2026 Masters Round 1 updates: Justin Rose finds familiar territory — and foe

Early turnaround coming for Scheffler?

The first round is complete at Augusta National, leaving plenty to be desired for some, but mostly a quick turnaround for the No. 1 player in the world. Scheffler had an up-and-down back nine Thursday, finishing at two-under 70 for the day. He sits three back of Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns. 

But therein exists one of the beautiful elements of the late Thursday start. Scheffler will be back at the golf course in about 13 hours. By the time McIlroy and Burns tee off for their second round, Scheffler might have leapt them. Or their gap may have widened. He’ll restart his pursuit at 10:19 ET Friday morning.

Jordan Spieth finding Jordan Spieth places

Does anyone find odder positions on golf courses than Jordan Spieth? Here he is left of 18, trying to get it in the house in even-par 72. Which, of course he did. 

‘Toughest Masters’ in recent memory?

Bless Shane Lowry. When he wants to talk, he talks so well. 

After shooting a three-under 69, Lowry was in a great mood Thursday afternoon, mostly because that’s no normal 69. Lowry said he thinks this could be the “toughest Masters we’ve played in a while.” The course is firm, the breeze is strengthening and there’s no rain in the forecast. 

“They can do whatever they want with the golf course this weekend,” he said, adding later, “it’s going to get very, very crusty around here.”

Justin Rose at it again

Just as he was last year, Justin Rose is doing Justin Rose things at Augusta National again. The 45-year-old turned in three-under and has a first-round lead in his sights with just a few holes left. He added a birdie on the 13th, his fourth of the day. 

Really this just reminds me of a year ago, when Rose shot 65 in the first round. He maintained his lead through 36 holes and found himself in the final pairing on the weekend with Bryson DeChambeau. Then, in just one round, he lost it. He putted as poorly has he has at the Masters in years, maybe ever, carding a 75 and looking absolutely distraught in the scoring area. He slammed his hand on a cooler in the scoring building, an odd lash-out from a normally mild-tempered man. 

You probably remember how his fourth round went. He probably can only think about how that third round went. This is the Masters, though. It’s played on a knife’s edge. Rose hast lost multiple playoffs for a green jacket. He has so much good experience out here. But how many times can he continue to inch toward a win without actually bagging one?

Scheffler turns in three under; is just two back

The thing I like to say every single Masters Thursday is coming true. Not a single score really matters until the best player in the world posts his score. And Scottie Scheffler is posting a proper score today. 

Scheffler made one birdie, one eagle and seven pars across the front nine at Augusta National, making the turn just as Rory McIlroy entered the media center for a press conference about his opening 67. All we can really dream about at this point is a proper battle between those two heavyweights, mainly because we have never really gotten that.

When McIlroy won his tournaments early on in 2025, Scheffler was never in contention. When Scheffler won everything throughout the summer, McIlroy had taken a step back. It’s wayyyy to early to talk this way, but on Thursday of the Masters, who cares. Everything is in play. 

McIlroy matches Burns’ lead

Sam Burns has company atop the leaderboard, and the name is a familiar one. Rory McIlroy — who broke through for his first Masters victory last spring — matched Burns’ five-under 67 in his first round since winning that green jacket. The round featured six birdies and just one bogey as McIlroy got off to a great start in his quest for back-to-back Masters wins. 

Brutal break for Hatton

Tyrrell Hatton’s approach shot into No. 7 was all over the flagstick. Unfortunately, that accuracy worked to his detriment. The ball caromed off the stick and bounded into the greenside bunker, leading to an unlucky bogey. The square on the card dropped the Englishman to one over early on in his opening round.

Burns posts early lead

Sam Burns is your early Rd. 1 leader at Augusta National. Playing in his fifth Masters, the 29-year-old made four birdies and an eagle (against just one bogey) to post five-under 67 to claim the clubhouse lead. The 67 is his career-low round at the Masters. 

Defending champ putting together beautiful Rd. 1

Rory McIlroy is picking up right where he left off last April. After playing the first seven holes in even par, he played his next six in three under with birdies on Nos. 8, 9 and 13 to get to three under through 13. With a win this week, McIlroy would become the first back-to-back Masters champ since Tiger Woods in 2000 and 2001. 

World No. 1 is off and running

Playing in the penultimate Thursday tee time, Scottie Scheffler made a ho-hum par on the opening hole and followed it up with an eagle at the par-5 2nd. He’s seeking to claim his third green jacket this week, which would make him just the ninth man to win the Masters more than twice. 

