Thursday at the Masters

Round 1 Highlights and Takeaways

Hello friends (Jim Nantz voice) and welcome to your first round recap of The 2018 Masters Tournament.

Coming into the year’s first major, the anticipation for this season’s edition of The Masters has been as monumental as ever.

Tiger Woods is back following a promising beginning to his comeback. Jordan Spieth returns to Augusta National to right the ship following 2016’s heartbreak. Mickelson has regained his winning form. Justin Thomas has yet to slow down from a 2017 campaign in which he won the PGA Championship, FedEx Cup and Player of the Year honors. Justin Rose has surged recently and could vindicate last year’s playoff loss.

And Dustin Johnson has managed to navigate stairs without injury.

Thursday would not disappoint. Jordan Spieth ended the day in sole possesion of the lead at 6-under par, with a number of newcomers and proven players still within reach.

Let’s get into it!

Highlights From Round One

Jordan Spieth’s Back-9 Charge

Even through the first 8 holes of play, Spieth seemed to be en route to putting up a score that would neither hurt or help his chances. An eagle at the 9th would catalyze a charge up the leaderboard that may go down as one of the best-ever backsides for an opening round in a major championship.

Beginning at the par-5 13th, Spieth put together 5 consecutive birdies. He did slip up a touch on 18, where he would make bogey to finish the day with a strong score of 6-under par.

With a 2-stroke lead heading into Friday’s round, Spieth’s momentum has made him the clear favorite to win once again.

Sergio Cards a 13 at the 15th

Golf is a cruel game and yesterday was as clear an example as ever.

Last year’s Masters Champion and first-time major winner, Sergio Garcia appeared to be reenacting Tin Cup on the par-5 15th.

Approaching the green with his 3rd shot, Garcia’s shot would find the water. And then it happened again. And Again. And once more for his 4th shot in a row to end up in the drink.

Garcia would finish the day at 9-over par and is more than likely going to miss the cut.

Finau Impresses in First Round at Augusta National

When it comes to any major, especially The Masters, first-time players rarely find success. With the intricacies of the course and the pressure of playing at golf’s most prestigious destination, playing in this tournament and doing so successfully is no small feat.

Add in that Finau dislocated his ankle celebrating a hole-in-one at the par-3 contest, and his chances to play, let alone be in contention, seemed dismal at best.

So, what did Finau do? After receiving an MRI and being cleared to play, he finished the day 4-under par and was just 2 shots back of the lead.

That’s impressive golf without any circumstances or adversity. It is downright mind boggling how he came out and performed at the level he did.

Kuchar, Mickelson and Fowler Tossed a Few Darts at 16

Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler went ahead and used the flag at 16 as target practice.

All of the players put their shots within 10-feet of the hole and easily made their birdie putts. While it is not uncommon for professional golfers to do exactly this, it was still a great moment to watch.

For one, you have the veteran, Matt Kuchar vying to win his first major championship. Then, there’s Phil Mickelson who is the proud owner of 3 green jackets and seeking another. And of course, Fowler, who is considered one of the top players within the crop of young tour players.

A mix of old and new, at golf’s most tradition-laden club and with the world watching, these players showcased just how much fun the timeless game of golf and the tradition of The Masters Tournament can be.

Justin Thomas Drains Tricky Birdie Putt at the 12th

Justin Thomas has been on a tear for the past 18 months and there are no signs of him slowing down.

While his score on Thursday would not put him out of contention or right into the mix atop the leaderboard, he did make some great putts.

On the world-famous, par-3 12th, Thomas hit a fantastic approach to about 15 feet above the hole. At Augusta National, being above the hole is always cause for concern. But Thomas, one of the more confident players in the field, stepped up and drained the birdie.

It was not the most spectacular highlight of the day, but Thomas has shown his ability to score on even the toughest of holes through his first round in 2018. Look for him to improve today and continue to climb the leaderboard.

Takeaways From Thursday at Augusta National

2018 Masters Preview

Jordan Spieth Is Not a Runaway Train… Yet

In the 81 Masters Tournaments to date, just 4 players have ever managed to convert a Thursday lead into a Sunday victory.

Steve Ballesteros (1980), Ben Crenshaw (1984), Trevor Immelman (2008) and of course, Jordan Spieth (2015) have previously accomplished the feat. In 2015, Spieth shot an 8-under to begin the tournament and would finish with a score of 18-under par.

His score of 6-under to begin this year’s tournament puts him 2-strokes ahead of Matt Kuchar and again has the entire field playing catch up.

At this point, it is still more than feasible some players will charge ahead to catch Jordan Spieth. But if Spieth does run the table from start to finish, it will be no surprise to fans. A win here ties him with Rory McIlroy for 4 Major Championship victories.

There Will Be No Waiting for Moving Day

With Friday’s rounds beginning and Spieth 2-strokes ahead of the field, there will be no waiting for moving day. We all know that Spieth has the ability to build a cushion and that means that every competitor knows the same.

Thursday is in the books and players have the feel of the course down. The time to put the pedal to the metal and make scoring a priority is now. And with the 10-stroke cut rule in effect, getting to within 10-shots of Jordan Spieth will be a goal for many who hope to compete over the weekend.

While the first round was typical of most Thursdays at The Masters, plan on Friday being the starting point of charges and heartbreaks as the day progresses.

2018 Masters Preview

Tiger Woods Was Neither Good or Bad on Thursday

In his first round at a major championship since 2015, Woods carded a score of 1-over par.

It was his first round above par since the Genesis Open in February. Again, it was the driver that was the root of most of Woods problems as he sprayed the ball all over the course.

He will have some serious work to do going forward if he wants to win his 15th career major championship. An opening round of 73 is not the end for Woods. In 2005, he posted a 2-over par score of 74 and won his 4th green jacket.

If Woods can find a way to shoot 3-under par or lower today, I like his chances to contend on Sunday.

2018 Masters Preview

Rory McIlroy Is Very Much In Contention for his Career Grand Slam

In our 2018 Masters Preview, I managed to talk myself into considering Rory a legitimate contender at this year’s tournament.

Was 2017 disappointing for McIlroy? Absolutely. Did much of the golf world have a bevy of opinions about his lackluster play, injuries and commitment to the game? Sure. Does Rory strike me as the kind of person who internalizes all of this and uses it as motivation to get back to the top? 100% yes!

A 4-time major winner, McIlroy only needs to win The Masters to complete the career grand slam. After finishing at 3-under par, his chances to win this week are as good as any.

2018 Masters Preview

Matt Kuchar Is Near the Top of the Leaderboard Again

Matt Kuchar has been one of the more consistent figures at Augusta National over the course of the past decade. He has 4 top-10 finishes in just the last 6 years at The Masters.

Kuchar turned professional in 2000 and has yet to win a major championship. Could this be the year he finally breaks through and gets that first major victory? Given his past performances and knowledge of what the course requires, it is not unlikely we will see Kuchar donning the green jacket come Sunday.

Hopefully, Kuchar keeps it going all-week long. Seeing him win his first major at Augusta National would be fantastic!