Scottie Scheffler dominates back nine to win second Masters title

Scheffler dominates back nine to win second Masters title

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler dominated a back-nine shootout to capture his second Masters title on Sunday, taking a four-stroke victory at Augusta National.

Scheffler, who also took the green jacket in 2022, won a record $3.6 million top prize after a drama-filled battle with fellow Americans Collin Morikawa and Max Homa and Sweden's Ludvig Aberg, who made an impressive major debut.

"I can't put into words what it means to win this tournament again," Scheffler said.

Scheffler birdied three of the last six holes to fire a four-under par 68 and finish 72 holes over the iconic 7 555-yard layout on 11-under 277 with Aberg shooting 69 to finish second on 281.

Two-time major winner Morikawa had a closing 74 to share third on 284 with Homa and England's Tommy Fleetwood.

"I did my best to stay calm out there. I tried to stay patient on the course," Scheffler said.

"Was able to make some key shots and key putts to keep my round going."

Scheffler matched Tiger Woods as the only players to win the Masters twice while atop the world rankings.

He also became the fourth-youngest multiple Masters winner at age 27 behind Woods, Jack Nicklaus and the late Seve Ballesteros.

"Scottie is an amazing golfer," Homa said. "It's really impressive."

Scheffler, who hasn't played a round over par since last August, has the second-fewest Masters starts for any two-time winner with five.

Only Horton Smith needed fewer, taking two of the first three Augusta titles in the 1930s.

Aberg pressured Scheffler down the stretch but could not catch him.

"Ludvig played great," Scheffler said. "He made a good move at me there on the back nine and I was fortunate to hold him off."

Scheffler had seized a four-stroke edge but made a bogey at 11 while Aberg moved within two with a tap-in birdie at the par-5 13th.

After Scheffler sank a three-footer for birdie at 13, Aberg answered with a five-foot birdie putt at 14 to stay within two.

"It was a dream come true to be in this situation, to feel the pressure coming down the final holes," Aberg said.

Scheffler responded with a tap-in birdie at 14 and a nine-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th to secure the victory.

Scheffler was greeted at the 18th green by a standing ovation from spectators delighted by his skilled shotmaking.

A crucial streak of three birdies by Scheffler following a bogey at seven featured his most spectacular shot.

After a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 eighth, Scheffler lofted an incredible 89-yard second shot at the ninth that rolled down a slope within inches of the hole to set up a tap-in birdie for the solo lead.

"It was nice to get that feeling of hitting a really well-struck shot and it set me up to have a really nice back nine," Scheffler said.

Scheffler added a nine-foot birdie putt at 10, reaching 9-under and boosting his lead to two shots while rivals suffered double-bogeys.

Morikawa made a double-bogey at the ninth after finding pine straw and a bunker and another at 11 dropped him out of contention.

"I got greedy on nine and 11. When you're playing good you get greedy," Morikawa said. "Greed got the best of us."

Aberg plunked his second shot at 11 into a pond and made double-bogey, spoiling his bid to be the first Masters debut winner since 1979.

"I came out very nervous. I was shaking on the first tee," Aberg said. "Hitting in the water on 11 wasn't ideal."

Homa, seeking his first major win, hit an unplayable ball into the flowers over the par-3 12th on the way to his double bogey.

Tiger eyes four majors

Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, who needs only a Masters victory to complete a career grand slam, fired a 73 to finish on 292.

"Hasn't been my year this year but I'm going to keep coming back until it is my year," McIlroy said.

Third-ranked Jon Rahm, the 2023 winner, fired a 76 to finish on 297.

Woods shot 77 to finish 60th on 16-over 304. He said he plans to play the year's other three majors.

"Hopefully the next three my body will cooperate," Woods said.

- AFP

Tension builds as leaders begin final-round drama at Masters

World number one Scottie Scheffler teed off with a one-stroke lead over playing partner Collin Morikawa, a two-time major winner, in Sunday's last group of the final round at the Masters.

Augusta National's lightning-fast greens were already testing the world's top golfers as the leaders began to face the pressure of career-defining shots on the famed 7,555-yard layout.

The champion's green jacket and a record $3.6 million top prize were up for grabs, with 2022 Masters winner Scheffler in the lead at 7-under, Morikawa on 6-under and their US compatriot Max Homa third on 5-under in quest of his first major title.

