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The Masters 2025 Day One LIVE: Leaderboard and updates as world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler


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Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for the latest updates and leaderboard from Day One of the Masters 2025 at Augusta National Golf Course. 

McIlroy continues climbing

The Northern Irishman has continues to make a push up the leaderboard, joining Scottie Scheffler and Cory Conners for a share of second at 4-under after 13.

He has the chance to move into solo second and slash Rose’s lead to three with another birdie chance at the 14th but his putt just slides past the holes and he’s forced to settle for par.

Rising star takes relief of a different kind

Rising Spanish golfer Jose Ballester may have landed himself in hot water – after a shocking act at Rae’s Creek.

More from MIKE KEEGAN below…

MATT MCCARTY EAGLE ON 17

The American playing in his first ever Masters tournament had been kinda hanging around all day long.

But he holed out from the fairway on 17 to jump from that log-jam at one-under to now a tie for fourth at three-under!

Rose extends his lead to three strokes

The Englishman has had a mistake free round so far – adding to his success with a birdie on the par-5 15th hole.

McIlroy is the closest to him and has a lot of time to catch up, but it’s not likely.

Lost in the Azaleas

Looking for a missing ball is something all golfers go through – some, more often than others.

So if you’re gonna lose your ball, why not do it in a beautiful location like this one?

Rahm drops another shot

The Spaniard is now at +3 going into Amen Corner.

It’s been a super tough day for Rahm and he now likely sits below the projected cut line.

The sea of patrons makes for a colorful display

It seems that the Azaleas aren’t the only spots of color seen about Augusta National on Thursday.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 4:30PM

Just a slight lull as nothing’s changed at the top since the last update. The only subraction we have on the list is Matt Fitzpatrick, who bogeyed to drop to one-under. Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau has climbed into the top-six thanks to his birdie on nine.

But, there are still some very popular names in the mix.

Corey Conners, Scottie Scheffler

Tyrrell Hatton (F), Rory McIlroy

Aaron Rai (F), Harris English (F), Jason Day (F), Denny McCarthy, Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau

Beauty from Bryson

DeChambeau’s second shot at the ninth is gorgeous and sets up a nice little birdie to move him up into a tie for sixth.

Rahm is not happy at all

A rough day gets rougher for the LIV Spaniard.

He hooks his tee shot on the ninth into the trees and then pretends to snap his club over his knee.

At +2, the former Masters champion looks destined to hover around the cut line.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 4:00PM

McIlroy is moving his way on up but so far Justin Rose stands alone.

Corey Conners, Scottie Scheffler

Tyrrell Hatton (F), Rory McIlroy

Aaron Rai (F), Harris English (F), Jason Day (F), Denny McCarthy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Hideki Matsuyama

McIlroy taps in for birdie to move to fourth

The Irishman is at the turn now, having started the day with three birdies on the first nine. He’s now tied with Tyrrell Hatton.

Here’s an update to the most recent FanDuel odds

This morning’s odds were as follows:

– Xander Schauffele +1800

– Bryson DeChambeau +1800

Here’s how things stand as of 3:45:

McIlroy on the move!

Rory birdies the par-5 eighth hole to move into a tie for fifth place at two-under.

He’s got just one hole to go on the first nine.

Scottie’s day is done

The reigning champion gets up and down for par to cap off his day.

Three birdies on the first nine and one on the second nine are the only deviations from par this round.

Scoring will need to increase if he’ll hope to repeat as champion, but a blemish free round is a great start to build on tomorrow.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 3:30 PM

Corey Conners (F), Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton

Aaron Rai (F), Harris English (F), Jason Day (F), Denny McCarthy, Matt Fitzpatrick

Michael Kim (F), Davis Thompson (F), Cameron Smith (F), Fred Couples (F), Brian Harman (F), Patrick Reed (F), Max Greyserman (F), Min Woo Lee (F), Cam Davis, Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Rasmus Hojgaard, Rory McIlroy, Akshay Bhatia, Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau

Scheffler tees off on 18

The reigning champion is about to call it a day.

