Yet another delicious shot by Justin Rose, who gently sends his second at 18 pin high. He’s left himself a 15-foot look at birdie, but most importantly is on the top ledge, where the flag is planted. His playing partner Shane Lowry is up there too, with a similar length birdie putt to move into red figures. Rose’s will be for a 64.
23:05
Here’s Ewan Murray on Rory McIlroy accidentally clocking his old man at the 7th earlier today.
Updated
23:03
Hole-in-one for Tommy Fleetwood!
A crystal bowl will soon be in Tommy Fleetwood’s possession, the reward for sending his tee shot at 16 bounding straight at the flag and into the cup! It’s the 32nd ace in Masters history, and suddenly a poor day turns into a memorable one. He’s +2 and right back in this Tournament!
23:01
No worries! When you’re hot, you’re hot, and Rose pearls his drive straight down the middle of 18. Three shots from here, and it’ll be a par for a stunning 65 on a day when low scoring looked a pipe dream. Up and down, and he’ll be back in 29.
22:59
Max Homa, who won a sensational play-off against Tony Finau at the Genesis Invitational earlier this year, is going along nicely again. Birdies at 13 and 14, the latest rattled in at supersonic speed, brings the 30-year-old Californian up to +1. And up on 17, Rose rolls in yet another birdie putt, and he’s now nine under for the last ten holes! This is straight out of the top drawer … but the tee shot at 18 is coming up, and he’ll have some scar tissue there, this being the one that cost him in the play-off with Sergio Garcia in 2017.
-7: Rose (17) -3: Harman (F), Matsuyama (F)
22:53
Rose sends his second at 17 to five feet from 150 yards. This is turning into one of the great back nines in Augusta history. Meanwhile more hi-jinx with Spieth, who sends another drive miles right, this time at 13, before threading his second through an avenue of trees and back out onto the fairway. His fate at 9 hasn’t fazed him at all!
22:46
Tyrrell Hatton has burst into life. Not quite in the style of Rose, but not far off. He’s just birdied 13, 14 and 15 to spring into red figures. All of a sudden he’s -1, the tenth player now under par. A bounceback birdie for Shane Lowry at 16, too, deserved reward for a tee shot swished elegantly to four feet. He’s level par, and how he’d have snatched your hand off to be here now, when he was watching his third stroke racing towards the water like a mouse making off with a piece of cheese.
22:42
While Spieth sighs in disbelief at the par-three 12th, Rose is celebrating at the par-three 16th. He swishes his tee shot straight at the flag, leaving himself an uphill six footer, and that’s yet another birdie. This is a quite astonishing burst of scoring … and he’s crashed his drive at 17 straight down the track as well.
-6: Rose (16) -3: Harman (F), Matsuyama (F)
22:40
Spieth is this close to bringing himself back to level par at 12. He sends his tee shot over the flag, the ball stopping on the fringe at the back. He then rolls his ball to the very edge of the cup. Had the Titleist logo been stamped on using one drop more ink, it would surely have toppled into the hole. But somehow it stays out. Wow. He taps in for the par that keeps him at +1. What he’d have given for that on Sunday in 2016.
22:34
Jason Kokrak signs for a one-under 71, having birdied the last in magnificent style. Having split the fairway with his drive, he wedges to the width of a dimple from 150 yards. How the ball stayed out, having pitched just to the right of the cup and turned carefully towards the hole, is not clear. He’s not too worried, though, cupping his ear to hear the cheers from the patrons as he kicks in and becomes one of only nine players currently under par.
22:30
An up-and-down from greenside sand at 15 for Justin Rose, and that’s yet another birdie. He’s seven under for the last nine holes! What a run! Meanwhile back on 13, Matt Fitzpatrick makes bounceback birdie to haul himself up to level par again.
-5: Rose (15) -3: Harman (F), Matsuyama (F)
22:27
Matt Fitzpatrick could only bash his second at 12 to 15 feet. A bogey, his second in a row, and he slips back to +1. No great sickener given the break he got with his tee shot. Not so fortunate: Shane Lowry at the back of 15. He gently strokes a chip up from the back and watches in horror as it dribbles across the glassy green, down the hill on the other side, and into the drink. So unfortunate. He drops and tries again, this time caressing it to a couple of feet. That’s limited the damage to bogey, and he slips to +1.
22:21
Bryson has made some tough par savers today, but not this time. Another dropped stroke, at 12, and at +5 he’s stomping off towards the 13th, perhaps considering a therapeutic thrash down the par-five.
22:18
Bryson looks his gift horse in the mouth. Putting from the fringe at 12, he doesn’t give his effort enough oomph and it only just struggles onto the putting surface. He’s left with a downhill 15-footer for par, and he can’t get going today at all.
22:16
A late surge up the leader board from Jason Kokrak. The 35-year-old has no record to speak of in the majors, apart from a tie for 17th in last year’s US Open. In his only previous Masters appearance, he failed to make the cut. But he’s just birdied 12, 15 and 16 to rise serenely to level par.