Scheffler, the oddsmakers' top choice, could match 15-time major champion Tiger Woods as the only players to win the Masters twice while atop the world rankings.

At 27, Scheffler would be the fourth-youngest multiple Masters winner after Woods, Jack Nicklaus and the late Seve Ballesteros.

Scheffler, who hasn't played a round over par since last August, would have the second-fewest Masters starts for any two-time winner with five.

Only Horton Smith needed fewer by capturing two of the first three Augusta titles in the 1930s.

Morikawa, 27, chases another major crown after the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open, and a Masters win would leave him seeking the career grand slam at June's US Open.

Only Nicklaus, among those to win all four titles, captured the first three legs of the career grand slam at a younger age than Morikawa should he triumph.

Morikawa captured the 2021 DP Tour World Championship at Dubai but since then his lone win came last October in Japan at the PGA Tour's Zozo Championship.

Homa's only top-10 effort in 17 prior major starts was a share of 10th in last year's British Open.

Sweden's Ludvig Aberg was on 4-under and three off the pace in his first major appearance.

Aberg could become the first player to win the Masters in his debut since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 and the first player to win his major debut at Augusta National.

Homa and Aberg both opened with pars.

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion, holed out from 77 yards at the 18th on Saturday and began four adrift on 3-under.

But the LIV Golf standout opened with a bogey, sending his approach over the first green and missing a 34-foot par putt to stumble back.

That left the top contender among eight players from Saudi-backed LIV who made the cut as 2022 British Open winner Cameron Smith, an Australian who reached 3-under when he blasted out of a bunker for an eagle at the par-5 second hole.

There were low scores on offer with milder winds making for ideal conditions. South Korean Tom Kim shot a six-under 66 and American Kurt Kitayama fired a 68.

"It's just hard whether it's blowing 10 or 20 (mph) and just switching all the time," Kim said.

"Having the wind down and having definitely pins where you can kind of attack holes, that makes a big difference."

Out of contention were second-ranked Rory McIlroy, third-ranked defending champion Jon Rahm and 15-time major winner Tiger Woods.

Four-time major winner McIlroy, who needs only a Masters victory to complete a career grand slam, was on 4-over through seven holes while Rahm was 7-over after 11 with a double-bogey, bogey start to the back nine.

Woods, whose 10-over 82 on Saturday was his worst-ever Masters round, closed with a 77 to finish on 16-over 304, last among the 60 players to make the cut.

The 48-year-old legend, who has struggled to walk 72 holes since suffering severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash, said he was planning to play all four majors this year.

"I'm going to do my homework going forward at Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon," Woods said.

"Hopefully the next three my body will cooperate." - AFP

Scheffler tries to hold off Morikawa as Masters final round begins

A dramatic back-nine shootout loomed as Sunday's final round of the Masters teed off at Augusta National with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler holding a one-stroke lead over two-time major winner Collin Morikawa.

The Americans were set to start in the final pairing at 20:35 (SA time) with 2022 champion Scheffler seeking his second green jacket in three seasons and Morikawa chasing another major crown after the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open.

Scheffler, the oddsmakers' top choice this week, could match Tiger Woods as the only players to win the Masters twice while ranked world number one.

Scheffler won his first three PGA Tour titles in the run-up to his 2022 Masters triumph, completing an epic two-month run, and had much the same success ahead of this year's Masters, winning at Bay Hill and The Players Championship last month and was second by a stroke at the Houston Open two weeks ago.

"It's nice to have that experience, but that's really all that it is," Scheffler said.

"This is a position I'm very familiar with. I'm excited for the challenge of going and trying to win the golf tournament.

"But at the end of the day, it's all about my process and trying to stay patient out there and hit all my shots and hit quality putts as well."

Morikawa captured the 2021 DP Tour World Championship in Dubai, but since then, his lone win came last October in Japan at the PGA Tour's Zozo Championship. Still, he knows what it takes to capture a major crown.

"Give yourself a chance with 18 holes left, that's all you can really do and everything that you practice for," Morikawa said.

"It all comes together tomorrow hopefully, but it's going to be a grind and I'm looking forward to that."

In quest of a record $3.6 million top prize and their first major triumphs were American Max Homa, two adrift of Scheffler, and Sweden's Ludvig Aberg, three off the pace in his first major appearance.

