Woods starts with a birdie as DeChambeau shoots 65
Oh boy.
Tiger Woods, wearing a fresh pink shirt with a tiger on it, gets everyone’s juices flowing by making birdie on the par four 1st. Beautiful drive and an approach shot to about three metres. Putt in the middle of the cup.
Does anyone else feel younger watching that? He has an absolute to climb to challenge at Augusta this week but you could never truly rule him out.
The bookies did have him at $100 to win the whole thing and claim his 16th major.
Elsewhere, Viktor Hovland is looking really sharp as he snares four birdies on the front nine.
DeChambeau does well to make par on the last – after a drive into the sand – for a very handy opening round of 65 that’ll take some catching today.
Meanwhile, Byeong Hun An goes into the drink at 16. Not ideal.
Leaderboard
- Bryson DeChambeau -7 (F)
- Danny Willett -4 (F)
- Viktor Hovland -4 (9)
- Byeong Hun An -4 (15)
- Ryan Fox -3 (16)
Tiger Woods is off and away at Augusta. Credit: Getty
DeChambeau has made three consecutive birdies
Bryson DeChambeau is running hot at Augusta. The American has rolled in three straight birdies on the 15th, 16th and now 17th to streak out to -7 with one hole to play.
Leaderboard
- Bryson DeChambeau -7 (17)
- Danny Willett -4 (F)
- Ryan Fox -4 (15)
- Byeong Hun An -4 (14)
- Viktor Hovland -3 (8)
- Thorbjorn Olesen -2 (17)
Bryson DeChambeau waves to the crowd. Credit: AP
Woods and Day tee off
Tiger Woods bangs a wood right down the fairway to get yet another Masters campaign started – didn’t the crowd love that – while Jason Day sprays his drive left.
Not ideal for the Australian who tied for second with Adam Scott at his first appearance here in 2011.
This is the fourth last pair of the day to tee off.
To follow we have:
6:04am (AEST) – Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, Tom Kim
6:18am (AEST) – Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Sahith Theegala
6:30am (AEST) – Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood
Tiger Woods during a practice round this week.Credit: Getty
Why food poisoning and a freak gym accident have dented Australia’s Masters dream
By Adam Pengilly
Tiger Woods can barely walk, a tin man who looked so miserable in the atrocious conditions last year he did something he usually never does: quit.
Mercifully, Rory McIlroy has quit talking – sort of – to unscramble a head that seemingly turns to porridge every time his car rolls onto the tree-lined Magnolia Lane, a failingly familiar date with destiny and golf’s grand slam.
Jon Rahm had 900 million reasons to take off his green jacket as a Masters winners and swap it for a LIV bomber jacket late last year. The result? He hasn’t won a tournament since.
The Aussies? Don’t mention the Aussies. Our best chance laid in bed all weekend with food poisoning, another broke his finger after dropping a dumbbell on it and one reckons if he started explaining his swing imperfections, he could still be here tomorrow.
As the volunteers say, amusingly cheerily every five seconds, when you walk through those grand gates at Augusta National … Welcome to The Masters!
So, does anyone actually look like winning this year?
Who will win the Masters?
Good morning
G’day golf lovers,
Welcome to our live coverage of the Masters. This really is one of world sport’s great events.
For those of you who have got up early – you’re in luck. Play was delayed today due to inclement weather.
It means Aussie viewers will get to watch more of the action today than they might have otherwise.
The likes of Adam Scott, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth are yet to tee off but will do shortly.
Bryson DeChambeau is in the lead at -6 (through 16 holes).
Australian star Cameron Smith.Credit: Getty
