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It whitethorn beryllium very early doors, but for now, nan aged defender are successful charge! Jose Maria Olazabal, victor successful 1994 and 1999, rolls successful a 15-footer for birdie connected 2, past a large right-to-left swinger connected 3, and nan 60-year-old Spaniard leads nan Masters! The only different man successful reddish figures during these early moments? The 2009 victor Angel Cabrera, besides pinch birdie astatine 2. Take a snapshot, because it won’t enactment for illustration this for long.
-2: Olazabal (3)
-1: Cabrera (3)
News of different Masters debutant. Naoyuki Kataoka is making his major-championship debut astatine nan property of 28, having earned his spot by coming from 7 strokes backmost successful nan last information to triumph past year’s Japan Open. That’s a prestigious prize won successful nan past by Jumbo Ozaki, Isao Aoki, Hideki Matsuyama and Seve (twice). Kataoka now has nan favoritism of making nan first birdie of nan week, astatine nan par-five 2nd, steering successful a 20-foot left-to-right swinger. That gave him nan lead, briefly, though he went connected to make a messiness of nan 3rd, failing to get up nan slope astatine nan beforehand pinch his approach, past toppling disconnected nan backmost of nan greenish pinch his adjacent effort. Double bogey, and invited to Augusta National.
The first changeable of nan Tournament due was deed by nan 25-year-old Masters debutant John Keefer. He divided nan fairway astatine Tea Olive for illustration Gary Player and Tom Watson earlier him. However he went connected to miss a five-foot putt for his par and truthful registered nan first bogey of nan week arsenic well. As for nan first double bogey … that misfortune befell nan 2025 PGA Tour Rookie of nan Year, Adrich Potgieter. The 21-year-old South African zig-zagged his measurement down nan 1st earlier blading a wedge done nan greenish and into a gathering of startled patrons. He couldn’t get up and down from beside nan bleachers astatine nan backmost of nan hole, and it’s very easy to do this astatine Augusta National. Hey, if Rory tin do it connected Sunday pinch everything connected nan line, past anyone can.
The Honorary Starters. Gary Player, who won this title successful 1961, 1974 and 1978, took nan first of nan ceremonial tee shots down nan 1st hole, Tea Olive. The 90-year-old sent his thrust down nan mediate earlier performing a precocious footwear that would beryllium beyond galore men half his age.
The 86-year-old Jack Nicklaus – nan grounds six-time victor of 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986 – was up next, and showcased immoderate crisp punditry skills. “Oh boy, watch out, and I don’t mean that facetiously,” he told nan assembled patrons earlier sending a chaotic hook down nan left. No precocious footwear from nan Golden Bear, who simply chuckled to himself.
Finally nan 76-year-old Tom Watson, victor successful 1977 and 1981, took his turn. He spotted that Nicklaus had near his tee instrumentality successful nan ground. “May I usage your tee?” Watson asked. “It’s why I near it,” Nicklaus replied. Watson striped his thrust down nan middle.
A mixed 252 years, 140 Masters appearances and 11 Green Jackets betwixt them. We’ll miss them terribly erstwhile they’re gone.
With nan important worldly retired of nan way, let’s move our attraction to nan Tournament. Here’s our different man successful Augusta, Ewan Murray, pinch nan large preview of nan first Masters without either Phil Mickelson aliases Tiger Woods since 1994.
Four long, beautiful days agelong retired up of us. No request to beryllium racing retired location first thing, let’s drawback a spot of meal retired connected nan porch. Here’s what our man successful Augusta, Andy Bull, has plumped for. Iced Tea and 1 of nan celebrated Egg Salad sandwiches. That’ll beryllium $3.50 please. You person a bully day, now.
Preamble
Welcome, patrons, to nan 90th staging of nan Masters Tournament. And pinch Rory McIlroy having yet sewage his hands connected his beatified grail, arsenic nan man himself wondered: what is location near for america each to talk astir now?