Aberg could become the first player to win the Masters in his debut since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion, holed out from 77 yards at the 18th on Saturday to pull within four of the lead after 54 holes.

The only other major winner under par through 54 holes was Australian Cameron Smith, the 2022 British Open champion who like DeChambeau plays in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.

Eight of 13 LIV starters in the field of 89 made the cut to 60 for the weekend, including defending champion and world number three Jon Rahm of Spain, who began the last round 12 strokes back.

Also well out of the hunt were world number two Rory McIlroy, who needs only a Masters victory to complete a career grand slam, and 48-year-old Woods, whose 10-over 82 on Saturday was his worst-ever Masters round. - AFP

Morikawa's putter change gamble pays off as Scheffler leads at Augusta

Collin Morikawa's decision to switch to a different putter before the second round of the Masters raised some eyebrows but paid off, with the Californian heading into Sunday's final round just a stroke off the lead.

Morikawa shot a three-under 69 on a Saturday in which putting on the notoriously difficult greens at Augusta got harder and faster to sit just a shot behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

After Thursday's opening round, when he shot 71, Morikawa switched from his recently adopted mallet head putter back to a more familiar blade putter.

While it is not unusual for top professionals to switch putters, it is rare for them to do so in the middle of a major championship.

"I came into this week not putting well or not feeling comfortable with the putter that I had in my hands. Went full 180, switched to the mallet and was feeling great, to be honest," he said.

"I felt better than I've kind of felt all year. But sometimes you don't know how it's going to feel in the tournament. Through that (first) round... I just wanted to get the putter out of my hands because I couldn't get comfortable with it.

"Thankfully, I had a backup, something -- a copy of what I've putted with in the past, pretty much the past year and a half. Felt like old times, and nice to have that in the back again.

"I didn't make the putts I necessarily wanted today. Missed a few out there, but everything still feels comfortable. That's the biggest thing is feeling comfortable going into tomorrow."

Morikawa looked comfortable on a day that was far from so for most of his rivals atop the leaderboard -- starting off with three straight birdies before his solitary bogey on the sixth and a bounce-back birdie on the eighth.

While others struggled through the back nine, during an enthralling final two hours of play, the two-time major winner kept his cool, collecting nine straight pars.

The 27-year-old won the PGA Championship in 2020 and the British Open the following year but his only win since was in Japan at the Zozo Championship.

Now, he feels he is approaching the form that saw him capture those majors.

"It has been a struggle the past few years. It hasn't been fun, but it has been fun to learn about the game and learn about myself," he said.

"The past few days, I've seen some shots that I haven't seen in quite some time, and that's really exciting for me because it's just being able to point-and-shoot and find the ball, and hopefully you've got a birdie chance."

'It doesn't scare me'

As well as the putter change, Morikawa has also adjusted his swing recently and admits he was trying a number of ways to recapture his best golf.

"Sometimes you're searching, and I had to search," he said.

"You have to find something. Where my game was last week, if I took it out here for the first few days, I probably wouldn't be here. I probably wouldn't be playing today. So you have to find something.

"Sometimes you're just trying to find a feel. That's all it is. Once you find a feel, you can repeat it and just repeat it all throughout the week.

"That's what I've stuck to, this one feel in my golf swing, and hopefully, we can just put that under pressure tomorrow and just continue that kind of shot-shaping I like."

Standing between Morikawa and a third major is Scottie Scheffler and a tightly compressed leaderboard behind him.

"There is still quite a handful of guys beneath us, and I think the conditions are going to be pretty mellow for the most part compared to what we've seen all week," he said.

"It's going to depend on how the first five to nine holes go. Look, Scottie is the number one player in the world for a reason, and what he's done over the past few years is incredible.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't scare me. Thankfully, I've got 18 more holes to figure it out and hopefully play some really great golf."

- AFP

New faces set to challenge US trio of Masters leaders

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and unlikely challenger Max Homa set the pace while newcomers threatened a charge as Saturday's third round of the Masters began.

The American trio stood on six-under par 138 after 36 holes at the famed course, the first time since 2001 that an all-US threesome led at the halfway mark at Augusta National.

Scheffler, the 2022 Masters winner, has been the oddsmakers' darling and could join Tiger Woods as the only players to win the green jacket twice while world number one.

