With the clumsiness of youth, Bryson DeChambeau had promised in 2020 that he wanted to make Augusta National bend under his power, reducing the Georgian layout “to a par 67” as his drives were supposed to give him the advantage over the local par 5s. . Four years and as many failures later at the Masters, the 30-year-old American has finally put his threats into action. Author on Thursday of a card of 65 (-7), his best here, he took sole control of the tournament. This took wonderful advantage of the dawn rains which delayed the game and softened the ground.
Having left at 11:18 a.m., 2h30 behind the planned time due to storm threats, the LIV gunner left no respite for the Georgian route, attacking hard (birdies 1, 2, 3), then hammering the tees starting point to bring down the last local defenses (-5 over the last six holes).
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Bryson DeChambeau has never finished in the top 20 at the Masters in 7 appearances.
Long too confined to the role of the most powerful bodybuilder on the PGA Tour (still 290m on average, Thursday), DeChambeau also knows how to control the depth of his shots. And he proved it this Thursday, on a course where 40 km/h gusts constantly play hide and seek with the pines, the better to catch poorly thought out shots. His point won on a hole 12 more enigmatic than ever, or at 16 on the other par 3 on the return, proves that the former player of the top 5 in the world is obviously better than his current 210th place. A rank that is ultimately fictitious caused by his exile on the circuit endowed with Saudi funds.
A few months after his 4th place at the USPGA, BDC once again confirms that he has lost none of his game by fleeing the traditional circuits, adding a touch of maturity essential to finally perform at the Masters. Reaction: “I knew it would be a difficult day with this wind. So you have to be very patient here. Winning at Winged Foot (US Open 2020) helped me understand how to win big tournaments. But you need a lot of patience, especially here, where it feels like it’s playable, but it’s just tricky. I learned to be a little smarter and not try to reach all the flags, but to place them in the right position. »
Scheffler, flawless as expected
Even the huge favorite of the tournament could not match the quintal of finesse deployed by DeChambeau. Starting alongside Rory McIlroy (71, -1) and Xander Schauffele (72), Scottie Scheffler still placed himself perfectly. His 66 of the day hurts almost as much on the field as his compatriot’s morning performance. This Scheffler is quite simply on the same wave and the same operating mode as during his first success here, in 2022. Not the slightest bogey left at Augusta and even genius, when the difficulty finally reaches him. His straight-in bunker exit at hole 12 transformed a possible bogey into an endorphin-filled birdie. Also capable of sending an 8 iron more than 200 meters to reach 15 in two shots, the world number 1 is definitely not… the boss by chance.
Of course, there is still too much golf to play, just to complete this first round which will end for 27 players on Friday morning. But this detached leading duo has already issued quite a warning, while drier weather announces an ever more selective final three, on soils which will quickly harden.
Pavon in the top 10, Woods without worries
As for Matthieu Pavon who, like a solid Tiger Woods (-1, 13 holes played) or an astonishing Nicolai Hojgaard (-5 after 15) will have to return to the game on Friday morning, his baptism at Augusta has had time to show that he is not damaged by the event. Which is already a lesson, for a player with only four Grand Slams on his CV
For its first Masters, the French comet seems to behave as in an “ordinary” tournament on the PGA Tour, its new home circuit. The 25th in the world initially knew not to panic, after a throw-in then an exit from a fairway bunker that was hardly ideal, at 1. This par was ultimately saved and was followed by two other consecutively successful approach-putts (birdie 2 and 3) , before his usual precision with the irons gave him a third point won, on hole 6.
Solid then after a first bogey at 9, wise at 12 by placing his ball on the green after changing his rod when Tyrrell Hatton ended up in the water like at 13 by not attacking this par 5 in two shots, the Bordelais continued to advance his pawns in his own way. With patience, without rushing the course and building your Thursday to avoid big problems. Well placed in 9th place (-2 after 14 holes) when night interrupted play at 7:51 p.m., Pavon could return home to his family with this embryo of certainty.
2024-04-12 01:08:00
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