Barring a miracle he wouldn’t lead wire to wire if he went on to claim victory, but he could certainly put pressure on Rose with a strong performance on this hole toda- and just as I type that, his tee shot rolls into the bunker.

The first featured group of the day wraps up on 18

Collin Morikawa seemed to make some progress with that eagle on 13 to put him at three-under. But he proceeded to bogey 15, 16, and 18 to drop back down to even par.

Joining him there is Joaquin Niemann who started off hot with three birdies in four holes, but then sputtered the rest of the way.

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s Houston Open winner Min Woo Lee that came out the best of the group – carding par on 15 of 18 holes with one bogey and two birdies to finish in a tie for 10th at one-under.

Next major group to wrap up will be Scottie Scheffler’s.

Rose extends his lead at the turn

The Englishman heads into Amen Corner with three straight birdies to take a two shot lead over Conners and Scheffler at six-under.

Fred Couples makes history

A really solid first day for Boom Boom as he becomes the second-oldest player in history to break par at The Masters.

How close was he to breaking the record? Incredibly.

Couples is second with an age of 65 years, 190 days. The record is held by Tom Watson from the 2015 Masters who broke par at the age of 65 years… 219 days.

A Hall of Famer behind the lens

Here’s something you don’t see every major.

Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr is on the grounds at Augusta National snapping pics of golfers and the scenery.

Here’s how Scottie moved into a tie for second

He hit a 62 foot putt for birdie earlier today and it seems that green jacket still has plenty of magic leftover

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 3:00PM

We’re starting to wind down the day. Almost a third of the field has made their way around Augusta National and headed into the club house.

Corey Conners (F), Tyrrell Hatton, Scottie Scheffler

Aaron Rai (F), Harris English (F), Jason Day, Denny McCarthy

AMATEUR UPDATE

Singapore’s Hirosh Tai is the current low amateur through nine holes. He sits tied for ninth at one-under.

Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands is the next closest up the leaderboard at one-over through eight holes. Not a bad start at all, but he’ll need to improve on that number to make the cut.

Tied at four-over is Evan Beck and Jose Luis Ballester. Beck is through eleven holes while Ballester just wrapped up the 15th.

At the back is Noah Kent. He began the day with four pars and two birdies through the first six holes to start two under.

ENGLAND BACK ON TOP

After dusting off the front nine, we have a new solo leader: Justin Rose.

Three birdies in the first three holes, two birdies on the last two holes, no errors in between.

More issues for Rahm-bo!

Topsy-turvy day for the Spanish LIV Golf star, who bogeyed, then birdied, and has now bogeyed again on the par-three fourth. He sits +1 for the day.

Here’s one man who won’t be at Augusta this week…

Anyone else?

(If you’re reading this, I’d guess it might apply to you too…)

Some new leaders

Plenty of movement at the top of the leaderboard, with Corey Conners and Justin Rose joining Tyrrell Hatton on -4.

Conners is back in the clubhouse now, birdieing 15, 17 and 18 to lift himself atop the standings right at the end of his round. He’ll sleep well tonight.

McIlroy on the 5th

A lot of interest in Rory this week, and he’s just teeing off on the 5th, currently one-under-par and T12 on the leaderboard in the early stages.

It’s an excellent drive, straight down the middle, and a big round of applause from the patrons for the Northern Irishman.

Some big-name strugglers

A big leaderboard for the first two days of the tournament, so understandable if you’ve missed a few of the more famous names so far.

Right now, there’s some heavy hitters that are struggling, including…

T45: Brooks Koepka, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm (+1)

T61: Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson (+2)

T73: Danny Willett, Robert MacIntyre (+3)

And say a prayer for Nick Dunlap, who’s currently out on the 16th, and six shots adrift at the bottom of the leaderboard on +13.

Augusta views

What. A. Place. Just a few pics, with no further caption needed.

Rahm bogey!

Not a great start from the 2023 champion, who has just bogeyed the par-five second.

Moment of the day?