"Major championship golf has a tendency to just be very mentally grinding," Scheffler said. "You've just got to do your best to relax as much as possible out there and try and execute."

DeChambeau was among eight players from Saudi-backed LIV Golf who made the cut, including defending champion Jon Rahm.

"I'm very excited," DeChambeau said. "I get an opportunity to show my skill set, and hopefully it's good enough to do something special this weekend.

"I feel like the game is in a great spot. Mindset is in a solid place... everything is lining up pretty well. Just got to make sure my lag putts are doing well and striking it well off the tee. That's all that matters. If I can do those things, I'll put myself in a good place."

Homa, chasing his first major triumph, had never before finished in the top five after any round at a major, but led the Masters by making 26 of 36 greens in regulation as well as in proximity to the holes.

"Regardless of outcome, I'd like to maintain this outlook I have on how I'm playing," Homa said.

"Good shot, bad shot, doesn't really matter. Did I go through my process, did I commit to my shot?" Homa said. "I'd like to see if I can continue to do that this weekend. I think that's something I would like to take with me going forward."

Only 14 players withstood swirling winds to finish under par after two rounds, but they include some newcomers eager to become the first rookie to win the green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard was fourth on 140 in his first Masters while his 2023 European Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg of Sweden was seventh on 142 in his major debut, having had the day's best round on a blustery Friday with a 69.

"Just keep the ball in front of me," Aberg said when asked about his weekend strategy.

"Try to be in the now as much as I can, try not to get too ahead of myself.

"All I'm trying to do is really enjoy it. It's a privilege to be here and play this event."

Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa and Australia's Cameron Davis shared fifth on 141.

Morikawa, the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open champion, has two top-10 efforts in four prior Masters starts.

"It's going to keep getting tougher, shots are going to be harder, and you've just got to stick to it," he said.

"I'm sure greens are going to be drying out and you can tell on a couple greens out here that they're going to get a little bit bouncy. I've just got to keep plotting my way around this golf course and sticking to my game plan."

Davis, making only his seventh major start, shared fourth at last year's PGA Championship for his top major showing. He placed 46th two years ago in his only prior Masters start.

There's a good omen for that top seven -- the past 12 Masters winners have all been within four strokes of the lead after 36 holes.

By the same token, the greatest 36-hole fightback by a winner in Masters history was the eight-stroke rally by 1956 winner Jack Burke.

That boosts such hopefuls as Tiger Woods, who made his record 24th consecutive Masters cut on 145 to share 22nd, and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, in a pack on 146.

Needing more distant rallies are Rory McIlroy, who would complete a career grand slam with a Masters win but stood on 148, and Rahm, who was on 149.

- AFP

Scheffler, DeChambeau and Homa take lead as wind makes hay at the Masters

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler shared the lead with fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau and Max Homa after battling fierce winds in Friday's second round of the 88th Masters.

Blustery conditions played havoc with the world's top golfers at Augusta National, where 15-time major winner Tiger Woods grinded out a 23-hole walk to set a record by making his 24th consecutive Masters cut.

Scheffler, the 2022 Masters winner, fired a par 72 to stand on six-under 138 after 36 holes alongside Homa, who shot 71 in quest of his first major title, and DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion and round-one leader who shot 73."

It was very difficult out there," DeChambeau said of the brisk breeze.

"It was a good challenge. I had to back off quite a few times. I've never experienced anything like this out here at Augusta National before."

Scheffler had three birdies and three bogeys but was proud of seven back-nine pars while tree limbs danced while brutal winds gusted.

"Conditions were really tough out there," he said.

"Proud of how I fought and kept myself in the tournament. I was trying to make a bunch of pars to stay in the golf tournament. Proud of how I did that."

PGA Tour star Scheffler and Saudi-backed LIV Golf's DeChambeau, from opposite sides in golf's civil war, were set for a weekend showdown on a major stage, the only avenue for such a clash in a divided era.

"It's different, not being able to play most of the same events and seeing how successful he's been out there," DeChambeau said of Scheffler.

"He's the best player in the world and it's going to be a lot of fun competing and seeing what he can do compared to what the rest of the field can do, what I can do. I'm looking forward to it, I really am."

Scheffler, who could join Woods as the only players to win the Masters twice while ranked world number one, plunked his approach into Rae's Creek at the par-5 13th and made bogey to fall out of the solo lead.

