)
A pair of pars for Tyrrell Hatton and Jordan Spieth as they just keep things ticking over at the narrow par-four seventh.
Been a tidy round from them both so far.

Page 10

Rose -1 (1)
Justin Rose made a birdie at the first hole, but that should be no surprise considering that he’s made a habit of fast starts at Augusta National – holding more first round leads at the Masters than any other golfer in history bar Jack Nicklaus…
Most first round leads at the Masters

4 Jack Nicklaus
4 Justin Rose
3 Jordan Spieth
3 Arnold Palmer
3 Gary Player

Garcia (17:22 BST)
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Sergio Garcia is about to tee off for his 100th major championship, becoming just the 19th man to hit a century of starts in golf’s big four events.
The Spaniard beat Justin Rose in a play-off for the 2017 Masters title, but his Augusta National form has been pretty poor since slipping on the Green Jacket.
Garcia has played in the Masters six times since his victory, but missed the cut on five of those occasions, finishing in a tie for 23rd on the other occasion.
He’s determined just to enjoy this week, but with the Ryder Cup his big aim for 2025 he could do with a decent finish here.
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Morikawa -1, Niemann -2, Lee -1 (8)
Both Collin Morikawa and Min Woo Lee take advantage of the par-five eighth hole as both men dip under par for the first time today.
It’s a second birdie of the day for Lee and the first for Morikawa, who has been struggling with his game today and not looked comfortable at all, so considering that he’s battled really well to get to one under.
Rai -3 (11)
Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport
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What a start Aaron Rai has made to his Masters debut.
Wolverhampton-born Rai was one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour in 2024 and won the Wyndham Championship in August, adding to his victory at the 2020 Scottish Open.
He started his golfing journey as a youngster at the 3 Hammers Golf Complex to the north of the city – a par-three course which, coincidentally, I have played a few times over the past few years.
I bet he hasn’t found the greenside water hazard on the second hole there as often as I have. Many a lost ball from a wayward wedge.
Will it be the perfect preparation for the iconic 12th at Augusta?
Rai -3 (11)
A dropped shot for Aaron Rai sees him fall out of the lead as he misses his par putt from eight feet on the 11th.
He plays the popular leave right of the green with his second, but that’s still a tough spot to get down in two from, as the Englishman finds out when he can’t convert the putt.
First bogey of the day is not the best way to prepare for the 12th hole…
Scheffler -2, Thomas +1, Ballester +4 (7)
You never really know when Scottie Scheffler is flustered, and even finding the sand around the seventh green doesn’t really bother him as he gets up and down with the minimum of fuss.
And that just about sums his round up so far which has been relatively stree free – at least from here it’s looked that way anyway.
Hojgaard +1 (15)
You think Nicolai Hojgaard has gone a bit gun shy after a wild round? Think again as he has a crack at the 15th green from 210 yards away and produces an absolute crackerjack of a shot that ends up only five feet away.
The Dane sticks that in for an eagle! Well, it was the one score missing from his card littlered with pars, birdies, bogeys and a couple of doubles as well.
Crazy, crazy round.
Riley E (17)
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Those hardcore among you who were with us when we kicked off five hours ago will know that America’s Davis Riley got the first birdie of the day.
He’s coming down the 18th and has just dropped back to level par after making bogey on the 17th.
His playing partner Patton Kizzire has had a tough day – seven over for his round.
Fair to say Riley will be taking the early clubhouse lead.
Spieth -1, Hatton -2 (6)
Lovely off the tee from Tyrrell Hatton onto the par-three sixth as he conjures his ball to inside 10 feet.
He gives it some with his putter but off it trundles and he’ll have six feet coming back just to save par.
First up though, it’s playing partner Jordan Spieth who has eight feet to stay clean and he manages it.
Can Tyrrell follow him in? Thankfully yes. An unorthodox three for the Englishman.
Mickelson +2, Day E, Bradley +1 (7)
Frustration for Phil Mickelson at the seventh after finding the greenside bunker with his second shot.
He gets out but it costs him a bogey and a slip to two over par.
Scheffler -2, Thomas E, Ballester +4 (6)
Just as crucial as making birdies this week is keeping bogeys off your card as much as possible, and nobody does that better in general than Scottie Scheffler.
This time it’s the putter, which can blow hot and cold for the world number one, that bails him out with a fine two putt from just off the left edge of the sixth green.
Add that to his 62-foot bomb landed earlier for birdie and the flat stick is working nicely so far.
Zalatoris -1 (11)
One to watch this week is Will Zalatoris and he’s got his round tracking in the right direction.
Beautiful shape on that birdie putt at 11 as it finds the bottom of the cup from 35 feet.
He’s up to one under par.
MacIntyre +1 (7)
It’s what you do after a bad hole that can make the difference and Bob MacIntyre sounds pretty annoyed with himself as he wanders off the tee box on eight.
Fresh off a double on seven he skews his drive well left of the fairway and looks like he’s in the pines without any sort of angle into the green on the 570-yard par five.
Spieth -1, Hatton -2, T Kim E (5)
Jordan Spieth finds himself in the trees that flank the left side of the fifth fairway with a wayward drive off the tee.
He clips out and then needs some magic to get tight for par. Of course he finds it – wedging to inside two feet from the 2015 champion.
Playing partner Tyrrell Hatton has similar distance for par, and he tidies up too.
Lee E (7)
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport senior golf reporter
Australia’s Min Woo Lee is the 23rd best men’s player in the world, according to the official rankings. But he’s not even the most successful golfer in his family.
Older sister Minjee is one of the leading players on the LPGA Tour, a former world number one and a two-time major champion.
Whether Min Woo – a Tik-Tok and Call of Duty lover with a massive social media following – will reach those heights remains to be seen.
Last week the 26-year-old broke the ceiling with his first PGA Tour title last week.
Houston (Open)? Not a problem. But the Masters is a different mission.
Morikawa E, Niemann -2, Lee E (7)
Three pretty good pars from this group as they were all out of position and all had to scramble like mad to save their fours.
Langer -1 (11)
Let’s check in on Bernhard Langer, who has started his back nine still without dropping a shot today and with that one birdie keeping him under par.
The German legend has hit every single fairway today, but perhaps showing how he struggles with distance he’s only reached three greens in regulation.
MacIntyre +1 (7)
Oh my word.
Bob MacIntyre drops in a double on the seventh to move back to one over.
The Scot was looking good on his first Masters start in three years but dunks his ball into the bunker to the right of the dance floor.
He clips out of the sand nicely but can’t knock in a fiddly putt from four feet to save his par and misses the return.
He looks pretty perplexed as he somehow ends up frittering away two strokes.
Scheffler -1, Thomas E, Ballester +5 (5)
Bit of a stinky one for Justin Thomas as he drops a shot on the fifth by missing a short putt that caught the left edge but tumbled down the hill away from the hole.
No such problems for Scottie Scheffler who makes a par but Spanish amateur Jose Luis Ballester is finding this a bit of a struggle now, with a triple bogey seven dropping him back to five over.
Rai -4 (9)
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As far as front nines go on your Masters debut, Aaron Rai could hardly have hoped for anything better than his four-under 32.
Four birdies, no bogeys, he’s hit every fairway and seven greens out of nine. Superb effort.

