AUGUSTA (Ga.) — On his way to Thursdays second tee at the Masters, Jon RahmThought of the famous quote he got from his Spanish idol. Seve BallesterosAugusta, once four-putted, by a man who said, “I miss,I miss,I miss,I make.”
Rahm stated, If youre going make a double- or four-putt it might as well it be the first hole — there are 71 holes to make it up.
He did.
Rahm opened the round with a four-putt double-bogey. Then, he followed that up with seven birdies (and an eagle) to finish at 7 under 65. Viktor Hovland Brooks KoepkaAtop a leaderboard full of red numbers and the ominous weather warning signs that are expected to play a major role this week at The Masters, he is.
Rahms 65 was the lowest Masters score ever by anyone who started with a second bogey.
Talk about a bad forecast is almost as common as the question of how 18 LIV Golf players would perform under the high-stakes pressures of a major with 72 holes and a cut.
Hovland was one of the early starters. He played bogey-free and had a highlight putt of 25 feet on the second hole. He also finished 7 under through 13 holes before he cooled down at the end. Other reasons made the Norwegian star stand out were also noteworthy. The color of the azaleas has begun to fade from early bloom. Hovland made up with his shirt.
Hovland stated that it was definitely out there. But I think these are better than the pink pants I wore last year. We are making progress.
Koepka made two birdies in the first three holes, and never slowed down. He finished his 65 with back-to-back birdies. He is coming off a win Sunday in LIV golf, making him the first multiple winner of the fledgling circuit.
The warm, muggy and relatively soft greens allowed everyone to score high. Cameron Young Jason DayThey were at 67.
Defending champion Scottie SchefflerTo become the fourth player to win back to back, he was in the group at number 68 that featured major champions Shane Lowry, Adam Scott Gary WoodlandAlong with Xander SchauffeleU.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett.
Was missing from the red numbers? Tiger WoodsHe has never missed the cut in the Masters as a pro and will need to work hard if he wants that streak to continue. He only made one birdie in 14 holes but showed a late spark and finished with a bogey for an 74.
Rory McIlroyTo complete his career Grand Slam, he needed a Masters green jacket. He took a double bogey on the par-4 7th and had three more to offset his good play. He ended up with a 72 and was seven shots behind a world-class leaderboard.
Rahm was playing so well a month back that he seemed unstoppable — three wins in the PGA Tour over his first 5 starts, all against strong field players. Then he dropped to No. He dropped from No. 1 to No. Scheffler & McIlroy surged to number 3.
Consider his opening round, even with the double bogey at four-putt, to be a reminder of how sharp his game is and how passionate he is to be the next Spaniard winner of the Masters.
He was able to recall a funny line from Ballesteros within a short time after a difficult start, which is a good sign. He thought his putting stroke was great on all of them. He continued his game. Rahm hit all fairways and missed one green.
He hit a 4-iron from 249 yard on the par-5 8th, which caught the ridge side and was fed down to 4 foot for eagle. He birdied four of his six last holes and finished with an 8-iron to three feet on the 18th.
Rahm stated, The one on 18 is the best. The one-on-18 was a great drive, great second shot, tap-in for birdie. Its rare to get a walk off birdie in this area, but those two swings felt as good as they could.
This report was compiled by the Associated Press.