Homa birdied two of the first four holes and made his lone bogey at 11.

"I struck the ball really well," Homa said.

"Most proud of our course management and just controlling thoughts and expectation."

Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard, among 20 Masters newcomers trying for the first rookie win since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, closed with back-to-back bogeys to fire a 73 and stand fourth on 140.

- Historic walk by Woods -

Woods, meanwhile, had a second-round 72 to share 22nd on 145, breaking the old Masters cut streak record he shared with Gary Player and Fred Couples.

"(I'll) text Freddy and give him a little needle," Woods said.Five-time Masters winner Woods had to play his last five holes of round one on Friday after storms delayed Thursday's start.

"I'm tired," he said.

"I've been out for a while, competing, grinding. It has been a long 23 holes, a long day."

Woods has struggled to walk rounds since suffering severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash, but went to practice after his hefty walk.

"Just need some food and some caffeine, and I'll be good to go," Woods said.

Woods, whose only missed Masters cut was as an amateur in 1996, is in his first major since right ankle fusion surgery last April due to injuries from the accident.

Spain's Jon Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, struggled to a four-over 76 to stand on 149, one inside the cut line, and stretched the longest active streak of made cuts in majors to 18 events.

"Fighting it all day, never comfortable. I had to play really good golf and get lucky a couple of times with gusts. It was a bad day not to have it," Rahm said.

"I still made cut. Two rounds to make up 12 shots. It has been done."

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who needs a victory to complete a career grand slam, fired a 77 to stand on 148 despite a double bogey and three bogey.

"I still think I can go out tomorrow and shoot a low one, get back into red numbers, and have half a chance going into Sunday," said the Northern Irishman.

Among 29 players missing the cut were fourth-ranked reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark, Norway's sixth-ranked Viktor Hovland and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth.

Homa matches DeChambeau for Masters lead as Tiger struggles

Two early second-round birdies moved Max Homa into a share of the Masters lead with Bryson DeChambeau on Friday while Tiger Woods struggled through a difficult 23-hole walk in pursuit of history.

DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open winner, and Homa were both on seven-under par on the front nine early in the second round at Augusta National.

DeChambeau fired a seven-under par 65 in round one to lead top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion, by a stroke after 18 holes.

Homa, among 27 players unable to finish round one Thursday due to a storm delay, sank a nine-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th then dropped his approach inches from the hole at 17 and tapped in for birdie before a closing bogey left him with a first-round 67.

After breaking 70 for the first time in 13 Masters rounds, Homa birdied the par-5 second and rolled in a 36-foot birdie putt at the par-3 fourth to match DeChambeau atop the leaderboard. DeChambeau parred to begin his second round. Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard and Americans Cameron Young and Taylor Moore shared fourth on 4-under.

Woods, a 15-time major winner who has struggled to walk courses since a 2021 car crash, has made 23 consecutive Masters cuts to share the record with Gary Player and Fred Couples, but would grab the mark all to himself by finishing in the low 50 or level for 36 holes.

A Thursday rain delay allowed Woods to complete only 13 holes on day one, setting the stage for a dramatic 23-hole stroll Friday across hilly Augusta National.

The 48-year-old US legend is playing his first major since right ankle fusion surgery last April due to injuries from the accident.

That also makes this the toughest test of his surgically repaired legs and back, with emotion crackling as fans cheered Woods on the layout where he has won five green jackets, including his first major in 1997 and most recent major in 2019.

After going one-under par for 13 holes on Thursday, Woods made bogey at the par-4 14th after coming up short of the green in two.

Woods found a greenside bunker at 18 and missed a 13-foot par putt for a closing first-round bogey and a first-round 73.

In round two, Woods sank a nine-foot birdie putt at the third, but missed the green and a six-foot par putt at the par-3 fourth, then found a fairway bunker at the fifth on the way to another bogey that left him on the projected 2-over cut line.

Woods answered with a hole-out from 27 feet for birdie at the par-3 sixth in what could be a day-long dance with the cut line. 