Page 11

Spieth -1, Hatton -2, T Kim E (4)
A fine save from Tyrrell Hatton at the fourth as he makes his par putt from eight feet.
Not so lucky for Jordan Spieth though who is a touch heavy-handed with his long-distance putt and cannot convert coming back from 10 feet.
He drops to one under.
Hojgaard +3 (13)
It was a double bogey in the end for Nicolai Hojgaard at the famous 12th after a visit to Rae’s Creek with his tee shot.
He then plays a brave second on the 13th to reach in two before a chip leaves him five feet for birdie – but he misses the chance and stays three over.
My head is spinning just following Hojgaard today, you can only imagine what’s going on in his mind right now.
MacIntyre -1 (6)
Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre comes up a little short on the sixth to leave himself two uphill putts for par from around 35 feet.
His first has a decent line but ends up around three feet shy of the cup but he’s going along nicely and sinks his next for a three.
Stephen Watson
BBC Sport Northern Ireland at Augusta National
Image source, Getty Images
After the shop, the next place most patrons visit is the famous and huge scoreboard to the right of the first fairway.
It is adorned with flags from the country of every competing player.
It also includes the names of all the former champions who aren’t competing.
Mickelson +1, Day E, Bradley +1 (5)
Back-to-back bogeys for Keegan Bradley drops him back to one over after leaving 15 feet for par.at the fifth.
Playing partner Phil Mickelson has also dropped a shot.
Punishing hole for these two.
Scheffler -2, Thomas E, Ballester +2 (4)
Scottie Scheffler enters the party with a huge birdie putt on the fourth hole. He’s around 60 feet away and this ball is really travelling when it meets the hole, but decided to take a dive in after a rattle around the cup.
That’s a huge bomb that sends a warning that the defending champ is here!
Spieth -2, Hatton -2, T Kim E (3)
Image source, Getty Images
These two are motoring.
Wonderful starts for Jordan Spieth and Tyrrell Hatton who have both made fine birdies at the third.
They are up to two under and are in touch early on here at the 89th Masters.
Morikawa E, Niemann -2, Lee E (4)
Disappointing bogey for Joaquin Niemann on the fifth after an errant tee shot that found the trees down the right. The Chilean drops back to two under.
Both Collin Morikawa and Min-woo Lee are trotting along quietly at level par.
Rai -4 (8)
Aaron Rai is having a dream debut at the Masters as he makes it back-to-back birdies with a four at the par-five eighth to get to four under and the outright lead on his own.
Jaeger -3 (7)
Great second shot from Stephen Jaeger on the par-four seventh as he puts it to two feet from 150 yards away to leave an easy birdie as the German joins the leaders at three under.
Mickelson E, Day E, Bradley E (4)
Clumsy from Keegan Bradley at the par-three fourth as he overshoots the hole and then goes too far coming back.
He’s coughed up the shot he gained at the previous hole and drops back to level par.
Spieth -1, Hatton -1, T Kim E (2)
At the first, Jordan Spieth slammed home from 41 feet for birdie.
At the second, he’s missed from seven feet – but will at least salvage par. Kinda what you expect really!
As for Tyrrell Hatton, he’s also made par so the pair stay at one under.
Hojgaard +1 (11)
Oh dear, from bad to worse for Nicolai Hojgaard as he finds the water at the iconic short 2th hole as Amen Corner bites the Dane.
MacIntyre -1 (5)
Image source, Getty Images
Wouldn’t it be great to see Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre put together a challenge this week?
A solid start for the 2024 Scottish Open winner – he picked up a birdie at the second and is ticking over nicely at one under through five holes.
Scheffler -1, Thomas E, Ballester +1 (2)
Scottie Scheffler gets his first birdie of the tournament thanks to a smart up and down from 43 yards right of the second green. Solid start from the defending champion.
Morikawa E, Niemann -3, Lee E (4)
A third birdie of the day for Joaquin Niemann takes him alongside Aaron Rai in the lead of the 89th Masters tournament.
It’s a laser of an iron on the par-three fourth that does the trick – leaving him nine feet for birdie that he rolls in nicely. Stellar iron play is what the Chilean is known for.
Hojgaard E (10)
Talk about a rollercoaster for Nicolai Hojgaard, who has tumbled out of the lead thanks to another bogey-double bogey run – his second of the day!
So the Dane has started the day with a bogey and double, then hit five birdies in six holes before adding another bogey-double combination.
All of that leaves him on level par after 10 holes – one of the most incredible level par rounds I’ve seen in a while.
Cabrera, Canter, Schenk (15:59 BST)
Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Augusta National
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Bath’s Laurie Canter has brought his whole family to Augusta to witness his Masters debut this week.
The 35-year-old wants to share the moment with the people closest to him after sustaining the best golf of his life to make the world’s top 50 in time for the first major of the year.
“It is one of those pinch yourself moments,” Canter told BBC Sport as he sat outside his rental home with his parents, wife Anna and their two young children inside.
“It is such a tough tournament to get in. Getting in the top 50 in the world is difficult, especially if you’re not playing full time out in America. So I’m really proud that I’ve managed to do that.”
Canter played the 2022 and 2023 seasons on the LIV tour, but missed a putt in the circuit’s qualifying event for the 2024 season. From there he had to rebuild his career on the DP World Tour.
Initially his exemption options appeared limited, but played well enough to keep getting starts before landing his first victory at the European Open in June last year. Victory in Bahrain in February and a runners-up finish at the South African Open put him in the top 50 and enabled him to become the first golfer who had played LIV to compete on the PGA Tour in the Players Championship at Sawgrass last month.
Now he is trying to get to grips with the game’s most glamorous tournament here in Georgia.
Read more
Mickelson E, Day E, Bradley -1 (3)
Captain America Keegan Bradley makes it into the red as he tucks home a 12-footer for birdie at the third.
He joins 15 others on the healthy side of par.
Rai -3 (7)
Image source, Getty Images
Aaron Rai takes the outright lead at the Masters after a wonderful approach shot on the seventh sees him stick it to five feet and roll in a third birdie of the day.
Rai interestingly wears two gloves for playing most shots and not the more familiar one that most golfers wear – something which he says he’s done since he was aged eight, adding he finds it massively uncomfortable to play with just one glove now.

Page 12

Spieth -1, Hatton -1, T Kim E (1)
Oh hello!
Fireworks on the first green as first Jordan Spieth and then Tyrrell Hatton drain from distance.
Forty one feet for the 2015 champion and 25 feet for the Englishman.
What a way to start your Masters.
Mickelson E, Day E, Bradley E (2)
It’s the same story for this group at the long second hole as they walk off with a trio of pars to show for their efforts.
Phil Mickelson’s second was clumsy into the bunker while Keegan Bradley couldn’t convert a birdie from 12 feet.
As you were.
Scheffler E, Thomas E, Ballester +1 (1)
Solid enough start from the defending champion, with Scottie Scheffler hitting the first fairway and green before two putting from 30 feet for an opening par.
Vegas -2 (9)
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport senior golf reporter
Jhonny Vegas has taken centre stage.
No, not the St Helens comedian. The other one.
Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas heads the early leaderboard after back-to-back birdies on eight and nine.
Making his fourth Masters appearance, he missed the cut on his first two visits before a 38th-placed finish last time.
That was way back in 2018. An encouraging start!
Morikawa E, Niemann -2, Lee E (2)
Joaquin Niemann starts birdie-birdie thanks to a fabulous fairway wood approach from 238 yards to the second green, that lands inches from the bunker then bundles up the green about 20 feet from the hole.
The Chilean two putts in for a birdie to join the leaders on two under.
Harman -2 (4)
Image source, Getty Images
Keeping an eye on the early pacesetters and Brian Harman has joined the leaders at two under.
The 38-year-old had not won a tournament since the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool before last Sunday’s three-shot victory at the Valero Texas Open.
He’s backing that performance up nicely so far. Two under through four.
It’s always important to get off to a good start at the Masters, but some have become experts in it over the years – including two players taking part today.
So watch out for Jordan Spieth and especially Justin Rose (17:00 BST), as they’re right up there with some of the sport’s greatest ever players who have held the most leads at Augusta after the first round.
Most first round leads at the Masters

