Masters 2024: Spherical 1 Winners and Losers at Augusta Nationwide

Solely 62 of the 89 gamers on this 12 months’s Masters Match discipline have been in a position to end their opening spherical. That’s as a result of a heavy rainstorm got here via Augusta Nationwide late Wednesday into Thursday.

Tee occasions have been then pushed again and even after the rain subsided, windy situations remained. Constant wind speeds of 20 miles per hour, with gusts as much as 30 made their manner in each course.

That left gamers scrambling, significantly because the day progressed. Tiger Woods would go thus far to name the situations a few of the most tough he has ever encountered at Augusta Nationwide.

Regardless of 27 gamers nonetheless left to complete their first spherical, we felt it prudent to dive into the Masters Day 1 winners and losers.

Masters Day 1 Winners

Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler is definitely the largest winner Thursday.

Not solely did he file a unbelievable 6-under 66, however he did so with out recording a bogey on the cardboard as soon as once more. That’s turn into a standard theme for the World No. 1 lately. It’s fairly uncanny.

Scheffler drove the ball extremely effectively, discovering all however two fairways. Past that, from tee-to-green, the massive Texan as soon as once more lapped the sphere.

He gained 6.42 strokes on the sphere in that regard. He completed within the plus placing, selecting up 0.62 strokes on the sphere. If that improves over the subsequent three days, the match is probably going all however over.

He’ll enter Friday one shot off Bryson DeChambeau’s lead.

LIV Golf

The Saudi-funded rival to the PGA Tour can be a giant winner after the primary spherical.

Bryson DeChambeau leads the sphere after posting a 7-under 65. He raced out to the entrance and if not for Scheffler, would maintain a commanding lead.

However even past him, there are three different members of LIV who’re at present within the high 10 at Augusta Nationwide.

Tyrrell Hatton, LIV’s most up-to-date acquisition, is 3-under as he’ll deal with the par-5 fifteenth when play resumes Friday. Joaquin Niemann, in all probability the hottest participant on the earth not named Scheffler, continued his torrid stretch carding a 2-under 70.

Tied with him is Patrick Reed. The previous Masters champion quietly performed very effectively regardless of the shortage of protection.

Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka are all at even par or higher as effectively.

It’s a actually sturdy begin for LIV Golf.

Tiger Woods

The aforementioned Woods finishes out our listing of Day 1 winners.

You’ll be able to simply declare he belongs on the opposite facet of this listing. In any case, he now has to play 23 holes Friday. That won’t be straightforward.

However I imagine the nice outweighed the unhealthy.

It’s laborious to assert there’s stress on a 48-year-old coming off damage and sickness, however there’s certainly stress on Woods.

For one, he’s seeking to break a tie with Fred {Couples} and Gary Participant with essentially the most consecutive cuts in Masters historical past with 24.

Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports activities

However Tiger doesn’t play to make cuts. He performs to win. Woods mentioned so himself claiming he has another in him earlier this week.

Regardless of taking part in within the windy situations, via his 13 holes, Tiger is 1-under. He’s striping the ball off the tee and seems to transferring round simply high-quality. Even throughout his prime years, he sometimes performed Thursday conservatively.

Earlier than he can contend this weekend although, Woods wants to indicate he can play persistently effectively. Thursday was the primary indicator that he would possibly be capable to do this.

Masters Day 1 Losers

Nick Taylor

The Canadian, Nick Taylor, highlights our listing of Day 1 losers. He’s coming off a profession 12 months in 2023 and even snapped the Canadian Open curse, changing into the primary native in 69 years to win their native match.

However Thursday was fairly tumultuous.

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports activities

After an up-and-down entrance 9, Taylor carded 5 bogeys on the again together with his remaining three holes. He’ll enter his second spherical 5-over par and can want a really sturdy spherical in wild winds Friday to even make the lower.

As somebody that many individuals thought might be a darkish horse, this was removed from an anticipated efficiency.

Hideki Matsuyama

Hideki Matsuyama, the Japanese star, got here into The Masters taking part in very effectively.

He impressively gained the Genesis Invitational going away final month. He adopted that up with a T12, T6 and T7 within the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Gamers Championship and the Valero Texas Open, respectively.

It was thought the previous Masters champion would possibly contend. Following a 4-over 76 Thursday, that doesn’t look like the case.

Rickie Fowler

Sadly, this won’t be the match that Rickie Fowler breaks via and wins his first main championship after carding a 4-over 76. He did that throughout the simpler window of play Thursday additionally.

It’s even laborious to assert he fell sufferer to the Masters Par-3 curse. He gained the distinguished occasion Wednesday and everybody is aware of that nobody who gained Wednesday, has gone on to win Sunday.

However Fowler’s recreation has fallen aside in 2024.

After a resurgent 2023 that noticed him snap his drought and win the Vacationers Championship, Fowler has missed three of 9 cuts this 12 months. His finest end among the many different six was ending tied for thirty fifth at Genesis.

All indicators level to Fowler leaving Augusta early, but once more.

Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. For extra golf protection, comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social media platforms.