- AFP

Scores after Friday's conclusion of the storm-hit opening round of the 88th Masters at par-72 Augusta National Golf Club:

65 - Bryson DeChambeau (USA)

66 - Scottie Scheffler (USA)

67 - Max Homa (USA), Nicolai Hoejgaard (DEN)

68 - Danny Willett (ENG)

69 - Cameron Davis (AUS), Ryan Fox (NZL)

70 - Matthieu Pavon (FRA), An Byeong-Hun (KOR), Corey Conners (CAN), Will Zalatoris (USA), Cameron Young (USA), Joaquin Niemann (CHI)

71 - Rory McIlroy (NIR), Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), Lucas Glover (USA), Kurt Kitayama (USA), Neal Shipley (USA), Tony Finau (USA), Patrick Cantlay (USA), Taylor Moore (USA), Collin Morikawa (USA), Cameron Smith (AUS), Thorbjoern Olesen (DEN), Viktor Hovland (NOR), Erik Van Rooyen (RSA)

72 - Kim Joo-hyung (KOR), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Justin Thomas (USA), Harris English (USA), Xander Schauffele (USA), Akshay Bhatia (USA), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)

73 - Justin Rose (ENG), Eric Cole (USA), Tiger Woods (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Russell Henley (USA), Brooks Koepka (USA), Wyndham Clark (USA), Adam Schenk (USA), Jon Rahm (ESP), Sepp Straka (AUT), Ludvig Aberg (SWE), Shane Lowry (IRL)

74 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Christo Lamprecht (RSA), Kim Si-woo (KOR), Stephan Jger (GER), Camilo Villegas (COL), Min Woo Lee (AUS), Mike Weir (CAN), Chris Kirk (USA), Patrick Reed (USA), Jake Knapp (USA), Denny McCarthy (USA), Lee Hodges (USA), Austin Eckroat (USA), Bubba Watson (USA), Sahith Theegala (USA), Stewart Hagestad (USA)

75 - Luke List (USA), JT Poston (USA), Adam Hadwin (CAN), Jason Day (AUS), Vijay Singh (FIJ)

76 - Emiliano Grillo (ARG), Adam Scott (AUS), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Santiago De La Fuente (MEX), Gary Woodland (USA), Grayson Murray (USA), Zach Johnson (USA), Rickie Fowler (USA)

77 - Nick Dunlap (USA), Im Sung-jae (KOR), Nick Taylor (CAN), Jos Mara Olazbal (ESP)

78 - Ryo Hisatsune (JPN), Adrian Meronk (POL), Dustin Johnson (USA), Keegan Bradley (USA)

79 - Jordan Spieth (USA)80 - Fred Couples (USA), Sam Burns (USA), Jasper Stubbs (AUS)

81 - Brian Harman (USA)

82 - Peter Malnati (USA)

Tiger begins long walk for Masters history as play resumes

Tiger Woods began a 23-hole walk aimed at making Masters history while three early contenders chased leader Bryson DeChambeau as the first round of the 88th Masters resumed Friday.

There were 27 players from the field of 89 still on the course when darkness fell Thursday at Augusta National after the opening round was delayed by two and one-half hours due to rain.

Woods, the 48-year-old legend whose 15 major titles include five Masters green jackets, was one-under par after 13 holes of his first round when play was halted, leaving him to finish five in round one and play a full 18 holes in round two.

He suffered severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash and has struggled to walk 18 holes since then even after several operations, including a right ankle fusion last April after plantar fasciitis forced him to withdraw from the Masters in the third round after making the cut.

"I ache every day," Woods said on Tuesday.

Woods has made 23 consecutive Masters cuts to share the record with Gary Player and Fred Couples, but he would grab the mark all to himself if he stands in the low 50 and ties after 36 holes.

This will be his toughest test of major holes in a day since Woods returned from the accident at the 2022 Masters. Woods, whose most recent major victory came at the 2019 Masters, arrived at the course before dawn and worked out at the practice facility in cool conditions.

DeChambeau, who fired a seven-under par 65 on Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead over world number one Scottie Scheffler, was set to begin his second round just before noon (18:00 SA time).

The 2020 US Open winner birdied five of the last seven holes in his best round ever at Augusta National to set the pace while Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion, birdied four of the final seven to stay on Dechambeau's heels.

Scheffler, who could join Woods as the only players to win the Masters twice while atop the rankings, tees off in the afternoon's penultimate group alongside four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele.