Bryson DeChambeau makes disastrous triple-bogey 7

A heavy Masters betting favorite has work to do after a disastrous triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 11th hole on Thursday.

Bryson DeChambeau, who was even at the time, found the fairway on the long par-4 but hit into the green-side bunker — and needed three shots to get out. He two-putted for a 7.

At three over, he’s eight off the early lead.

Masters Day 1: Early risers, fallers

With Sam Burns (-4), Patrick Reed (-4) and Shane Lowry (-3) headlining the top of the leaderboard, here’s a quick check-in on some of the big-name risers and fallers.

Risers: Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Xander Schauffele are all two under midway through their rounds, and so is 66-year-old Fred Couples, who started birdie-birdie and is still two under after four.

Fallers: Bryson DeChambeau had a slow start and turned in even par, but he triple-bogeyed the par-4 11th hole and is now three over. Viktor Hovland is also three over at the turn, and Matt Fitzpatrick and Patrick Cantlay are both two over as they head to the second nine.

Patrick Reed, Sam Burns tied for early lead

How rare is it to eagle both par-5s on the first nine at Augusta National? Ahh, pretty rare.

Patrick Reed did it earlier today. He made his first bogey at 10 and is tied for the lead at four under (Sam Burns is also four under).

Xander Schauffele tee shot finds patron’s merch bag

The Masters Golf Shop is a popular place, and even Xander Schauffele’s tee ball on the par-5 8th hole found the inside of a patron’s shopping bag.

Schauffele pulled his drive left on the 8th, it caught a tree branch and fell down into the bag. With the help of a rules official, he took a free drop. He parred the hole and turned in one under.

Patrick Reed has 2 eagles in 8 holes

The 2018 Masters champion, Patrick Reed, is already off to a hot start in Round 1. Reed pulled a fairway wood for both second shots into the first nine’s par-5s and eagled them both.

After a birdie on 1, Reed made a long putt from off the green for eagle on 2. After five straight pars, he did it again on 7, knocking in a long putt from over 30 feet away for his second eagle and to get to five under, two clear of second place.

Why is the par-3 12th hole so hard anyway?

As the field starts to make its way to the second nine, they’ll face Amen Corner and the tricky par-3 12th hole. But why has the mini 12th been so difficult (and important) over the years?

It’s a complex answer. It’s the nerves that come with it being so late during a round, it’s the intimate nature of the shot, it’s the shape of the green and it’s also the wind. The swirling winds down in Amen Corner can trick even the most astute players and caddies. Some look at the flag on 12 to gauge the wind. Others to the flag on 11, or the trees above 12, or even down at the flag on 13.

Here’s what veteran caddie Ted Scott told GOLF.com about the wind:

“There’s an effect called the ‘Eddy Effect,’ which is actually a term that you typically see in rivers where water spins in a circle, makes a little whirlpool,” Scott said. “Well, here’s what happens. In a 5 mph wind in Augusta, the Eddy Effect happens. It’ll triple the wind speed and it creates a whirlwind, so you don’t know which way it’s going. That’s why you look over at 11 and the flag’s going this way. And then you throw grass up here and it’s going that way, and then you look at the flag on 12 and it’s going that way and the trees are going this way. It’s called the Eddy Effect, it’s actually a scientific effect.”

YOU CAN READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Haotong Li made a crafty up-and-down from the water on 13 for birdie. He went on to eagle 15 to get to one under.

‘I don’t think he should drive a car’: Gary Player gives Tiger Woods advice at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods is in pain, Gary Player says, and he doesn’t blame him for taking medication. 

But Player said he shouldn’t be driving a car. 

“When you’re taking that medicine, it’s dangerous when you’re driving a car, same as it’s dangerous when you look at your cellphone in the car,” he said. “There’s 6,000 accidents a day in motor cars.

“So I think all he’s got to do is just not drive a car and get a chauffeur. My reflexes, I think, are as good as when I was 20, but I don’t drive anymore. I get a chauffeur. I think that’s the answer to it.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Patrick Reed and Tommy Fleetwood have a new partner at the top of the Masters leaderboard. Kurt Kitayama made birdies at 6, 7 and 9 to grab a share at three under.

Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, has run into a bit of trouble. He made bogey at 4 to fall to even, but then avoided another dropped shot with par-saving putt at 5.

A look at Patrick Reed’s eagle putt on 2. He’s still tied for the early lead with Tommy Fleetwood (three under). Rory McIlroy is one under after a birdie at 2, and Bryson DeChambeau is back to even par thanks to a birdie at 3.