4 Jack Nicklaus
4 Justin Rose
3 Jordan Spieth
3 Arnold Palmer
3 Gary Player

Spieth E, Hatton E, T Kim E (15:26 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
But if you’re looking for entertainment, look no further than Jordan Spieth’s playing partners.
Rest assured playing on LIV Golf has done nothing to quell Tyrrell Hatton’s fiery temperament but beneath the emotion is a steely and talented golfer. He’s been threatening a big victory for some time.
And then there’s South Korea’s Tom Kim.
Big mates with Scottie Scheffler, he loves firing up the crowd – and has certainly got some game.
Spieth E, Hatton E, T Kim E (15:26 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
For those Jordan Spieth believers out there, here are a few records held by the Texan…

Lowest career scoring average (min 25 rounds) 70.95
Lowest ever score over first 36 holes (-14)
Most birdies at a single Masters (28)

He’s nothing if not entertaining.
Scheffler, Thomas, Ballester
Scottie Scheffler looks to add his name to history as the world number one tees off just now looking to become just the fourth man to win back-to-back Masters titles.
And when those three other men at Sir Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, you can see just how tough it is to defend the Green Jacket.
Why? Well, there’s so much to do as reigning champion, including the Champions Dinner and many more media commitments – and with this being the opening major of the year the build-up is much longer, so the pressure builds and builds.
But if anyone can handle that it’s the super relaxed Scheffler – who also won in 2022 either side of Jon Rahm’s victory and if he could have putted even reasonably he may well have challenged the Spaniard then.
Spieth E, Hatton E, T Kim E (15:26 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Ten years ago, a 21-year-old Jordan Spieth thrilled the world with an astonishing wire-to-wire win on his second appearance at the Masters.
Over a whirlwind three years, he helped him to two more majors, and ought to have won in 2016 too, only to topple over at the 12th on Sunday.
But it’s not been so smooth sailing since. He’s not won a tournament since 2022 and needed significant wrist surgery last season.
Few have tamed Augusta like a young Spieth – and he has three further top-10 finishes.
Is this the place – and the time – to turbocharge his career?
Langer -1 (6)
Image source, Getty Images
Bernhard Langer is rolling along nicely at one under in his Masters farewell. Making the cut will be his big aim for the week and the way he’s playing he’s well capable.
It’s remarkably how good he still is, with just the length the rest of the field hit it being the big problem.
Read how Langer is approaching his “emotional” final appearances at the Masters.
Stephen Watson
BBC Sport Northern Ireland at Augusta National
Media caption,
Masters 2025: Augusta National gnomes number one shopping target at the Masters
High on the list of places to visit at Augusta National once you get through the entrance gates is the Masters shop. Queues start forming minutes after the gates are opened and it stays like that all day.
And the Masters shop is unlike any other in golf. It’s a multi-million pound building, which is more like a mall, and is the only place in the world where Masters merchandise is available.
One of the most sought after items every year is a Masters gnome. The clothing changes every year, making it one of the most desirable items in the shop.
It’s reported the shop sales are $70m for the week, or $Im per hour.
Mickelson E, Day E, Bradley E (1)
Par start for Phil Mickelson over at the first green after leaving himself 25 feet for birdie.
He’s followed into the hole by fellow American Keegan Bradley who rescued himself nicely after finding the bunker off the tee.
Morikawa E, Niemann -1, Lee +1 (1)
Joaquin Niemann makes a birdie start after getting into the Masters on a special invite for the second year running.
The Chilean is an elite ball striker and undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, but it’s hard to judge just how good when playing on LIV Golf.
He’s not yet shown it in the majors either, but a good week here would help.
Hojgaard -2 (8)
This is some round Nicolai Hojgaard has going now, as he’s picked up birdies on the seventh and eighth to suddenly shoot into a share of the lead.
The Dane has now made birdies in five of his past six holes after dropping three shots in his opening two! What a response from Hojgaard in just his second Masters.
You may have heard people describe Augusta as a “second shot golf course”. In other words, it’s all about your approach into the green.
And the stats bear that out.
Generally the winner of the Masters finishes in the top 10 for hitting greens in regulation – the outlier being Patrick Reed in 2018 who was 21st in that metric.
Couples -1 (3)
Speaking of greats strolling round Augusta, it’s been a good start for 1992 winner Fred Couples.
He birded the first and is one under through three holes.
With this, he has become only the 15th player to make 40 starts at Augusta.
Impressive work from the 65 year old.
Mickelson E, Day E, Bradley E (14:58 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Three-time winner Phil Mickelson arrives at Augusta off the back of a sixth-placed finish on LIV Golf last weekend and in decent form this year.
Now 54, he still knows every inch of this property and remains a magician around the greens.
Lefty to feature? Don’t be surprised if he’s sniffing around the top 20 come Sunday.
He’s alongside US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who has been excellent this season, and Australia’s Jason Day.
Morikawa, Niemann, Lee (14:47 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
The number one and two ranked players in the world, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are obviously big favourites going into the Masters.
But could Collin Morikawa be the man to give them a run for their money and be wearing the green jacket on Sunday evening?
Much of the underlying data would suggest the 28-year-old American has the game to certainly be in contention to claim a first Masters triumph and, having won two major titles already, edge closer to a major grand slam of his own.
The Augusta National is famously known as a second shot golf course, and Morikawa leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach.
The world number four also finished in the top 10 in his previous three Masters and played in the final pairing alongside Scheffler in 2024.
“The more reps you get in, the more you understand this golf course, how you play it and how you fit it into your game,” he said.
“I’ve found a way in the past few years how to kind of dissect this golf course and really use my strengths, especially with irons and the undulating greens, to take that to my advantage and hopefully give myself a lot of looks.”

