After each round of action at the Masters, contributing writer Taylor McCutheon will recap with his three most standout highlights from the day’s action.
RORY NOT SPECTACULAR, BUT SOLID
In the days leading up to the 2024 Masters Tournament, Rory McIlroy carried a lowkey presence around Augusta National. After arriving on Tuesday, Rory was the final player to register, receiving the #89. He did a brief interview, practiced by himself, and did not participate in the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday.
I mention his hushed manner because this pre-tournament vibe bled into his first round.
Competing alongside Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, Rory quietly went about his business on a blustery golf course, and to be sure, it was a bit of an up-and-down start.
On the par-5 second, Rory flew his 105-yard wedge shot over the green and made a bogey. Hole No. 3 saw him card a birdie. That birdie was erased immediately by a bogey on four. Ultimately, McIlroy finished the first nine at even par. Once he turned into the second nine, birdie opportunities presented themselves.
On No. 12, Golden Bell, Rory flushed his eight-iron to a few feet below the low and converted the birdie putt. Two holes later, on the 14th, he rolled in another putt for birdie. At this point, he stood two under par and comfortably in contention behind leader Bryson DeChambeau. Everything was humming along, no matter the bogey on 17.
Rory finished with a delicate up and down on the final hole to remain at one under par. When he looks back on his round, he’ll know he left shots out there. Shooting even par on the par fives at Augusta is not at championship standard. Nevertheless, Rory quietly did his job today, scoring under par in the opening round for the first time since 2018 which keeps him in the hunt early.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER’S ON FIRE
To start this season, Scottie Scheffler put the golf world on notice. His elite ball striking, compared to a younger Tiger Woods, led him to victories at Bay Hill and the Players Championship. Outside of those two wins, he’s earned several top-10s. Now, with the major championship season upon us, the golf world is keen to see Scheffler’s dominance on a major stage. In true Scottie fashion, he let his clubs do the talking Thursday. And, they sent the message to the other 88 Masters competitors that he had brought his best to Augusta. Reminder: Scottie Scheffler won the Masters in 2022 and finished T-10 last April, so impressive as it is, it isn’t exactly breaking news..
Thursday afternoon, Scheffler strung together a bogey-free six under par to move into second place, one stroke behind leader Bryson DeChambeau. This was his first-ever bogey-free round during the Masters. Highlights include a holed-bunker shot for birdie on No. 12, a tee shot that finished two feet from the cup on No. 16, and a deft up and down on the final hole. These moments will make SportsCenter, but I’d like to share thoughts on his approach shots into the ninth, tenth, and fifteenth. If you were not able to catch them live, watch them on masters.com. All three iron shots required flighted trajectories. Whether he drove them low or high into the sky, Scottie’s athletic prowess was on display. Each swing landed on undulated greens, surrounded by swirling winds and water. While not all of these shots resulted in birdies, they acted as the glue to keep Scheffler’s momentum going.
I expect more of the same steady excellence in the coming days from the pre-tournament favorite and undisputed No. 1 player in the world.
ROCKY START FOR RAHM’S TITLE DEFENSE
Jon Rahm’s defense of his 2023 Masters victory might be the most interesting storyline to follow. Since he moved onto the LIV Golf League back in December, I have seen very little of the Spanish giant, an unfortunate result of the fractured golf landscape.
Watching golf on Sunday is always more fun when an inspired Jon Rahm propels himself into the mix. But how would his first round of major championship golf go since moving to LIV?
After watching the telecast all afternoon, I believe Trevor Immelman, of CBS, would answer my question with the word “rollercoaster.”
Whenever Rahm made birdie, he’d turn around and card a bogey soon after. He never reached the top gear we all crave. Take his play on the seventh and eighth for example. He rolled in this elegantly sweeping left-to-right putt on the seventh that reminded me of his U.S. Open winning moments at Torrey Pines in 2021.
On the par-5 eighth, Rahm pitched deep into the green where his ball bounced, checked and trickled gently near the cup. These were wonderful shots, but they were soon erased by more bogeys.
Specifically, Rahm carded four bogeys on the second nine that left him visibly frustrated. His drive on No.14 came to rest behind a tree, so he was forced to lay up, which resulted in a bogey.
Once that putt fell, a subtle look of disappointment washed over Rahm’s face. Overall, last year’s Masters champion ended his first round with a score of one over par, 73. Each of the last 18 Masters have been won by a competitor who shot under par in the first round. Rahm will have plenty of ground to cover if he wants to reverse this trend.