McIlroy, whose most recent major win came in 2014, needs a Masters triumph to complete a career grand slam, a feat achieved only by Woods, Player, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

McIlroy fired a 71, his best opening round at the Masters since 2018, while Schauffele, chasing his first major crown, began on 72.

The resumption offered a chance to charge for the lead to three players who were in the top eight when sunset sent them off the course.

Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard, among 20 players making their first Masters start, was two off the pace at 5-under through 15 holes with seven birdies against two bogeys, including a birdie sweep through "Amen Corner," the tricky 11th, 12th and 13th holes at Augusta National.

Another stroke adrift at 4-under after 13 holes was American Max Homa, who was level for fourth with England's Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters winner who completed a 68 on Thursday.

Also pushing to move up on the leaderboard was England's Tyrrell Hatton, who like DeChambeau and defending champion Jon Rahm was among 13 players from Saudi-backed LIV Golf in the Masters field. Hatton was 3-under through 14 holes.

- AFP

DeChambeau fires 65 to lead Scheffler by one at Masters

Bryson DeChambeau reeled off five birdies in six holes on the back nine on Thursday to hold off late-charging world number one Scottie Scheffler for a one-stroke lead at the darkness-halted 88th Masters.

DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open winner, fired a seven-under-par 65 for his lowest major round in relation to par while 2022 Masters winner Scheffler made four birdies in five holes on the back nine at Augusta National.

Denmark's Nikolai Hojgaard, among 20 first-time Masters starters trying to become the first rookie winner since 1979, birdied his way through "Amen Corner" - the course's famed 11th, 12th and 13th holes.

The Dane was two back on 5-under with three holes remaining when play was stopped for darkness after rain delayed Thursday's start by two and one-half hours.

In all, 27 players, including 15-time major winner Tiger Woods, must finish the first round Friday morning.

They include American Max Homa, 4-under through 13 holes, and England's Tyrrell Hatton, 3-under after 14 holes.

Three adrift in fourth on 68 was England's Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters winner who birdied three of the last four holes.

DeChambeau birdied the first three holes, stumbled with a bogey at nine, then began his birdie binge from 17 feet at the tricky par-3 12th.

"I felt like I placed the golf ball in the right places," DeChambeau said. "For the most part I drove it well, hit it well, hit my irons well and took advantage when the opportunities presented themselves."

DeChambeau, among 13 players from Saudi-backed LIV Golf in the Masters field, added a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 13th.

The 30-year-old American tapped in for birdie at the par-5 15th after a 40-foot eagle miss, then added a six-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th and an epic 31-footer to birdie 17.

"I wasn't expecting to make that," DeChambeau said. "But when it dropped it was pretty nice."

Scheffler's 66, his first bogey-free Masters round, included a nine-foot birdie putt at the par-5 second, an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-3 sixth and holing out a 30-foot bunker shot at 12.

"Any time you get off this course bogey-free, you're going to have a good day. I was fortunate to get out with a clean card," Scheffler said.

The 27-year-old American dropped his approach three feet from the hole to set up birdie putts at 13 and 16 around a tap-in birdie at 15.

Scheffler, trying to match Woods as the only players to win the Masters twice while atop the rankings, closed with two pars.

"You want to get off to a good start," Scheffler said. "Mission accomplished for today."

Woods, returning to major golf after right ankle surgery last April but still struggling to walk, seeks a 24th consecutive Masters cut to break to record he shares with Gary Player and Fred Couples.

He was 1-under after 13 holes.

Willett, shaking off a shoulder injury, answered a bogey at 14 with birdies at 15, 16 and 18 to stay in the fight.

McIlroy has scrappy 71

Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, a four-time major winner who would complete a career grand slam by winning, fired a 71, his best Masters opening round since 2018.

McIlroy, who last won a major in 2014, made four birdies and three bogeys. He sank a 10-foot birdie putt at 12 and a 15-footer at 14 but missed the 17th green and made bogey."I held it together well. It was a little scrappy," McIlroy said.

"The conditions are tricky. Hard to fully commit to shots out there at times.

"Probably turned a 3-under into a 1-under there at the end but overall still not a bad score.

"Whipping winds kept tree limbs dancing across the famed 7,555-yard layout.

"When we have this amount of wind, this course is extremely tricky," defending champion Jon Rahm said after shooting 73 and marvelling at the leaders.