Page 13

Rai -2 (3)
Englishman Aaron Rai has made a fine start to his Masters debut, picking up birdies on the second and third to join the tie for the lead at this early stage.
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport senior golf reporter
Augusta National Golf Club was not as badly affected as the suburbs nearby.
But it did not escape.
Trees came down in their hundreds on the famed course, damaging one of golf’s most famous greens on the par-three 16th and altering the landscape on several iconic holes.
Aerial photographs taken by Nearmap in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene show the impact.
Image source, Nearmap
So will the sparser landscape – and potentially differing winds – affect the strategies of the players? The common consensus is that it won’t.
“You lose a few trees, it kind of plays a little bit differently. Not a ton,” says Collin Morikawa.
Shane Lowry was more certain. “I don’t think it changes the golf course one bit.”
Image source, Nearmap
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport senior golf reporter
Image source, Getty Images
The manicured grass around the entrance to Augusta National is pristine. It always is.
In the suburbs which circle the home of the Masters, though, it is a different picture.
Fractured trees sprawl across gardens. Rubbles of wood and brick stack high. Homes remain shattered. So do lives.
In September, Hurricane Helene hit the south-eastern States – leaving death and destruction in its wake.
Read the full story of how Augusta and its residents ‘need’ the Masters to help its recovery.
Image source, BBC Sport
Image source, Getty Images
Greg Norman matched Nick Price’s course record at Augusta National when he shot 63 in 1996 – and remarkably nobody has managed to even equal that in the near three decades since.
And when you consider the modern player and the modern equipment, that’s a testament to just what a perfect major championship course Augusta is.
There have been 40 rounds of 63 shot in men’s major championships, and just those two from Price and Norman have come at Augusta.
22 of them have come since Norman’s effort in 1996 and the other majors have all given up 62s – Brande Grace got ths first at the 2017 Open Championship before Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler bagged two within minites of each other at the 2023 US Open.
Schauffele again and Shane Lowry hit 62 at last year’s US PGA Championship – but Augusta will just not surrender to these modern big-hitters and all their technology!
Hojgaard E (6)
Nicolai Hojgaard makes it three birdies in a row as he picks up a shot on the fifth hole to come roaring back after his awful start.
A hat-trick should have a player walking on air, but all it has done for the Dane is get him back to where he started – level par!
Langer -1 (3)
We mentioned Bernhard Langer before and he’s made a fine start in prime conditions out here.
He’s just birdied the short par-four third to join the scrum at one under par.
They’re trailing former US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson and PGA Tour golfer Chris Kirk who are both two under through the opening four holes.
Speaking of LIV golfers…
Cameron Smith made one of the fashion statements of Masters week rocking this blazer in a ‘gone straight from a job interview to the golf course’ look that had so many people talking.
Does it get your thumbs up or thumbs down?
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
The Masters has no plans to create an exemption for LIV Golf players, says tournament chairman Fred Ridley.
In February, the US Open and Open Championship announced that the leading player, not already exempt, on the Saudi-funded breakaway’s standings would earn a place in the field at Oakmont and Royal Portrush respectively.
However, speaking in his annual pre-tournament news conference at Augusta National, Ridley indicated that the Masters would continue to rely on its status as an invitational event.
“As it relates to the USGA and the R&A, they certainly act independently,” Ridley said.
“We respect their decisions. We are an invitational tournament. We have historically considered special cases for invitations for international players, which is how Joaquin Niemann was invited the last couple years.
“We feel we can deal with that issue, whether it’s a LIV player or a player on some other tour that might not otherwise be eligible for an invitation, that we can handle that with a special invitation.”
Image source, Getty Images
LIV Golf is well represented at the Masters this year with 12 players from the Saudi-backed circuit participating at the Augusta National.
Of those appearing, seven (Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwartzel) have lifetime exemptions as former champions.
Then you’ve got the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith.
A deadly dozen, so to speak.
Image source, Getty Images
There are many traditions and rules that patrons have to abide by at Augusta National that gives it such a throwback energy.
One of those is no phones allowed out on the course, so we have the bizarre sight of spectators actually watching the golf with their own eyes for a change – with some even using these things called cameras.