Heck, maybe even moment of the week… just take a look at this from the legendary Freddie Couples on 14.

Have you seen what Sergio Garcia is wearing???

The former Masters champion returned to the site of his only major victory looking to make an impression.

Well, the LIV Golf rebel would not look out of place on the pitch for his home country’s national football team.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 2:00PM

Well, this just got very interesting.

– Collin Morikawa hit eagle on 13

– Fred Couples hit eagle on 14

– Corey Conners, Jason Day, and Max Greyserman have all climbed into the top five

Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose

Aaron Rai, Corey Conners, Max Greyserman, Jason Day

Michael Kim (F), Davis Thompson (F), Fred Couples, Harris English, Stephan Jaeger, Patrick Reed, Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee, Bubba Watson, Denny McCarthy, Sergio Garcia, Matt Fitzpatrick, Akshay Bhatia, Bryson DeChambeau

A CHANGE AT THE TOP OF THE LEADERBOARD

Englishman Tyrrell Hatton is leading the Masters as there’s plenty of shaking up going on below him.

Full leaderboard update in 5 minutes…

The final group is teeing off

The last group of golfers set to start their tournaments are hitting their first shots now.

Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka, and Sam Burns are now all driving as the first round starts the process of winding down.

The leaders have more company!

A wonderful eagle on the final hole at Amen Corner sees another addition to the leaderboard: Collin Morikawa.

The former major winner has had a relatively silent day, scoring par on each hole with the exception of a single birdie on the eighth.

But now with this eagle on 13 – the first of any golfer on this hole today – he shoots up into the lead.

Another Brit moves toward the top!

Much like Jaeger, Laurie Canter got in on the final criteria before special invites.

But now the Bath native and former LIV Golf rebel is in the top five

Masters champion Jon Rahm tees off

The Spanish LIV rebel gets his tournament underway with a solid shot.

He’s joined by Wyndham Clark and Tommy Fleetwood in the final featured grouping of the day.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 1:30PM

This’s what’s goin on at Augusta:

Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose

Joaquin Niemann, Laurie Canter

Michael Kim (F), Davis Thompson, Aaron Rai, Fred Couples, Harris English, Stephan Jaeger, Corey Conners, Patrick Reed, Max Greyserman, Collin Morikawa, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Rafael Campos, Bubba Watson, Tom Hoge, Matt McCarty, Denny McCarthy, Max Homa, Sergio Garcia, Daniel Berger

1:34pm – Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood

1:45pm – Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka, Sam Burns

The first groups have wrapped up their days

The first group who played today is in the clubhouse. Davis Riley finished one-over while playing partner Patton Kizzire shot a horrid seven-over.

Other golfers who have finished: Joe Highsmith and Kevin Yu (+4), Chris Kirk, Mike Weir and Jhonattan Vegas (+3), Cameron Young and Zach Johnson (even par), and Michael Kim (-1)

But Thursday was an absolute roller coaster for Nicolai Hojgaard.

I could tell you what his scores were but… idk y’all, just look at this scorecard.

Rory’s pairing tees off!

McIlroy gets off to a great start with a drive that goes deep.

He’s paired with Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia.

All three of them find the fairway for solid starts to their afternoon.

WE HAVE A NEW LEADER

Jaeger ends his Amen Corner run with a treacherous double bogey on 13 to drop two strokes and down into a tie for fourth.

So now, it’s Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, and Justin Rose with a share of the lead.

Here’s your five minute warning for Rory

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 1:00PM

Get ready for three high-profile groupings to tee off in quick succession on the first hole! But before they get going, this is how the field looks right now:

Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose

Harris English, Joaquin Niemann, Jordan Spieth, Laurie Canter, Matt McCarty, Max Homa

1:01pm – Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland

1:12pm – Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia

1:23pm – Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry

And now another Englishman joins the party in second…

The former US Open champion cards three straight birdies on the opening three holes to shoot straight to second place.

Scheffler has company in second place…

Tyrrell Hatton, the High Wycombe native and LIV Golf rebel, birdies the eighth to bump himself up to a tie for second place.

