AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) The newest on the first round of the Experts on Thursday (all times local):
7: 25 l. m.
Maybe Jordan Spieth should switch gloves more regularly.
During the opening circular of the Masters, Spieth changed mitts on the 13th fairway because he has been struggling to keep a grip around the club. Suddenly, he ripped off 5 straight birdies to take control from Augusta National.
Spieth says he ” started pin number seeking” after making the switch, going on to capture a 6-under 66 that gives your pet a two-shot lead over Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar .
Spieth stumbled a bit at the eighteenth hole, where an errant first tee shot led to a bogey. Yet even there, he pulled away a brilliant chip from the edge from the patrons that left him having a tap-in for his final heart stroke of the day.
Spieth known as it a ” fantastic shot” and says he ” couldn’ t get it any closer having a bucket of balls. ”
As good as he’ s sensation, Spieth isn’ t getting before himself. Two years ago, he visited the back nine with a comfortable prospect, only to fall apart down the stretch plus hand the green jacket in order to Danny Willett .
As Spieth says, ” I now along with anybody that anything can happen from Augusta National. ”
But the 24-year-old Texan is certainly away from to a good start in his pursuit of a second green jacket.
Spieth won the Masters within 2015, and he’ s furthermore got U. S. Open plus British Open titles on his currently impressive resume.
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7: 10 g. m.
Jordan Spieth’ s quest for a second green coat is off to a dazzling begin.
The 24-year-old State of texas birdied five straight holes for the back side to finish with a 6-under 66, giving him a two-shot lead after the opening round from the Masters.
Spieth produced eagle at the par-5 eighth pit, but things really got moving at the 13th. That’ s in which he began the stretch of 5 straight birdies, which suddenly produced him the man to beat.
Again.
This really is Spieth’ s fifth Masters. This individual won in 2015 and completed in a tie for second 2 other times. His worst showing was obviously a year ago, when he linked for 11th. He’ s performed 17 career rounds at Augusta National – shooting in the sixties six times.
Spieth would’ ve had an even bigger guide if not for trouble at the eighteenth, where an errant tee chance into the trees left of the fairway led to a bogey. But also there, he showed off some miracle, chipping up from the edge from the gallery for a tap-in putt.
Amazingly, he needed just 10 putts to get through the back again nine.
Matt Kuchar and Tony Finau are Spieth’ s closest challengers. Both photo 68, which was a truly amazing functionality by Finau considering he dislocated his left ankle just twenty four hours earlier while celebrating a hole-in-one during the Par 3 Contest.
The group at 69 contains Rory McIlroy , who’ s going for position Grand Slam, and Henrik Stenson .
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six: 45 p. m.
Jordan Spieth has taken control on Augusta National.
The particular 2015 Masters champion birdied 5 straight holes beginning at the thirteenth, pushing his score to seven under with a couple of holes to try out. He has a three-shot lead more than Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar.
Spieth already provides three major titles on his curriculum vitae, even though he won’ t switch 25 until late July.
He’ s certainly away to a good start in his pursuit of No . 4.
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5 p. mirielle.
It was just a few hrs ago that Tony Finau’ ersus spot in the Masters was in query. Now his position is clear: He’ s on the leaderboard.
Finau made five birdies more than 12 holes in the opening circular at Augusta National and have got to 4 under.
This individual did it a day after dislocating their left ankle celebrating a hole-in-one in the Par-3 Tournament and taking it back into place.
X-rays were negative, and Finau was diagnosed with a high ankle twist.
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4: 35 p. m.
Doug Ghim carried the banner for the seven amateurs at the Experts by holing out for eagle in the 18th hole for an even-par seventy two.
Ghim qualified since the runner-up at the U. S. Rookie last summer at Riviera. This individual was 2 over for the circular when his approach landed regarding 10 feet short of the banner and rolled into the cup. It had been only the sixth eagle on the eighteenth hole at the Masters, and the initial since Chris DiMarco in 06.
British Amateur champ Harry Ellis had a much harder time. He opened with a dual bogey, started the back nine using a triple bogey and shot eighty six. Matt Parziale , the firefighter from Brockton, Massachusetts, who won the Oughout. S. Mid-Amateur, managed three birdies but still shot 81.
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4: fifteen p. m.
Tiger Woods seems like he played better than he have scored at the Masters.
Hardwoods shot a 1-over 73 within the opening round Thursday, failing to generate up any ground on the 4 par 5s. Woods has feasted on Augusta National’ s greatest holes over the years, but parred every one of them in his return to golf’ s initial major.
He says, ” That was the difference in the round. ”
The 42-year-old Hardwoods has been away from golf for a lot of the last few years because of his 4 back surgeries. The Masters will be his first major since actively playing the PGA Championship in Aug 2015.
He had been back in the Masters field for the first time within 1, 089 days.
Woods says he ” certainly didn’ t score as well as We played, ” noting that he needs to be better on the par-5s.