Old school I know…
Former Oldham striker and Charlton manager Iain Dowie I think it was.
Bet he’s never been namedropped in a live text on golf before…
Hojgaard +1 (4)
Nicolai Hojgaard has turned things around after a nightmare start, as he follows up a bogey and double bogey with back-to-back birdies to get back to one over.
A reminder he had seven birdies in the first round last year when shooting 67, and along with the game he obviously has a strong mental fortitude to respond to such a shocker of a start.
Bouncebackability somebody once called it I think..
Willett -1 (2)
There’s been some scoring out on the course already, which is encouraging as some of the favourites prepare to head out.
While early leader Davis Riley is now back over par, a clutch of players are in the red, including England’s 2016 champion Danny Willett.
My esteemed colleague tells me only Willett and Scheffler have been in the top five after round one of the past three Masters.
A birdie at the second is a nice start.
Image source, Getty Images
There’s a new item on the Masters menu this year – a tomato pie of all things. I’m not convinced, are you?
Image source, Getty Images
What all the patrons who attend the Masters always bang on about is the food that’s on offer – and the prices!
Augusta National ensures that all the food and drinks are available at a fraction of the cost you will see at most other major sporting events.
Langer E (1)
Image source, Getty Images
Germany’s Bernhard Langer is one hole into his 41st and final Masters start this week.
The 67-year-old won Green Jackets in 1985 and 1993 and has played in the Masters every year since 1984 bar two, 2011, when he was recovering from thumb surgery, and 2024 when he was dealing with an Achilles tendon tear.
Langer, who got into golf when helping his older brother caddie at a local course, became the oldest player to make the cut in Masters history in 2020, aged 63.
He finished inside the top 10 as recently as 2014, in a tie for eighth at the spritely age of 56 and when asked how he has managed to keep going for more than four decades, he said: “It’s so fragile. It’s so volatile. … It just comes and goes.
“I guess God has blessed me with tremendous talent and being a great competitor, but there’s many other things that are important. You need to be healthy. You’ve got to have a great support system, a good caddie, a good coach, on and on, the list goes on.
“You’ve got to be willing to sacrifice, as well, because it’s not always easy.”
get involved#bbcgolf
So I’m still after stories about when your kids have made you proud on the golf course.
However, after checking out Scottie Scheffler’s Champions Dinner menu at 12:53, this gentleman has made a fair point.
Gumbo74: Jalapenos,chilli & brussel sprouts at the gala dinner. Might be a long 18 holes for some today!
Fortunately it was two nights ago so hopefully all systems are suitably cleared…
Stephen Watson
BBC Sport Northern Ireland at Augusta National
Grand Slam champion Jack Nicklaus has revealed he had lunch last week with Rory McIlroy who was seeking advice on how to win the Masters.
Rory talked him through his plan shot by shot, and Jack said he wouldn’t change a thing, but commented that Rory’s discipline at Augusta hasn’t been good enough in recent attempts.
Gary Player, a Grand Slam winner, is backing Rory McIlroy for a Masters win. Says he has the best swing in the game and a Rory victory would be good for golf.
McIlroy, Aberg, Bhatia (18:12 BST)
Media caption,
Watch: Rory McIlroy revels in Augusta practice round
On his 17th attempt to win the Masters, Rory McIlroy insists the “excitement outweighs the burden”.
“I understand the narrative and the noise,” he said. “There is a lot of anticipation and build-up coming into this tournament each and every year, but I just have to keep my head down and focus on my job.”
He has been working with sports psychologist Bob Rotella this time around and is also hoping some lighter stuff will help him relax when gets under way on Thursday.
That includes binge-watching television series Bridgerton – which he claimed he was talked into by wife Erica – and reading a fictional novel “for the first time in a long time” after picking up John Grisham’s The Reckoning.
McIlroy is joined in Augusta by Erica and four-year-old daughter Poppy, who yesterday drained a 25-footer during the family Par 3 tournament.
McIlroy, Bhatia, Aberg (18:15 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
OK, so cards on the table with Rory McIlroy. History is a powerful thing.
No doubt he has scar tissue with the majors. Here at the Masters in 2011, he had a four-stroke lead heading into the final round, only to implode at the 10th and 12th on his way to shooting an 80.
In 2018, he was in the final pair with Patrick Reed but got off to a slow start and ended up six shots backs.
Then there’s The Open in 2022 where he just couldn’t get going.
Or, even more crushingly, last year’s US Open that featured two missed putts from inside four feet when holding a two-shot lead.
But there is hope this year…