A jam-packed afternoon lies ahead

Some big names are set to tee off over the course of the next hour, so be sure to stay here to keep in touch with all the action

Scottie Scheffler Solo Second

The reigning green jacket holder drops in a birdie on the eighth hole as he moves into solo second place at three-under.

He’ll look to finish up a flawless front nine.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 12:30PM

Rai has dropped further back, giving Jaeger about as comfortable a lead as you could expect at this stage of the Masters.

Joaquin Niemann, Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Brian Campbell, Matt McCarty

Michael Kim, Harris English, Brian Harman, Corey Conners, Max Greyserman, Collin Morikawa, Min Woo Lee, Jordan Spieth, Cam Davis, Laurie Canter, Bubba Watson, Tom Hoge, Denny McCarthy, Justin Rose

12:33pm – Patrick Cantlay, Rasmus Hojgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick

12:50pm – Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Sungjae Im

First featured group wraps up first nine

Joaquin Niemann leads his playing partners – carding three birdies and a bogey to sit tied for second at two-under.

Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa and Min Woo Lee both sit tied at one-under.

Jaeger stands alone at the top

Aaron Rai opens up his trip to Amen Corner with a bogey on 11 – moving the German into the solo lead for the round

A glimpse at the staff bags

The Masters being around means that special edition items are made to go along with the springtime theme.

Photos here capture the bags used by TaylorMade and Callaway golfers – including some of the head covers for clubs.

From Augusta… to Anfield

To celebrate the start of the Masters, a handful of Liverpool players tested their short game out at their training facility.

Watch to see who sank their shots and who needs to take some lessons!

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT NOON

We have some new competition at the top as Aaron Rai now shares the lead!

Aaron Rai, Stephan Jaeger

Joaquin Niemann, Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton

Chris Kirk, Bernhard Langer, Will Zalatoris, JT Poston, Fred Couples, Harris English, Brian Harman, Corey Conners, Max Greyserman, Jordan Spieth, Maverick McNealy, Rafael Campos, Cam Davis, Laurie Canter, Brian Campbell, Matt McCarty

12:11pm – Dustin Johnson, Nick Taylor, Justin Hastings (a)

12:22pm – Sergio Garcia, Lucas Glover, Daniel Berger

The eye-popping price of concessions at Augusta National

Food is incredibly cheap at The Masters – with the most expensive item setting you back just $6.

Here’s a more in-depth look at the offerings (including a brand new item) and their prices from DailyMail.com’s Dan Matthews.

Hungry yet?

It’s almost noon here on the East Coast, which means it’s almost time for lunch.

The Masters’ concessions are notoriously low-priced and the options available look delicious.

AMATEUR UPDATE

After a hot start, Noah Kent has struggled as he’s now made the turn. His birdies on holes 3 and 4 were negated by bogeys on 7 and 8. Now, on his first hole of the second nine, he’s carded a double bogey.

The nerves of the moment – and with playing alongside Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas – may be getting to Jose Luis Ballester (pictured below). Through five holes, he’s at five-over having bogeyed the first and third and carding a double bogey on five.

The current low amateur is Evan Beck, but he’s through one hole and he already bogeyed that one.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 11:30AM

There’s still a bunched up pack at one under (with some new additions) but there now appears to be a breakaway group.

Joaquin Niemann, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Tyrrell Hatton

Michael Kim, Chris Kirk, Bernhard Langer, JT Poston, Harris English, Brian Harman, Robert MacIntyre, Tony Finau, Maverick McNealy, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat

11:38am – Tom Hoge, Matt McCarty, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

11:49am – Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy, Hiroshi Tai (a)

12:00 – Max Homa, Justin Rose, JJ Spaun

Watch Scottie drain this putt from WAYYY DOWNTOWN on the fourth

This looooooooooooooong putt sunk for a birdie sees the reigning champion move up to a tie for 3rd at Augusta National.

A former Masters champion is rocketing up the leaderboard

Well, welcome back Jordan Spieth!