The four-time Masters champion is usually far from concerned. He’ s usually been a slow starter on Augusta, having shot under k?rester just once (a 68 in 2010) in the opening round.
Woods says, ” This is a really bunched leaderboard, and by the end from the week, it’ s going to end up being really crowded. ”
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3: forty five p. m.
Protecting champion Sergio Garcia made background – not the good kind – in the opening round of the Experts on Thursday.
Garcia carded a 13 on the par-5 15th after hitting five photos into the water in front of the green.
He matched the highest single-hole score in Masters history.
Tom Weiskopf had a thirteen at No . 12 in 1980 and Tommy Nakajima did it with No . 13 in 1978.
The meltdown left Garcia at 10 over in the starting round and 14 shots at the rear of the leaders.
Garcia rebounded with a birdie on the par-3 16th, but he’ s at this point a long shot to make the cut Fri.
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3: 25 p. m.
Of all the shots Marc Leishman hit in the opening round on the Masters, his third one in No . 15 will stand out – for all the wrong reasons.
Leishman’ s chip from at the rear of the green rolled through the placing surface and into the water. This led to a double-bogey 7 in the 530-yard hole – his single flaw of the day.
Leishman dropped from 4 under in order to 2 under to start golf’ h first major.
Charley Hoffman sits atop the leaderboard in 4 under.
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2: 30 g. m.
Tiger Woods might have used a few prayers before accepting Amen Corner.
Hardwoods hit three balls into the photo gallery and another into the water in Augusta National’ s famed, three-hole signature section. He finished along with two bogeys and a par, and it also could have been much worse.
Still, it left him three or more over in the opening round in the Masters and seven shots at the rear of leader and playing partner Marc Leishman.
The slipping started when Woods pushed their drive at the par-4 11th method right. He cleared hundreds of enthusiasts before attempting to play through a viewer walking area. His second chance squirted right and into the photo gallery he just repositioned.
His third shot landed beyond the hole and left him using a downhill, 20-foot par putt which he missed left.
Their tee shot at the par-3 twelfth came up short and folded into renowned Rae’ s Creek. His third shot stayed for the front fringe, but he ended up saving bogey by making a 15-footer following that.
He seemed to be embarrassed with himself as he walked towards the 13th tee. He pushed their tee shot right into the this tree straw and then pushed his following shot into another gallery. He or she flew the back of the green following that and had a 12-footer to repair a birdie on what has been the simplest hole on the course. He simply missed the putt.
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Tony Finau is on the course at Augusta National, playing on a badly sprained left ankle.
This individual dislocated his ankle celebrating the hole-in-one during the Par-3 Tournament upon Wednesday and then popped it back straight into place. X-rays were negative, plus Finau was diagnosed with a high ankle joint sprain.
He had been planning to play through the pain.
” Crazy day, ” he posted on his Twitter accounts. ” Thanks for thoughts of concern, text messages and prayers from all. I’ m optimistic. ”
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11: fifty five a. m.
Padraig harrington has his first birdie in the Masters in nearly three years.
Woods almost drove the particular green at the par-4 No . a few, pitched to about 10 ft and made the putt to create off a huge ” Tiger Roar” at Augusta National.
It was Woods’ first competitive birdie at the famed course since Apr 12, 2015, at No . fifteen in the final round of the Experts. He finished tied for seventeenth.
Woods gave the particular stroke back on the next pit when his tee shot discovered a greenside bunker. He damaged out and missed a 20-footer for par.
Actively playing partner Marc Leishman was top the event at 2 under.
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ten: 25 a. m.
Tony Finau says he is ” optimistic” after a ” crazy day” at the Masters.
Finau dislocated his left ankle partying a hole-in-one during the Par-3 Competition on Wednesday and then popped it in return into place.
X-rays were negative. Finau was planned for more tests Thursday before teeing off (12: 43 p. mirielle. ) in the first round on Augusta National.
” Crazy day, ” he submitted on his Twitter account. ” Nice thoughts of concern, messages and praying from all. I’ m positive. ”
Finau travelled the back of the seventh green in the Par-3 course and spun it in return into the hole for an ace. Using the running toward the hole in order to celebrate, then turned and backpedaled before landing awkwardly on his remaining ankle. He dropped to one leg and ended up pushing the shared back into place.
Finau, ranked No . 34 in the world, trapped around for the final two openings and then gingerly walked to a golfing cart and was driven from the course.
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8: 15 a. mirielle.
The 82nd Experts has begun.
Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player officially obtained the tournament started Thursday early morning with the ceremonial tee shot.
Player, 82, took the very first swing followed by the 78-year-old Nicklaus under a clear, sunny sky with all the temperature in the 40s. It is likely to be in the high 60s by the mid-day.
Augusta National chief Fred Ridley told the masses crammed around the first tee exactly how privileged they were to have the duo along with nine green jackets to start the particular tournament.
Wesley Bryan , Austin Cook , Ted Potter Junior . were the first group in order to tee off when play started.
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