An exciting first round at Augusta National kicked off the 89th Masters, with many golf stars making strong starts. Here’s a look at some notable highlights and stats from Day 1.
For the fifth time in his career, Justin Rose finished Round 1 sharing the lead. At 44 years old, he’s now the oldest player to hold the Round 1 lead since Fred Couples did so at age 50 in 2010. Rose excelled on the greens, gaining over five strokes on his competitors in putting. Although he won the U.S. Open in 2013, Rose has faced considerable struggles in major championships since then, with 14 top-10 finishes but no recent victories to show for it. This puts him in a rare category: he has led more rounds at the Masters than many multiple-time champions.
If Rose wins this week, he could make history as the oldest player to secure a first-time victory. He’d surpass the record currently held by Mark O’Meara, who won at 41. In a statistic that’s worth noting, 44% of players who led by three strokes after Round 1 in men’s majors have gone on to win. However, trends from past Masters show that only four out of eight players in this position succeeded.
Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, opened with a solid 68, and notably played without a bogey, mirroring his first-round performance from the previous year. Interestingly, none of the last three defending champions who started with a bogey-free round went on to win. Yet, Scheffler has consistently performed well in his Augusta outings, boasting the best first-round scoring average at 69.2 among players with at least five starts.
Ludvig Åberg is another player to watch. After a strong debut last year, he began this year with impressive driving stats, gaining strokes off the tee and hitting most of the greens in regulation. Since no debutant has won at Augusta since 1979, Åberg’s journey will be one to follow closely.
Corey Conners also made waves on Day 1, standing three shots back of the leader and showing impressive putting skills. Known for his strong approach play, he typically doesn’t rely heavily on his putting but gained nearly three strokes in this round alone.
Bryson DeChambeau opened with a 69, marking his second consecutive year starting the Masters off strong. Despite his talent, his performance tends to fluctuate over the course of tournament weeks, making this strong start a hopeful sign. Tyrrell Hatton also recorded a 69, his first sub-70 start at the Masters.
Fred Couples, at 65, made history by paring the course again, achieving the longest gap between rounds under par in Masters history.
Rory McIlroy’s round highlighted the blend of highs and lows. After starting well, he fell victim to a couple of double bogeys. This season, he found himself six shots behind after the first round, further complicating his quest for the coveted green jacket.
Nick Dunlap had a tough day, finishing with a score of 90, which set the record for the highest score by any player under 50 in Masters history. However, if he can turn this around in Round 2, he could make his own history by improving significantly.
Overall, the fifth hole proved to be the toughest, with only two birdies recorded. This trend sets a challenging tone for the days to come.
These early results suggest thrilling matchups and potential surprises as the tournament unfolds. Fans are buzzing on social media, discussing player performances and speculating on who might take the title this year.
Let’s see how they perform in the coming rounds!
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