The 2015 Masters winner birdied the first and third holes to move up into a tie for third early in the day.

Inside Rory McIlroy’s shocking divorce U-Turn ahead of Augusta return

It’s about two hours until Rory McIlroy tees off in his return to Augusta National.

Last year was an emotional one for the Irishman after the announcement of his divorce, which was then called off after a month.

DailyMail.com takes you inside the stunning change of heart.

Rai’s back in the solo lead!

The Englishman is through eight holes and is still flawless at a score of four-under.

Add another man at the top!

German Stephan Jaeger, who got into the field in the final criteria besides a special invitation (top-50 in the OWGR on March 31, 2025) is now tied for the lead.

He’s playing in just his second Masters ever!

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 11:00AM

The first groups are already making their way through Amen Corner as about half the field has teed off.

Aaron Rai, Joaquin Niemann

Chris Kirk, Stephan Jaeger

Michael Kim, Zach Johnson, Davis Thompson, Bernhard Langer, Brian Harman, Byeong Hun An, Robert MacIntyre, Keegan Bradley, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Tyrrell Hatton

Rai shares the top of the leaderboard with a LIV rebel…

Through four holes, Chilean golfer Joaquin Niemann has outshone the other partners in his ‘featured’ group.

While Morikawa and Min Woo Lee sit at even par, Niemann has birdied the first, second and fourth holes to now move into a share of the lead.

Just in case you want to know all the tee times for today…

Here’s a full rundown of all the pairings and timings for Thursday’s Opening Round

We have a new solo leader!

Wolverhampton native Aaron Rai has sole lead of the Masters and is the first golfer to get to three-under this tournament.

He’s been blemish free so far this round, carding birdies on holes 2, 3, and now 7 to take the lead

Never been to Augusta, Georgia? This is what the city really looks like

We’ve heard multiple references on the broadcasts to ‘beautiful’ Augusta, Georgia.

Well that may be true for the well-manicured, highly-refined private golf club. But the streets of the city paint a different picture.

Read more here from DailyMail.com’s Isabel Baldwin, who visited ‘The Garden City’ ahead of its biggest event.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 10:30AM

We’ve got eight golfers at the top of the pile here as about a third of the field has posted scores.

Jhonattan Vegas, Chris Kirk, Aaron Rai, Stephan Jaeger, Joaquin Niemann

Nicolai Hojgaard, Michael Kim, Zach Johnson, Noah Kent, Bernhard Langer, Corey Conners, Byeong Hun An, Max Greyserman, Robert MacIntyre

Most in the second featured group find the green

Thomas has a nice punch shot from off the right bunker to get to the putting surface.

Scheffler pures his shot and lands it closer to the pin than Thomas from his better lie.

Meanwhile, Ballester’s second shot avoids an overhanging tree to land on the green… only to just roll off.

The reigning champion has teed off!

Scottie Scheffler is off and running at the Masters as he hopes to defend his green jacket.

As for his playing partners, Justin Thomas hit his shot off to the right and US Amateur winner Jose Luis Ballester found the fairway.

The leading amateur had a rough night’s sleep at the famous Crow’s Nest

Noah Kent, currently the low amateur at the tournament, had to overcome some bad sleep in the attic of Butler Cabin that is reserved for the non-pros in the field.

“Just slept on my neck wrong,” Kent said per Golf Channel. “I don’t necessarily fit in the bed, so, yeah, we’re good.”

Getting a bit crowded at the top of the leaderboard with some new additions!

Hoylake winner Brian Harman and Englishman Aaron Rai move up to two-under to tie for the lead.

But the most surprising addition? Nicolai Hojgaard!

After starting the first two holes at three-over, he’s birdied on five of his next six to move into the lead.

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 10:00AM

Let’s make a little noise for Noah Kent! The amateur golfer from the University of Florida is making his Masters debut this week after finishing runner-up at the 2024 US Amateur.

And now he can say that he’s shared the lead at the tournament.

