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Review of the 1st round of the Masters Tournament

Yesterday, the Masters began, meaning it was a great day for any golf enthusiast. Here’s a brief summary of what happened at Augusta National.

Storms hampered players’ pre-tournament preparations, forcing the course to close early Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sungjae Im finished round 1 on top. The South Korean golfer started his round with three consecutive birdies and eagled the par-5 13th hole on his route to a 5-under 67 in the first round, giving him a one-shot lead.

The comeback of Tiger Woods was the day’s main story. Woods shot a 1-under 71 in his first official round since November 2020, exceeding expectations. Despite a “terrible” warm-up session, he produced three birdies – including a near-ace at No. 6 and a 30-footer on the 16th – and only two bogeys. Woods is currently T10.

Although Augusta National was soaked by rain in the days leading up to the Masters, the softer conditions did not result in lower scoring. On Thursday, the field averaged roughly 74 strokes per round. A tough, unpredictable wind, as well as the occasional mud ball, made it difficult for players to measure their approach shots.

Scheffler, making his first start as world No. 1, recorded four birdies and remained bogey-free until his final hole, which places him in T3 at the moment.

Three birdies and three bogeys were made by the reigning champion. Matsuyama, one of the TOUR’s premier iron players, only hit half of his greens on Thursday. The defending champion is in the 19s group.

The world No. 2’s streak of four straight top-10 finishes at Augusta National may be over after a 74 in the opening round. Jon Rahm’s stretch of par or better rounds at Augusta National came to an end at 15, just one short of Tiger Woods’ record.

DeChambeau finished at 3 over par, including a double-bogey at the 14th. Several times during his round, he was observed holding his left hand, which has a fractured hamate bone.

Patrick Cantlay, the defending FedExCup champion, finished with three birdies in his final six holes to shoot 70.

Thomas made six bogeys and two birdies in his debut Masters with “Bones” Mackay — who caddied in all three of Phil Mickelson’s Masters victories – on his bag. He hit ten of fourteen fairways but only six greens in regulation.

Cameron Smith, the world No.6 coming off a Players Championship victory, began and ended his day with double bogeys, each side of a remarkable mid-round birdie blitz. He scored four birdies in five holes to get to six under before an errant tee shot on the 18th cost him, and he finished with two more shots to card a four-under 68. He was the player with the most birdies (or better) in this round. Smith is attempting to become only the second golfer, after Tiger Woods in 2001, to win both the Players and the Masters in the same year.

In the end, only 18 players finished under par.

Tiger Woods ‘convinced’ he will compete in the Masters

The return of a five-time champion brightens the first major of the year at Augusta National.

Tiger Woods, the North American golfer, has stated his intention to compete in the Masters Tournament, which is held at Augusta National Golf Club and which he has won five times. After a 13-month layoff due to a vehicle accident, this will be his return to major events.

“For the time being, [the conviction is that] I’m going to participate,” Woods said at a press conference, adding that he will conduct a last test at the famed Georgia state course before deciding whether or not to compete in the North American major.

As a consequence of a terrible vehicle accident on February 23, 2021, Woods, 46, one of the most prominent players in the history of the sport and winner of 15 Grand Slam titles, suffered serious injuries to his right leg, which was in danger of being amputated.

“It’s about knowing how my body will recover from the effort and what I’ll be able to do the next day,” the golfer explained after completing two nine-hole training sessions in front of thousands of fans over the last two days.

Woods, who is currently ranked 973rd in the world, a position he has held for an incredible total of 673 weeks during his career, even stated that he believes he “can win the title” in the 86th Augusta Masters, which is contested on the fifth Saturday and Sunday, allowing him to equal compatriot Jack Nicklaus’ record of six titles, which he achieved in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, and more recently in 2019.

Tiger Woods is slated to play, if his participation is confirmed, the first two rounds in a group with South African Louis Oosthuizen and Chilean Joquin Niemman on Thursday at 10:34 a.m. local time (3:34 p.m. in Lisbon) and Friday at 1:41 p.m. local time (3:41 p.m. in Lisbon) is confirmed (6:41 pm.)

Louis Oosthuizen, 39, is ranked 14th in the world and a regular contender in major tournaments, where he won the 2010 British Open in St. Andrews and finished second six times. Joaquin Niemann, a 23-year-old prodigy, won his second PGA Tour title in February at the prestigious Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles and received the trophy from host Tiger Woods.

The defending champion, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, will be joined on the course by Justin Thomas and James Piot, the 2021 US Amateur champion.

The Augusta National was designed by Bobby Jones, a former golfer who was a serious title winner in the 1920s, and Alister MacKenzie, who designed golf courses all around the world, and opened for play in 1932. It was founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts.

The Masters, traditionally scheduled for the first full week of April, is one of the most important golf tournaments in the world. It also is the first Major of the year.

The Masters in 2022 will have 91 players, including the golf legend Tiger Woods.