Well, really astir … tin world number 1 Scottie Scheffler, supposedly successful situation pinch conscionable nan 1 triumph connected Tour this twelvemonth (!) benignant himself retired successful clip to drawback a 3rd Green Jacket? Will Jon Rahm aliases Bryson DeChambeau chalk 1 up for LIV Golf? Can Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Åberg aliases Justin Rose, truthful often location aliases thereabouts astatine Augusta National, return nan last step? Will Cameron Young repetition Rory’s feat past twelvemonth of pursuing up triumph astatine nan Players pinch occurrence here? Would Tommy Fleetwood beryllium nan astir celebrated winner? Or is that Bob MacIntyre? Oh, and what value Rory becoming only nan 4th man, aft Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, to successfully take sides his title? What astir each of that?
It’ll each travel retired successful nan lavation complete nan adjacent 4 days. But first, immoderate admin, and a reminder that nan contestants are invited guests and should beryllium treated pinch courtesy and respect. Although cheering and affirmative responses to awesome play are encouraged, unsolicited aliases accordant calls from nan assemblage are prohibited. Running is considered to beryllium unacceptable behaviour. Prohibited items see Cell Phones, Beepers, Electronic devices, Tablets, immoderate instrumentality pinch signaling and/or transmission capability, Flags, Banners, Signs, Ladders, Periscopes and Weapons of immoderate benignant (regardless of permit). Pimento Cheese sandwiches are $1.50 and Iced Tea is 2 bucks. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is nan favourite, each nan tee times are below, and this is nan celebrated CBS taxable connected a looooong loop to get you successful nan mood. It’s on! Masters fever is real; won’t personification please telephone Dr Golf?
First-round tee times (USA unless stated, each times BST, a denotes amateur)
1240 Johnny Keefer, Haotong Li (Chn)
1250 Max Homa, Naoyuki Kataoka (Jpn), Carlos Ortiz (Mex)|
1302 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), Aldrich Potgieter (Rsa)
1314 Angel Cabrera (Arg), (a) Jackson Herrington, Sami Valimaki (Fin)
1326 Ryan Fox (Nzl), Max Greyserman, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)
1338 Rasmus Hoejgaard (Den), Matt McCarty, Vijay Singh (Fij)
1350 Casey Jarvis (Rsa), Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan (Nor)
1402 Nicolas Echavarria (Col), (a) Brandon Holtz, Bubba Watson
1419 Sam Burns, Jake Knapp, Cameron Smith (Aus)
1431 Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor (Can)
1443 Jason Day (Aus), Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry (Irl)
1455 Akshay Bhatia, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Patrick Reed
1507 Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Xander Schauffele
1519 Russell Henley, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Collin Morikawa
1531 (a) Mason Howell, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Cameron Young
1543 Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland (Nor), Alexander Noren (Swe)
1603 Sung-Jae Im (Kor), Sam Stevens
1615 Brian Campbell, Tom McKibbin (NIrl), Andrew Novak
1627 Wyndham Clark, (a) Mateo Pulcini (Arg), Mike Weir (Can)
1639 Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Zach Johnson, Michael Kim
1651 (a) Ethan Fang, Davis Riley, Danny Willett (Eng)
1703 Daniel Berger, Brian Harman, Adam Scott (Aus)
1715 Fred Couples, (a) Pongsapak Laopakdee (Tha), Min-Woo Lee (Aus)
1727 Jacob Bridgeman, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Aaron Rai (Eng)
1744 Michael Brennan, Corey Conners (Can), Harry Hall (Eng)
1756 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Maverick McNealy, JJ Spaun
1808 Ludvig Aaberg (Swe), Chris Gotterup, Jon Rahm (Spa)
1820 Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose (Eng), Jordan Spieth
1832 Ben Griffin, Sepp Straka (Aut), Justin Thomas
1844 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Scottie Scheffler, Gary Woodland
1856 Harris English, Si-Woo Kim (Kor), Marco Penge (Eng)
