The 79th Masters started today, and one man shot in to an early lead. With 2 birdies in his first 3 holes, Charley Hoffman sat atop the leader board at Augusta, the same course where he achieved his best Major position of T27 in 2011, the only time he has played the competition. Hardly a household name, the 38 year-old Californian was never expected to keep up this level of golf and sure enough bogeyed the 4th to join Gary Woodland and Vijay Singh, the big Fijian having birdied the first.
Hoffman regained his lead with a stunning put to earn a birdie on the 5th, and was joined shortly by Gary Woodland as he birdied the 4th to join him on 2 under. Jose Maria Olazabal joined fellow veteran Vijay Singh on one under as he too birdied the first, and Streelman, winner of the Par 3 competition, shortly joined them along with Woodland who dropped a shot at the 5th to give Hoffman a one shot lead at the top of the Masters leaderboard having played the first 8. Two of the bigger names got their rounds off to a good start with birdies on the second, Keegan Bradley Ian Poulter looked to lay down the foundations for a good weekend, and reigning champion Bubba Watson started with a par along with a man we're keeping a close eye on, Justin Rose. Poulter then moved to 2 after the third hole to join Hoffman who had just finished the front 9, at the top of the leader board.
Bubba managed his first birdie of the day on the second to join 7 others (Gallacher, Bradley, Streelman, Henley, Woodland, Meth and Willett) on one under and tied for third. At the other end of the board Mike Weir was struggling on +4 after 6 holes, not the Canadian's finest hour, and Corey Connors joined him after double bogeying the 7th.
Tom joined Bubba to put 2 Watsons on one under thanks to his second birdie of the day on the 8th. Olazabal, after a bright start, managed 2 bogeys to be +1 after 6 and tied in 24th with the likes of Miguel Angel Jiminez and last year's joint runner up, Sweden's Jonas Blixt. Charley Hoffman bogeyed the 11th after a wild shot in to the trees to give Ian Poulter the outright lead on 2 under after 4. One of our men to watch Justin Rose then birdied the 3rd to put himself tied 2nd. If you haven't seen our 5 golfers to watch, you can do so here: http://fourballsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/5-golfers-who-might-win-green-jacket-at.html
Patrick Reed recovered well after bogeying the 1st, he then birdied the 2nd and the 4th to grab his share of 2nd place. Gary Woodland birdied the 9th to join Ian Poulter at the top of the leader board, whilst Tom Watson, Meth and Bradley have dropped back to evens to join Lee Westwood, who has had a quiet start through the first 4 holes. Weir and Conners however have both dropped to five over, and share 37th place right now. Olazabal's slow decline continues as he is now on 2 over, along with the veteran Ben Crenshaw who double bogeyed the 1st.
Russell Henley has muscled his way to joint top with birdies at 5 and 8, and keeps Poulter and Woodland company, but not long after Ian bogeys the 6th to drop down to tied 3rd. Bubba Watson and Justin Rose staked their claims for top spot as they both birdied the 5th. We told you to keep an eye on a Justin Rose with no pressure on him...
And Russell Henley then birdied the 9th to give him a clear lead on 3 under, leading the pack at Augusta. It was one heck of a second shot to get him out of a sticky situation and eventually take him in to the lead. Mickelson and McIlroy then got under way with pars on the 1st.
Our man Justin Rose then moved to 3 under with a birdie on the 6th, his second in a row, and Paul Casey was left on his own on 2 under as Gary Woodland bogeyed the 11th and Casey birdied the 2nd and 3rd. Webb Simpson then replicated Casey's feat to join him in tied 3rd place.
Charley Hoffman, almost out of nowhere, then shot back to the top of the leader board with an eagle on the 15th to keep his great first day going. Charl Schwartzel started brightly with a birdie on the 2nd to move joint 6th with 12 others (Tom Watson, Woodland, Villegas, Streelman, Reed, Bradley, Poulter, Bubba Watson, Stricker, Haas, Moore, Mickelson and Matsuyama).