Zach Johnson, Chris Kirk, Noah Kent, Aaron Rai

Nicolai Hojgaard, Michael Kim, Bernhard Langer, JT Poston, Fred Couples, Harris English, Brian Harman, Stephan Jaeger, Corey Conners, Byeong Hun An

Take a moment to stop and smell the flowers

Well, I guess you can’t unless you’re there but Augusta has always been a beautifully manicured and landscaped course.

This video just proves that.

The first featured group of the tournament is off and running

Collin Morikawa leads the group with a perfect drive, followed by Joaquin Niemann’s acceptabale shot and Min Woo Lee’s shank left into the trees.

Fred Couples fires up the crowd with a chip-in at No. 1

Couples pumped up the patrons at Augusta with a spectacular finish to the first hole

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 9:30AM

Here’s how the leaderboard looks as more of the field gets underway:

Jhonattan Vegas, Mike Weir, Michael Kim, Danny Willett, Davis Thompson, Bernhard Langer, Noah Kent, JT Poston, Aaron Rai, Fred Couples, Brian Harman

Chris Kirk joins Zach Johnson atop the leaderboard

He’s also minimized mistakes and now a birdie at No. 4 moves him up

Roughly 30 minutes away from the first featured group of the day

The 9:47 tee time should provide for plenty of fun with Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann, and Min Woo Lee

On No. 4 now… the tournament leader

It’s been a blemish free round so far for former Masters champion Zach Johnson.

He’s birdied No. 2 and No. 3 to take a one-stroke lead on the field.

Nicolai Hojgaard has had a WILD start to his Masters

The Dane opened his day with a bogey on No. 1 and a double-bogey on hole No. 2.

Since then? Birdie, birdie, birdie to work his way back to even par.

It’s gonna be a beautiful day for golf in Georgia

Just a few clouds in the sky, but other than that, nice and warm

MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 9:00AM

Jhonattan Vegas, Mike Weir, Michael Kim, Zach Johnson

Davis Riley, Danny Willett, Nicolas Echavarria, Davis Thompson, Bernhard Langer, Noah Kent

Looking to add to your bag? DailyMail.com has a list of the best golf gear you can use

Our experts examined the top gifts and gadgets that any golfer could use.

Click on the link below to shop around.

Some Love for the Lefties

This year’s tournament features the most left-handed golfers in its history.

Of course, there’s three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson – but there’s also major names like Robert McIntyre and Akshay Bhatia.

Other southpaws include Masters champions Bubba Watson and Mike Wier as well as Open Championship winner Brian Harman.

Joe Highsmith and Matt McCarty round out the list.

Wanna put a little skin in the game? Here are the latest odds from FanDuel

The reigning champion is the clear-cut favorite to keep the green jacket and opens the tournament as the odds leader – but there are plenty of major names behind him:

– Xander Schauffele +1800

– Bryson DeChambeau +1800

Bernhard Langer has teed off in his final Masters tournament

The oldest player in the field at age 67, Langer will voluntarily give up his guaranteed spot in the field that he earned by winning the 1985 and 1993 Masters tournaments.

Langer is still letting it rip on the Champions Tour, but his time hitting the tees at Augusta is coming to an end.

Hole No. 4 birdie for Kizzire

It’s the second birdie of the tournament after Riley birdied on the Par-5 second hole.

First watchable action in the Masters has arrived!

The first group of the tournament has arrived at hole No. 4 and we can now watch some golf.

Davis Riley and Patton Kizzire are both on the green of the Par-3 fourth.

The ‘Golden Bear’ has still got it

At age 85, Nicklaus can still hit them straight.

Re-assuring applause from his wife, Barbara, is a nice touch too.

A little on Tom Watson

Since taking a spot as an honorary starter in 2022, the 75-year-old Missouri native has seamlessly blended into the group of Player and Nicklaus.

With a smile that can light up a room, the relative spring chicken of the group even out-drove his other two ‘playing partners’.

A word for Frankie Fleetwood

The son of British golfer Tommy, we all need to channel his attitude out on the course.

Already the unsung hero of the 2025 tournament.

