Augusta (United States) (AFP) – Defending champion Scottie Scheffler held a share of the lead through 12 holes at Augusta National on Thursday as Rory McIlroy teed off in the first round of the Masters. Top-ranked Scheffler and world number two McIlroy are both chasing history in the 89th edition of the Masters, where Scheffler could join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only players to win two straight Masters titles, and McIlroy could complete a career Grand Slam.
Scheffler was his unflappable self as he reached three-under par through eight holes, opening his birdie account with a four-footer at the par-five second. He then rattled in a 62-foot birdie putt at the fourth. After just missing another long birdie putt at the sixth, Scheffler got up and down for par from a greenside bunker at the seventh. He nabbed his third birdie of the day at the par-five eighth, where his tee shot found the first cut of rough and his second shot settled unpromisingly in a divot, but he calmly rolled in a 14-foot putt.
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As McIlroy teed off, Scheffler was tied at the top with England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose—who opened with three straight birdies. Honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Gary Player got the tournament underway in picture-perfect morning conditions, with barely a breath of wind stirring the Georgia pine trees. England’s Aaron Rai and Germany’s Stephan Jaeger had both reached four-under par with four front-nine birdies. Rai got his round going with a nine-foot birdie putt at the second hole and added birdies at the third, seventh, and eighth before getting up and down for par from off the green at the ninth to make the turn with a one-stroke lead.
Amen Corner, Augusta National’s demanding stretch of 11, 12, and 13, proved his undoing as Rai bogeyed all three. That left Jaeger, who missed the cut in his Masters debut last year, alone atop the leaderboard after four birdies on the front nine—starting with a five-footer at the par-five second. After birdies at the fourth and seventh, Jaeger landed his second shot from the tree outline at the ninth 10 feet from the pin and made the putt for birdie. However, his third shot at the par-five 13th hit the bank of Rae’s Creek and rolled into the hazard, and he finished up with a double bogey.
American Michael Kim was the first player in the clubhouse under par, posting a one-under 71. “It’s pretty tricky,” Kim said, noting that the course had dried out since the rain that halted Monday’s practice round so that some greens were “noticeably firm on the first bounce.” He added, “That first hole was definitely a lot firmer today than it was in the practice rounds.”
McIlroy just missed a birdie to open, his seven-foot attempt trickling away from the edge. This year marks the 11th time McIlroy has teed it up at Augusta with a chance to join Nicklaus, Woods, Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen in winning all four majors. He had the three honorary starters pulling for him, with Nicklaus saying, “It’s about time that Rory won.”
Nikolai Hojgaard of Denmark had a wild first round 76 that featured just four pars along with an eagle, five birdies, three double bogeys, and five bogeys—inclusive of three straight to end his round. “Bit too much of a rollercoaster,” he said.
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