Augusta Masters 2023: trio of leaders on the first day

After the first day, the Spanish Jon Rahm, the Norwegian Viktor Hovland and the American Brooks Koepka, with cards of 65 strokes each, seven under par, lead the Augusta Masters, the most important golf tournament in the world.

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The three were among the big favorites to put on the green jacket this Sunday, especially Rahm, former number one in the world, who had a hesitant start, but improved in the second part of the tour.

Hovland was the one who shone the most on the first day of the Masters and managed to be the sole provisional leader for much of the day. Jon Rahm’s spectacular comeback deprived him of being alone in the lead.

Two more golfers rounded out the top 5 at Augusta. Both the American Cameron Young and the Australian Jason Day signed 67 strokes on the first day. Behind them, seven more golfers with -4, among them the defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, the Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, as well as an amateur, Sam Bennet, the first non-professional to break into the top ten since he did. Ryan Moore in 2005.

Scheffler was uncomfortable on the ‘greens’, with some improper mistakes of his, but completing a good start with four under par, within shot of the leaders. A good Friday will put him back in the fight for the title. There were favorites like Jordan Spieth who saved the day despite having been through a lot of problems. He went on to throw two balls into the water on three consecutive holes. Two ‘bogeys’ in five and eleven, as well as a double ‘bogey’ in thirteen, deprived him of being among the leaders.

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There was a lot of expectation about the route that Tiger Woods could take and what was expected was confirmed, that the blows have them, but the physique does not. That is why the legend starred in a round with ups and downs throughout the day, leaving a good taste in the mouth at the end with two consecutive ‘birdies’ on holes fifteen and sixteen.

Woods closes the day with two shots more than par for the field, a good result that places him with options to make the cut after Friday’s day. Sergio García closed his Thursday with the same 74 strokes (+2), a result that allows him to maintain options in order to make the cut but that will force him not to make mistakes on Friday.

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