Page 14

McIlroy, Bhatia, Aberg (18:15 BST)
Rory McIlroy’s best finish in the past decade was second in 2022 but he has missed the cut in two of the past four years.
This year he arrives at Augusta in majestic form with two signature wins on the PGA Tour already under his belt in 2025.
Those victories – in composed fashion at Pebble Beach in February and then under pressure in a play-off at The Players in March – make it his most successful pre-Augusta ever.
Trending firmly in the right direction.
Media caption,
Masters 2025: Rory McIlroy looks relaxed ahead of Augusta National challenge
11.
That’s how many years Rory McIlroy has attempted to complete the career Grand Slam by winning here at Augusta.
Barely believably, that is also the number of years since he won a major – the 2014 PGA Championship.
This is a man with 39 career wins, countless weeks in the world’s top five and a resume to rival anyone in the game.
Victory here would make him only the sixth man in history to win all four majors.
The only niggle – everyone else has completed the career Grand Slam in three or fewer attempts.
Time for McIlroy to make history?
Image source, Getty Images
Amid the myriad of storylines, two golfers stand clear as favourites for this week.
Before we get stuck into why, quick straw poll.
Thumbs up if you think either Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy will win.
Thumbs down if you’re backing someone else from the pack.
Hojgaard +3 (2)
Nicolai Hojgaard led the Masters for a time on Saturday last year, but he’s made a horrid start to his second trip to Augusta by going bogey-double bogey in his first two holes.
The Dane, who with brother Rasmus will be the first twins to play at the same Masters this year, found the bunker on the first before pulling his tee shot miles left on the second.
A penalty drop was needed before he then three-putted on the green for a seven on a hole we know is the easiest on the course. He hit seven birdies in an opening 67 on his debut last year, he will need to find a few now to get back into it.
Matt Taylor
BBC Weather
After the storms of recent weeks, most of the time it will be dry.
However, some rain is likely during Thursday night and there is a very low chance of showers/thunderstorms on Friday afternoon.
Image source, Getty Images
Part of what makes Augusta National and the Masters tournament special every year is the familiarity.
But things look a little different this year after the course felt the impact of Hurricane Helene last autumn.
Significant tree loss will likely affect play and impact on sightlines around the course.
A prime example of that is on the 10th, where a cluster of trees fell to the left of the tee, opening up a small window for players to cut off the corner and reduce distance on the dogleg par four.
Some of the overhanging branches also went down the left of the third which might entice more players to chase that angle with their driver.
Trees have also gone down the corridors of the second and ninth holes, which in theory should make the tee shots on those holes easier.
get involved#bbcgolf
Media caption,
McIlroy’s daughter makes incredible putt at Masters Par 3 Contest
It was pretty special watching Poppy McIlroy casually knock this 25-foot putt in during the par-three contest yesterday. She’s four…
It got us thinking – what are your best parent-child golfing memories?
Winning a foursomes event against a friend and their child?
Reluctantly accepting that your son/daughter can outdrive you before they even turn 11?
Perhaps watching your little one sink a hole-in-one over a bridge, round a windmill and through the head of a shark at a crazy golf course on holiday?
Tell us via #bbcgolf
Riley -1 (2)
Our leader Davis Riley is flying now as he cards the first birdie of this year’s Masters tournament on the par-five second hole.
It ranks as the easiest hole on the golf course throughout Masters history, and is seen as the key to getting off to a good start, with it being easily reachable in two for these players.
And Riley has taken advantage.
Jack Nicklaus has probably got a wardrobe just for them.
The great Bobby Jones, founder of the Augusta National Golf Club in 1933 and co-founder of the Masters which began in 1934, came up with the idea of a members’ jacket.
He took his lead from Royal Liverpool after winning The Open in 1927 as he liked the red hunting jacket worn by the club’s former captains.
Red, yellow and ‘Georgia peach’ colours were all floated between Jones and his business partner Clifford Roberts before the latter, inspired by the colour of the leaves on the azalea bushes that dominate Augusta National, suggested green.
The idea was that members wore the jacket and were therefore easily recognisable by spectators visiting the course.
Sam Snead was the first Masters winner to be awarded a Green Jacket in 1949.
It is made of an inexpensive wool-polyester mix and costs about £195 to make each one. The colour is known as ‘Pantone 342’.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Speaking of Masters champions, here’s the record holder with six titles, Mr Jack Nicklaus getting the tournament going just under an hour ago.