Hoffman once again took the outright lead as he birdied the 16th to move to 4 under. Bill Haas then climbed up to tied 4th on -2 with birdies on 2 and 5, to join Simpson and Casey, before Willett then birdied the 13th to take a share of that 4th spot. Rose was then abandoned in 2nd place as Henley bogeyed the 11th to move him to 2 under.
Lahiri and Snedeker were then on 1 under in tied 9th, as Mickelson birdied the 3rd to move himself to -2 and and into 3rd place. Villegas then joined Mickelson with a birdie on 13 to help mend a rough start for the Columbian who hit two bogeys on the 1st and 3rd.
Brendon Todd then sunk a beauty of a putt to get his first birdie of the day on the 11th to move him to +1. Crane then joined Weir and Conners at the bottom on +7, and hit a good eagle putt on 13th to give himself a nice birdie putt, which he needed after triple bogeying the 12th. Mike Weir did birdie that 12th, to put himself on +6, and then watched Crane miss his birdie putt and then he pushed his par putt to eventually bogey. That was pretty poor from Crane who moved to 8 over.
Hoffman finished with a birdie on 18 for a fantastic first day, finishing on 5 under. Recently it has become imperative to post below 70 on the first day to stand a chance of winning, and Hoffman couldn't have wished for a much better start to the Masters here as he posts a 67.
By the way, we couldn't be happier for the guy, or happier that his terrible haircut has finally gone. Haas birdied the 7th whilst Hoffman went in to the clubhouse and joined Rose in 2nd place. Darren Clarke at 3 over missed an eagle putt on the 13th but then had a regulation birdie putt to move to tied 48th, but missed it and stays at 3 over.
Two bogeys for Blixt on the front 9 but he got his first birdie of the day on the 11th and hit a gorgeous tee shot on the 12th for a chance to birdie, which he missed. Stephen Gallacher then tried to replicate it but ended up short and in the bunker. Villegas moved to 3 under by birdieing the 15th to join Rose and Haas whilst Poulter remained at 1 under, struggling to continue his early form.
Rose birdied the 10th to move in to joint second place as Henley birdied 14th and 15th to meet him at 4 under, 1 shot off Hoffman, the leader. Streelman, Casey, Haas and Simpson are just behind them on -3. At the other end Weir really struggled and was +10 after 16 in 70th place, with Conners the closest man to him on +8 in 69th.
Bad news for Rose fans though as after he birdied the 10th he bogeyed the 11th to leave Henley all alone in 2nd place. Our favourite, Jimmy Walker, is, at this stage, still an hour away from teeing off, preparing himself for this massive tournament. Charl Schwartzel eagled the 8th to move him to 3 under. Mickelson then followed in Schwartzel's footsteps with an eagle at 8 to move him to -2.
Rose hit back after bogeying the 11th to birdie the 13th and took a hold of joint second place on 4 under, which is the card that Russell Henley handed in at this stage, to be in the clubhouse with a 4 under round of 68. One behind club house leader, Charley Hoffman, Henley can be proud of his perforance today.
Dustin Johnson then made his career total on the 13th at Augusta a cumulative -11 as he birdies to bring himself to 2 under.
Latest Leaderboard at this stage:
-5 Hoffman (US), -4 Henley (US), Rose (Eng) after 13, -3 Streelman (US) 16, Haas (US) 11, Casey (Eng) 10 -2 B Watson (US) 13, Simpson (US) 10, Matsuyama (Jap) 10, Schwartzel (SA) 10, Mickelson (US) 9, Snedeker (US) 9, Els (SA) 4 D Johnson (US) 13-1 Willett (Eng), T Watson (US)
Selected others: Level Poulter (Eng) 15, McIlroy (NI) 9, Lyle (Sco) 6, Harrington (Ire) 2, McDowell (NI) 1 +2 Clarke (NI), Westwood (Eng)
After birdieing 14 and 15, Poulter double bogeyed the 16th to put him on +2, it hasn't been the day he wanted after a fine start to the Masters. And then McIlroy bogeys 11 for +1, not what the youngster had in mind for the first day of his pursuit of the career grand slam. Sticking with our British theme, Justin Rose then birdied the 15th to join the clubhouse leader Hoffman on -5. Great stuff from one of our men to watch. Haas is putting pressure on Justin though as he birdies 13 to bring himself to 4 under, and is joined by Paul Casey doing the exact same.
