GJust three golf pros got off to a dream start on the first day of the 87th Masters in Augusta (Georgia) with just 65 strokes (7 under par). Norwegian Viktor Hovland, Spaniard Jon Rahm and American Brooks Koepka took advantage of the ideal conditions (cloudy, 28 degrees, soft greens) to start the first day by two shots ahead of American Cameron Young and Australian Jason Day (both 67 shots ) to finish as the front runner. The American world number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler also created a brilliant starting position with a round of 68 strokes and shared sixth place.
On the other hand, Rory McIlroy, second in the world rankings from Northern Ireland, lost almost all chances with a par round of 72 strokes to finally complete the career grand slam, winning all four majors, as the sixth professional on his ninth attempt. Because since 2000, only players who were in the top ten after the first day have almost always won on the Augusta National Golf Club course – with two exceptions: Tiger Woods in 2005 and 2019.
This time, after a round of 74 shots and 54th place, the 47-year-old superstar Woods has to fight hard to survive the cut like last year. The only German in the field, the 65-year-old senior Bernhard Langer, the Masters champion from 1985 and 1993, has to improve enormously after a round of 75 strokes (rank 63 among the 86 remaining participants) in order not to win as he did in the to retire early in the past two years. Qualifying for the two final rounds will not be easy for either of them. Because the weather forecast predicts a lot of rain for Friday.
Great start from Hovland
The 25-year-old Hovland, number nine in the world rankings, started his round brilliantly with a par and an eagle on the second hole and was already seven under par after 13 holes. He managed the only round of the day without a bogey. In contrast, the 29-year-old Rahm started his round with four putts from around 13 meters and a double bogey on the first hole. “You can afford it on the first hole, then you have 71 holes in the tournament to make up for it,” said Rahm. The Scottsdale, Arizona resident of Basque played the remaining 17 holes on Thursday after that mishap as brilliantly as his three PGA Tour tournament wins, the most this year. His 65 shots was the lowest round in Masters history for a player who started his round with a double bogey.
While Rahm, the 2021 US Open champion, doesn’t have to worry about his future participation in the Masters in the next few years, things are different for the 32-year-old Koepka. He was the first to win a tournament for the second time on Sunday in the controversial LIV Golf league financed by Saudi Arabia. But that doesn’t count for the world rankings, which only take him 114th, far from the top fifty qualifying for the Masters. The last of his four major wins at the 2019 PGA Championship secured him a five-year eligibility to play in the Masters, which expires next year. But Koepka isn’t worried about that: “If I win, everything will be fine.” Because for a Masters victory, champions can compete for as long as they consider themselves competitive. With his second place at the Masters 2019, Koepka proved that the extremely hilly course of the Augusta National Golf Club is right for him. “I’ve only been completely fit again since December,” said Kopka, who needed a long time to recover from an operation on his right knee recover.
Rahm also feels at home in Augusta. In the last three years he has finished fifth, eighth and ninth. Old master Bernhard Langer repeatedly emphasizes that this place is his absolute favourite. But in his 40th Masters participation, he was unable to take advantage of his rare birdie chances. “I putted badly. But I got a few good shots,” said Langer, who plans to take part again next year: “I’m still healthy and good enough to play here.”