"Those dudes played some seriously good rounds," he said. "I haven't made it easy for myself. I'll have to make up some ground quickly."

The Spaniard, who closed with back-to-back bogeys, could become the fourth player to capture back-to-back Masters titles after Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo.

- AFP

Golf great Watson tells rival tour players to push for unity

Eight-time major winner Tom Watson said Thursday he made an emotional appeal for unity among golf's rival factions at the Masters' Champions Dinner, telling players they needed to re-unite.

Golf has been divided since the launch of LIV Golf in 2022, the Saudi-backed circuit which lured a number of top players from the established PGA Tour.

Despite a "framework agreement" on a merger announced last June, there is no sign of the tour and LIV's financiers, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), coming together.

LIV lured defending Masters champion Jon Rahm from the PGA Tour in December, in a deal reported to be worth over $400 million, and it was the Spaniard who hosted the annual Champions Dinner on Tuesday at the Augusta National clubhouse.

Watson, who won the Masters in 1977 and 1981, said he asked permission from Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley to make an intervention at the end of the dinner, which gathers former Augusta champions together.

"We all know golf is fractured with the LIV Tour and the PGA Tour doing the different things they are doing," Watson told reporters.

"I got up and I said -- I'm looking around the room and I'm seeing just a wonderful experience everybody is having. They are jovial. They are having a great time. They are laughing.

"I said, 'Ain't it good to be together again?'"And there was kind of a pall from the joviality, and it quieted down, and then Ray Floyd got up and it was time to leave.

"In a sense, I hope that the players themselves took that to say, 'You know, we have to do something. We have to do something."

While powerbrokers from the tours and PIF along with new investors in the PGA Tour from various US sports ownership groups have yet to devise a workable unification plan, Watson said the players had power.

"We all know it's a difficult situation for professional golf right now," Watson said.

"The players really kind of have control I think in a sense. What do they want to do? We'll see where it goes. We don't have the information or the answers. I don't think the PGA Tour or the LIV Tour really have an answer right now."

Watson was an honorary starter at Augusta National on Thursday along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, who also addressed the media after hitting the first shots of the day.

"I think in this room, I know the three of us want to get together," Player said.

"We want to get together like we were at that Champions Dinner, happy, the best players playing against each other.

"The bottom line -- that's what we want in professional golf, and right now, we don't have it."

South African Player agreed that the split was damaging for the game.

"It's very simple. Anytime in any business whatsoever, not only in the golf business, there's confrontation, it's unhealthy," he said.

"You've got to get together and come to a solution. If you cannot -- it's not good. The public don't like it and we as professionals don't like it, either.

"But it's a big problem because they paid all these guys to join the LIV Tour fortunes, beyond one's comprehension.

"But Player, 88, said any deal needed to make sure players who stayed with the PGA Tour are compensated for their loyalty.

"I really believe the players, if they're loyal, should be compensated in some way or another," he said. "Otherwise, there's going to be dissension." 

- AFP

South Africa's Erik van Rooyen (through 10) and amateur Christo Lamprecht (through eight) are tied for the lead at 3-under.

The SA duo share the lead alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Danny Willett, who are the notable other two in the six-way early lead.

Erik van Rooyen is tied for second through 7 holes as he sits on 2-under par.

The South African trails Bryson Dechambeau by a shot as the LIV golfer has birdied his opening three holes.

Coming up!

South African legend Gary Player will take part in the ceremonial tee shots alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

Storms delay start of Masters

Bad weather delayed the start of the 88th Masters at Augusta National on Thursday with world number one Scottie Scheffler and second-ranked Rory McIlroy scheduled to tee off in a dream first-round pairing.

Rain and scattered thunderstorms had been forecast to move into the region at around 6:00am (10:00 GMT - 12:00 SA time) and were expected to last until about lunch time, potentially causing havoc to the first round schedule.

Honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson had been due to get proceedings under way at 7:40am, with the first group teeing off 20 minutes later.

Scheffler, seeking his second title in three seasons, is in a group with four-time major winner McIlroy, who would complete a career Grand Slam with a Masters triumph, and Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, chasing his first major victory.

- AFP

Welcome to News24 Sport's coverage of the opening round of the Masters at Augusta National.

THREE South Africans taking part in golf's first Major - Charl Schwartzel, Erik van Rooyen and amateur Christo Lamprecht