A moment a lot of people were waiting for then arrived, as Woods teed off... and bogeyed the first. This is what we had to say about the man when he posted 82 at the Phoenix Open.
Olazabal and Weir then went in to the clubhouse after poor days, 79 and 82 respectively. At the other end of the leader board though Charl Schwartzel birdied 13th to move to 3 under whilst Stephen Gallacher handed in a 71.
Mickelson's second shot then ended up in the water, but he was still on course to make par after a nice chip from the drop zone. McIlroy birdied this hole with a lovely eagle putt setting him up nicely, whilst Woods responded to his bogey on first with a nice birdie on the 2nd.
Both Poulter and Westwood then handed in 73s, disappointing for Ian after such a bright start. Bubba Watson then ends with a bogey to card a 71 for the day and Justin Rose enters the clubhouse as joint leader with Hoffman after posting a 67. Meanwhile, another player we tipped to do well was 2 under through 6, that man is Jordan Spieth, read what we had to say about him here http://fourballsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/5-golfers-who-might-win-green-jacket-at.html.
McIlroy then hit a huge putt, 21 feet out, to birdie the 15th, awesome stuff from the world number one. Rickie Fowler didn't look too convincing early on with a bogey on the 4th. Woods is one over after 5, not as bad a start as it could have been for him, although he was looking rather erratic out there. Bill Haas finished his round with a bogey on the 18th to end up on -3, 2 shots off the lead.
Paul Casey finished with a bogey to end three under, the Englishman looked very good out there today, although that last hole wasn't his best. Spieth then birdies the 8th to move to 3 under, the American is looking good out there today.
Tiger is very up and down out there, but hit a beautiful shot from amidst the trees to find the heart of the green on the 6th. He couldn't capitalise on it though and remained on one over, whilst Spieth showed no signs of slowing down, who now moves to 4 under.
Ernie Els, who has never won the Masters, then birdied the 13th, to join Spieth on 4 under, a great day out there for the experienced South African. McIlroy end on 1 under and Mickelson on 2 under, not setting the world alight there but there will be more to come from the two.
Jordan Spieth then birdied 10, the 21 year old was on fire out there, as he took a share of the lead on 5 under. He almost followed that with another birdie at 11, but ended up short and settling for par. Ernie eagles 15 for an outright lead on 6 under, great play. Not many people were backing that man before the tournament.
Jordan Spieth made sure he wasn't going to be left behind though, as he birdies the next hole to join Els at the top. Garcia and Day both birdied the 10th to move to 2 under, not bad from either, and Kuchar chips in for eagle at 13 to move to 1 under. Spieth then birdied 13 for an outright lead at 7 under. Padraig Harrington is on 2 under, the 3 time major winner birdieing at 15.
Spieth then birdied the 14th as well, he was playing sensational golf out there, to move to 8 under, and Ernie bogeyed the 18th to join Hoffman and Rose as club house leaders on 5 under, but Spieth was 3 shots ahead of all of them, and that was almost how it remained at the top of the leaderboard until the end, except Jason Day moved to 5 under and Sergio Garcia posted a very solid 4 under.
A very memorable Masters is well under way, with some stunning golf out there. Can someone stop Spieth? Can our favourite Jimmy Walker worm his way back in to the contest? Will Woods collapse after a respectable +1 for the day?
We can't wait to find out.
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