Eighty five years of age and still tonking it down the fairway.
Image source, Getty Images
There are 112 invitees and a starting field of 95 players for the 2025 Masters.
There are 21 first-time players, consisting of five amateurs and 16 professionals.
On the first two days of play, each amateur is paired in a group with a Masters champion
Six of the previous 10 winners of the Masters have been from the United States, although there is a sprinkling of European names on this list as well.
Big question is whether Rory McIlroy can get himself on that roll of honour and join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in golf’s most exclusive club, with a career Grand Slam.
2024: Scottie Scheffler (US)
2023: Jon Rahm (Spa)
2022: Scottie Scheffler (US)
2021: Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
2020: Dustin Johnson (US)
2019: Tiger Woods (US)
2018: Patrick Reed (US)
2017: Sergio Garcia (Spa)
2016: Danny Willett (Eng)
2015: Jordan Spieth (US)
Well, to be fair, only two players have completed the first hole at Augusta National, but it is factually correct as Davis Riley made par despite finding the trees down the left off the first tee.
Patton Kizzire went wide right with his opening drive and could only make bogey after being forced to just dig out a chip back onto the fairway.
But the main point here is that the 2025 Masters is up and running!
Image source, Getty Images
There are more big beasts out later on.
Jon Rahm, the 2023 champion, will play with England’s Tommy Fleetwood and American Wyndham Clark from 18:34.
17:33 – Patrick Cantlay (US), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)
17:50 – Brooks Koepka (US), Russell Henley (US), Sungjae Im (Kor)
18:01 – Adam Scott (Aus), Xander Schauffele (US), Viktor Hovland (Nor)
18:12 – Rory McIlroy (NI), Ludvig Aberg (Swe), Akshay Bhatia (US)
18:23 – Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Shane Lowry (Ire)
18:34 – Jon Rahm (Spa), Wyndham Clark (US), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
Image source, Getty Images
But what’s on the menu for us?
Rory McIlroy will begin his latest attempt to win the Masters at 18:12 BST on Thursday.
The Northern Irishman will play the first two rounds with last year’s runner-up Ludvig Aberg and American Akshay Bhatia in one of four marquee groups.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is out earlier in round one at 15:15 with fellow American Justin Thomas and Spanish amateur Jose Luis Ballester.
Here are the early groups to watch out for:
14:47 – Collin Morikawa (US), Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Min Woo Lee (Aus)
14:58 – Phil Mickelson (US), Jason Day (Aus), Keegan Bradley (US)
15:15 – Scottie Scheffler (US), Justin Thomas (US), *Jose Luis Ballester (Spa)
15:26 – Jordan Spieth (US), Tom Kim (Kor), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
Sadly, there is no Tiger Woods this week..
The 15-time major winner was the last man to successfully defend his Masters title back in 2002, but is continuing to recover from surgery on a ruptured Achilles tear, which could well put him out of action for the rest of 2025.
The 49-year-old even missed the Champions Dinner at Augusta National on Tuesday and would probably have enjoyed Scottie Scheffler‘s menu.
However, the bites were a humorous nod to Scheffler’s Christmas Day injury – which caused him to miss a few events earlier this season – when he cut himself with a wine glass while attempting to make homemade ravioli.
Maybe Woods might have been tempted to leave well alone.
Image source, @Masters
If you’re here already, excellent work. We’re just warming up.
BBC Sport will have live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra across all four days.
There will also be live text commentary, in-play clips, video highlights, reaction and analysis on the BBC Sport website and app.
Today that looks like:
12:30 – 01:00 BST – live text commentary on round one on BBC Sport website, with in-play clips.
20:00 – 01:00 – live radio commentary on 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds.
We’re putting in some hours this week, boss…
The annual par-three contest really was getting down with the kids on Wednesday…
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
We’ve seen some emotions on the greens at Augusta down the years.
This one is right up there.
Media caption,
McIlroy’s daughter makes incredible putt at Masters Par 3 Contest
Media caption,
Koepka, Bradley & Hoge make Masters Par 3 holes-in-one
The traditional Par 3 tournament is always a joyful precursor to the Masters and yesterday’s edition was right up there.
Check out these magnificent holes in one from US trio Brooks Koepka, Keegan Bradley and Tom Hoge.
And for those of you worried about the curse for those who win the par three not going on to take the Green Jacket, yesterday’s unfortunate champion was Colombia’s Nicolas Echavarria, who beat American JJ Spaun in a play-off.
Read our report