22:12
Bob MacIntyre makes it home in 74 strokes. A strong finish included an absurd chip-in on 17, lobbing high over the bunker guarding the front right of the green and into the cup. Mickelsonesque. Meanwhile a big break for Bryson DeChambeau on 12, as he sends his tee shot into the azaleas at the back, only for his ball to spring out and nestle on the fringe.
22:09
Spieth bounces back from the fiasco at 9 by picking up a shot at the hellishly difficult 10th. The birdie was all about his second shot, creamed into the heart of the hard-to-hold green, though the 20-foot putt that dropped wasn’t too shabby either. He’s back to +1, and it’s possibly worth pointing out that nobody has won the Masters having taken a seven somewhere since Craig Stadler in 1982.
22:07
Rose can only send his second at 14 over the back, and his chip up is a little clumsy, racing 15 feet past the cup. But he makes the putt coming back, stubbornly refusing to give up his lead. At -4, he remains one clear of Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama, both back in the hutch.
22:04
Matt Fitzpatrick channels his inner Freddie Couples, landing his tee shot at 12 on the bank, the ball refusing to roll back into the creek. This trick is slightly less jaw-dropping than the one that helped Couples win in 1992, the ball plugging rather than defying gravity as it rolled to a stop down the hill, but he’ll take the lucky break. Still a tricky up and down from the hazard, though.
22:00
There are only eight players currently under par … but there are another 12 at level par. In the hut, the likes of Kevin Kisner, Cameron Champ, Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm, all nicely positioned. Still out on the course at level, Marc Leishman, Gary Woodland, Shane Lowry, Im Sung-jae, Matt Fitzpatrick and Collin Morikawa. This is slowly shaping into a mighty fine Tournament, with plenty of others within striking distance to make a move on the day before Moving Day.
21:56
Meanwhile up on the par-five 13th, Justin Rose eases his third to six feet and rolls in for yet another birdie. That’s four birdies and an eagle in his last six holes, and he becomes the first player to reach the heady heights of -4. For how long, who knows, because his tee shot at 14 toys with the trees down the left, and he’ll have to manufacture a shape to find the green from there. But this is where he is right now.
-4: Rose (13) -3: Harman (F), Matsuyama (F) -2: Zalatoris (F), Simpson (F), Bezuidenhout (F), Reed (F) -1: Kim (F)
21:53
An astonishing two-putt par for Collin Morikawa, who sends his second into the top left of the 9th green. It’s almost impossible to get close, and his downhill left-to-right breaker trundles 40 feet past the hole. No matter, because he absolutely rattles the one coming back into the cup. Par saved! He laughs incredulously, and hits the turn in level-par 36. Spieth meanwhile chips to four feet, only to pull his bogey putt way left. That’s gone five feet past … and the one coming back lips out on the right. Suddenly that’s a triple-bogey seven, and he crashes down to +2.
21:46
While all that was going on, Im Sung-jae was shedding another shot, this time at 10. He’s back to level par. Coming behind him, Bryson DeChambeau, who leaves himself a treacherous downhill 30-footer for birdie. Realistically he just wants to make par, but nearly tickles the putt into the cup. Such good feel. He tidies up for his par and remains at +4, just about hanging on in there with the par-fives coming soon.
21:42
Farcical it is. He shoves his iron almost straight right, the ball clattering loudly off the middle of a tree trunk and pinging to the left. He’s still in the forest … though this time in a clearing, and there’s potentially a route to the green, if he hits a low 3-wood or 4-iron under the branches. At least that’s what he seems to be considering with his caddie, the equally cavalier Michael Greller. Whip! Crack! He sends a 4-iron out of the bother and towards the fringe of the green, then saunters up the fairway twirling his club with the relaxed air of a man popping down the shops for the paper and a pint of milk. Up and down for bogey, then. What an escape that would be!
21:37
Spieth has found his original tee shot. There’s a route out, though he’ll need to thread a precise low iron through a bagatelle route of tree trunks. Few players this side of Seve or Phil Mickelson would even consider this nonsense, and it’s one of the reasons why Spieth is one of the great entertainers and so good to watch. This is either going to be sensational or utterly farcical. Here we go!
21:34
Exactly how long Jordan Spieth will remain in red figures is a moot point, because he’s just sent a wild slice into the thick nonsense down the right of 9. “Oh my goodness!” He’s forced to play a provisional, because he’s not guaranteed to find that. He sends his second rock down the left-hand side of the fairway, but one way or another, this looks like damage limitation now.
21:32
Nothing much had been going right for Fleetwood’s compatriot Tyrrell Hatton, either, turning in 38. But he’s just run a chip in at 11 from 50 yards, and that takes him back up to +1. Meanwhile Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa both birdie 8 to move to -1 and level par respectively, while Justin Rose clips his tee shot at 12 pin high to six feet and rolls in for yet another birdie that gives him a share of the lead. What a charge by Hampshire’s finest!
-3: Harman (F), Matsuyama (F), Rose (12) -2: Zalatoris (F), Simpson (F), Bezuidenhout (F), Reed (F) -1: Kim (F), Im (9), Fitzpatrick (9), Spieth (8)
21:24
Tommy Fleetwood has rather surprisingly been a non-event so far. Bogeys at 2, 4 and 6, and the most famous Evertonian on Tour turns in 39. He’s now +3 through 10 and could do with a little something happening on the upcoming par fives at least.