One big name not in attendance…

Davis Riley saves par… Patton Kizzire doesn’t

Some first hole nerves for the opening group, as Riley finds the trees down the left of the fairway with his first shot of the week. He recovers well to find the back of the green, and then two-putts to make par.

His playing partner, Patton Kizzire, is less fortunate, though. ‘Fore right’ comes the call from the tee and he’s deep in the woods. Eventually he makes bogey, and it’s a tough start for the veteran.

Meet the Masters WAGs

Here’s the full Honorary Starters clip

Courtesy of The Masters on X:

Jack Nicklaus was delighted at his tee shot

An amazing moment for the legendary golfer, and those in attendance to watch.

The opening group

Davis Riley is making his Masters debut, after picking up two wins on the PGA Tour across his career so far. He won the Zurich Classic in 2023, and then picked up a remarkable victory at the Charles Schwab in May of last year, beating runners up Keegan Bradley and Scottie Scheffler by five strokes.

Today he’s playing alongside Patton Kizzire, who’s playing in his third Masters and his first since 2019. It’s also his first major, period, since the 2022 US Open. The 39-year-old has three PGA Tour wins, most recently in September 2024 when he won the Procore Championship at Silverado, California.

First hole locations

Pin placement can mean everything at Augusta National, so here’s the first round hole locations that the players will have been studying all night and all morning.

The first to try the course out, Davis Riley and Patton Kizzire, are on the tee and about to play their first shots in just a couple of minutes.

This man is 89 years old

No wonder they called him ‘Mr Fitness’. Gary Player, ladies and gentlemen.

First pictures from the course

The 2025 Masters is underway

‘This fairway gets a little more narrow every year’, comes the shout of the legendary Gary Player as he steps up to the first tee. At 89 years old, he could still be mistaken for a man in his 60s, and he gets one away nicely.

Jack Nicklaus is next up, telling the patrons to ‘watch out’ as he lines one up with his driver. Straight down the middle, much to the delight of those watching on.

Finally, two-time Masters champion and eight-time major champion Tom Watson is on the tee. Little club twirl, and a big round of applause. The Masters is underway.

So when does the action begin?

In short: very soon. In just 10 minutes’ time, the Honorary Starters will be on the first tee to begin the tournament. They’re made up of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson, and the crowds are already crowding the tee box to catch a glimpse of the golfing legends in action.

From there, the action proper begins at 7:40am ET (12:40pm if you’re in the UK!), with Davis Riley and Patton Kizzire in the opening group.

Some other big names to note are: Danny Willett at 8:24am, Cam Smith at 8:52am, Collin Morikawa at 9:47am, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas at 10:15am, and Rory McIlroy at 1:12pm.

Poppy’s big putt

Here’s that incredible moment… which dad Rory will be desperate to emulate over the next four days!

The serious stuff starts today…

…but yesterday’s action was a little more relaxed. The traditional Par-3 Contest saw the stars of the sport out on the course with their nearest and dearest, and it created some amazing memories, perhaps none better than Poppy McIlroy’s putt.

While Nicolas Echavarria won the Contest (meaning that he now can’t win the Masters itself… it’s the curse, don’t blame me!), it was McIlroy’s daughter who produced the best moment of the day, sinking a huge putt on the ninth hole. Video to follow!

Welcome to The Masters!

Good morning, and welcome to the start of the best week in sports. It’s Masters Thursday, and we’re mere minutes away from the first tee times at Augusta National.

Throughout the week, we’ll bring you all the updates, including exclusive detail from our reporters at the course.

Key Updates
  • MASTERS LEADERBOARD UPDATE AT 4:30PM

  • Here’s an update to the most recent FanDuel odds

  • The eye-popping price of concessions at Augusta National

  • Inside Rory McIlroy’s shocking divorce U-Turn ahead of Augusta return

  • Never been to Augusta, Georgia? This is what the city really looks like

  • Looking to add to your bag? DailyMail.com has a list of the best golf gear you can use

  • Meet the Masters WAGs



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