Page 15

Image source, Getty Images

Everywhere you look this week, there are storylines.

Rory McIlroy to finally get his hands on a Green Jacket and the career Grand Slam?

World number one Scottie Scheffler to make it three wins in four at Augusta National?

Swedish phenom Ludvig Aberg to go one better than his second place on debut last year?

Or a LIV Golf victory at the Masters from any of 2023 champ Jon Rahm, last year’s US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau or one of the old guard in Sergio Garcia or Phil Mickelson?

Whatever happens, we’ve got you covered.

Image source, Getty Images

“I may need a bit of help getting down,” jokes Jack Nicklaus as he tries to put his tee in the ground before lining up his drive.

No issue for the seasoned master, as he rolls back his club and thuds his ball down the fairway to raucous cheers.

The 89th Masters is officially under way!

Image source, Getty Images

Record six-time champion Jack Nicklaus has just joined fellow Masters winners Gary Player and Tom Watson to hit the tournament’s ceremonial opening tee shots.

The tradition began in 1963 with Jock Hutchison (1963-1973) and Fred McLeod (1963-1976) performing the duties.

Nicklaus, 85, has been part of the ceremony since 2010 with 89-year-old Player – a winner of three Masters – joining in 2012. Watson, 75, won two titles and has been in the group since 2022.

Image source, Getty Images

The sun is shining, blossom is peppering the trees and the greens are starting to run fast.

That can only mean one thing… it’s the Masters.

Best week of the year?

Won’t catch me arguing.

Luxury House

The Masters 2025 LIVE: Round 1 leaderboard, tee times, golf scores & radio from Augusta

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