21:19
A decent par for Rose at 11. He found the pine straw with his drive, but sent a heatseeker into the front of the green. Par wasn’t a given, though, especially when he raced an overly aggressive first putt six feet past, but he knocked in the return and remains at -2. No pictures on the card, huh. His partner Shane Lowry, coming off a double at 10, stems the flow with a par of his own to stay at level par.
21:14
Word of Matthew Fitzpatrick. The 26-year-old from Sheffield has made the cut in five of his six visits to the Masters, and he’s just turned in 35. A dropped stroke for his playing partner Im Sung-jae, though, and he’s also making the turn in one under.
21:12
Reed chips up cutely to six feet, but his par putt breaks right at the very last, and that’s a disappointing end to his round, having sent his drive down the middle of the fairway. A 70, and he’s one of only 11 players under par. Only two have so far carded a sub-70. Paul Casey will be happy enough with his one-over 73, while Daniel Berger settles for a 76.
-3: Harman (F), Matsuyama (F) -2: Zalatoris (F), Simpson (F), Bezuidenhout (F), Reed (F), Rose (10) -1: Kim (F), Leishman (12), Im (9), Fitzpatrick (9)
21:05
But Reed pulls his second wide left, getting a little too aggressive in going straight for the pin. He’s down the bank to the side, with not much green to play with. He’d grab a par with both hands now. Shortsided, he might even settle for bogey. Meanwhile back on 8, DeChambeau pays the price for that wild drive. Always out of position, he makes bogey and trudges off to contemplate dropping down the standings to +4.
21:02
Another birdie for Justin Rose! The two-time runner up sends his second at the difficult 10th pin high to 25 feet, then strokes in the birdie putt. He’s picked up four shots in the last three holes, and suddenly at -2 he’s right in the mix! See also the co-leader Patrick Reed, who has just blootered a big fade around the trees to the right of 18, and is in Position A to send an approach close.
20:57
You’ll have noticed last year’s joint runner-up Im Sung-jae creeping onto the end of that leader board. That’s the result of a fine birdie at 8, secured with a soft-handed wedge from 50 yards to kick-in distance. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy signs for a 76. The green jacket almost certainly remains elusive, and it shows as the pain washes across his face.
20:53
The 2018 champ Patrick Reed keeps on truckin’! He sends his second into the heart of 17, in regulation, then tramlines a 35-footer for a second birdie on the bounce! He’s a wee bit fortunate that his ball hit the hole, because that would have flown a good 10-15 feet past. But he gets his reward for accuracy. Few spoke of Reed before this week, but now look.
“Son of a gun, Bryson!” DeChambeau channels his inner Osmond, cursing in sweet, family-friendly style as he sends a hysterical slice into the pines down the right of 8. A lay-up at best.
20:44
It’s three bogeys in a row for Leishman, never in position at 11. He slips to -1, yet another illustration of how it can quickly go very wrong at Augusta. See also: Dustin Johnson, the reigning champ sending his chip from the left of 18 long, leaving his long par putt three feet short, and watching in horror as his bogey putt horseshoed out. He eventually tidies up for an ugly six, and the double bogey drops him to +2. A 74. That’ll cause him severe emotional tumult, all caused by that wild drive. Three bogeys and a double today, and he’s already dropped more shots in this opening round than he did during all four back in November.
20:40
Birdie for Patrick Reed on 16, and the 2018 champion moves serenely to -2. He allows himself a wide grin, as does the reigning Open champ Shane Lowry, who follows birdie at 7 with another at 9. He joins Reed, a shot off the lead, while Lowry’s partner Justin Rose birdies 9 as well, having caressed his second to four feet. Meanwhile Paul Casey arrests a dramatic decline; having turned in 33, after making eagle at 8, he dropped strokes at 11, 13, 14 and 15. But he’s birdied 16 to get back to level par. After a quiet period, there’s been a little bit of movement on the leader board.
-3: Harman (F), Matsuyama (F) -2: Zalatoris (F), Simpson (F), Bezuidenhout (F), Reed (16), Leishman (10), Lowry (9) -1: Kim (F), Rahm (17), Rose (9), Im (7)
20:34
Thomas can’t make his birdie putt on 6. In the end, after racing his effort five feet past, he does well to escape with par. He remains at +2. Up on 18, Dustin forces his second out of the trees, across the fairway, and into the second cut on the left. He’ll have a tricky up and down for his 72 from there.
20:32
DJ sends a huge slice into the pines down the right of 18. His ball nestles behind a trunk; he’ll do well to get that back out onto the fairway and leave himself a clear line to the green. Up on the dancefloor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout nearly drains a 20-foot birdie putt, but he’ll be satisfied with his par and an opening round of 70. A par for Webb Simpson too, and he’s signing for a 70 as well. They’re -2. Bogey for the third member of the group, though, and Sergio’s signing for a four-over 76. Oh Sergio!
