Early starters get added advantage at the Masters
AUGUSTA, GA. Those with early tee times for Thursday’s opening round of the Masters probably thought they were in for a doozy of a morning at Augusta National, where the overnight forecast called for heavy rain and miserable conditions.
Turns out they may have gotten an advantage.
The worst of the weather missed the course — it only rained enough to soften the greens — and Ryan Fox, Bryson DeChambeau and Byeong Hun An capitalized on it. Each of them made birdie on the first three holes, part of a morning wave that quickly got into red numbers in what turned out to be several hours of ideal scoring conditions.
Fox made the turn in 5 under and was setting the pace as the rest of the field teed off.
The start was delayed by 2 1/2 hours by the weather, and those with later times may end up getting the worst of it. By the time many got going in the afternoon, including defending champion Jon Rahm and top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, the wind was starting to whip through the Georgia pines with gusts predicted to reach 45 m.p.h.
Those excellent early conditions figured to get worse as the day pressed on. And latest groups, which included Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, were unlikely to finish their opening rounds before darkness set it.
They will have to return Friday to complete them and then begin their second rounds after a short break.
Once the gates opened to patrons Thursday, they speed-walked to the first tee. There, six-time champion Jack Nicklaus, with his wife Barbara on the bag, joined three-time winner Gary Player and two-time champ Tom Watson for the honorary start.
Erik van Rooyen and Jake Knapp were the first competitors off, while the heavy hitters from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf were scattered in featured groups throughout the day. It’s the first time since July at the British Open that they’ve been on the same course for the same tournament while the deep schism within professional golf drags on.
In all, there are 13 players from Saudi-funded LIV Golf in the field this year, including defending champion Rahm, who left the PGA Tour for millions in guaranteed money late last year. That is down from 18 a year ago, when nobody was quite sure how the rift between the breakaway league and the longestablished PGA Tour would shake out at Augusta National.
Beyond the split in golf, there were plenty of subplots at Augusta National.
Among them is Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut last year, is trying for the 10th time to complete the career grand slam. He had two bogeys and a birdie through a roller-coaster first four holes Thursday and was at 1 over through six.