AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s worth being cautious.
This year’s Masters could prove particularly challenging, thanks to some ideal weather conditions.
Players are anticipating that the situation at Augusta National may actually improve as the weekend approaches. Interestingly, for the first time in quite a while, there’s no rain expected during Masters week, allowing the course to become firmer and enabling faster play.
The forecast for the rest of the week suggests temperatures in the 80s and lots of sunshine.
Shane Rowley expressed his concerns after finishing with a 71 on Thursday, putting him four strokes behind first-round leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Barnes. “This could be the toughest Masters I’ve encountered in a bit,” he said. It seems they’re in for quite a challenge this weekend.
Rowley added, “We’ve had rainy days in past years that helped us somewhat, but it sounds like it could be a very tough course by the end of the week.”
Justin Rose joked about the prospect of a green jacket on Sunday, saying, “If we win, we might get a yellow jacket.” Meanwhile, Patrick Reed noted that the course “definitely has the bite to make it really challenging.”
“The greens are already hard, grainy, and bouncy,” he noted, recalling breaking a tee while trying to fix a ball mark on the 17th hole. “It’s clear it’s going to be testing. I know it’s going to be fast and will require a lot of patience.
“With the weather looking hot and sunny, they could easily make this place incredibly tough. Wouldn’t surprise me at all. We have the world’s best players here. Why not challenge us?”
Ryan Gerrard, whose father is from Oyster Bay, Long Island, completed his first Masters round with an even-par 72. Reflecting on his performance, he humorously assigned grades: “An ‘F’ for the front nine and an ‘A’ for the back nine. So, overall, a ‘C’—it’s like college, right?”
Fred Couples, the oldest in the field at 66, appeared to age defy while he stood at 2 under after 14 holes. Then, disaster struck. A quadruple bogey on the par-5 15th, followed by doubles on 16 and 17, left him at 6 over, finishing the day with a 78. He played the last four holes at 8 over.
On the other hand, Bryson DeChambeau had high hopes going into the tournament after winning his last two LIV Golf events. However, his day took a turn for the worse, finishing at 4 over with a score of 76 due to a disastrous back nine. He started steady but fell apart after a triple-bogey 7 on the 11th hole, where he struggled to escape a greenside bunker.
“The bunkers were softer than I thought,” he remarked after his round.
DeChambeau wasn’t alone in his struggles; all 10 LIV Golf competitors in the tournament combined for a total of 32 over par, with none finishing under par. Sergio Garcia managed to stay even par while others faltered.
Jon Rahm, a past champion, ended up with a 6-over 78, second worst among his LIV peers, just behind Carlos Ortiz at 80.
Collin Morikawa dealt with lingering concerns about his back injury, practicing sparingly throughout the week. He began with a 2-over-par 74, describing the round as “probably the toughest I’ve ever played.”
“I’m just battling through,” he shared. “It all began when I woke up. I’ve never been this nervous before. It’s tricky—after my injury, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel on the course.”
“I wasn’t comfortable hitting the ball this week,” he continued. “When I teed off on Tuesday, I honestly wasn’t sure if I could connect.”
Brandon Holtz, a 39-year-old real estate agent from Illinois, opened with a 9-over 81. “It was tough, not what I’d hoped for. But honestly, I had a lot of fun,” he noted. “I’ve already achieved so much at this age, but I can’t say I’m satisfied. There’s always tomorrow to improve.”
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus’s last Masters victory at age 46, a significant moment in the tournament’s rich history.
“I’m not sure it changed my life, but it was a nice way to wrap up my career,” Nicklaus said Thursday. “After winning the U.S. Open and the PGA in 1980, I thought my golf journey was pretty much complete, but then I found myself winning again.”
Nicklaus called his 1986 win his “all-time” favorite Masters memory. “I cherish them all,” he stated, “but obviously, ’86 was unexpected. That made it really special.”
