Bryson DeChambeau (-7) is the first leader of the Masters after delivering a sensational scorecard of 65 strokes on the first day. The golfer from Clovis, California, finally manages to go under par at the Augusta National. His par, of course.
We have to go back three years to put the story in context. Year 2021. DeChambeau arrived at the Masters as the champion of the US Open. He had just offered a stratospheric exhibition at Winged Foot in the year of Covid. He took the victory by six strokes ahead and his process to become the biggest hitter possible was in full swing. He was Hulk DeChambeau and was ready to sweep everything and everyone.
He presented himself at that Masters with his morale sky high, convinced that he was starting a new era in golf and let slip in the preview of the tournament that his par in Augusta was not 72 strokes, but 67. That, apart from being classified by many as a boast, fell on him with a curse. A self-inflicted evil eye in all its glory. Today yes, today he has made 65 and has gone under his par in Augusta. It is his best result ever here and the third time he has gone under 70 strokes on a course that has never been very good to him.
In 2021 he finished in 46th place with four rounds of 76, 67, 75 and 75; in 2022 he missed the cut with two scorecards of 76 and 80 and in 2023 he was left out of the weekend again after signing 74 and 74 strokes. As you can imagine, there have been many who have taken advantage of this time to remind him of his words… It’s as if Augusta didn’t like the bodybuilder’s body at all.
Moreover, his best performance at the Masters was in 2016, in his first edition, when he was a tall and thin amateur player who finished in a brilliant 21st position. Now that he seems to have stabilized his body, leaving behind that oversized strongman, DeChambeau has found his best version with a scorecard filled with eight birdies and a solitary bogey. He started with three consecutive birdies on the first three holes (it’s the second one he makes in his career on hole 1) and also ended with three consecutive birdies between 15 and 17. The best part of his game today has been, by far, the putter.
First tournament for Danny Willett in seven months due to a shoulder operation and 68 strokes
Interestingly, in that Masters that served as DeChambeau’s debut in 2016, the green jacket was worn on Sunday by the Englishman Danny Willett (-4), provisional second place. If Bryson’s leadership is surprising, after two consecutive missed cuts, the Englishman’s 68-stroke scorecard is even more so. He hasn’t played a competitive golf tournament since the BMW PGA Championship in 2023, seven months ago.
After Wentworth he decided to go under the knife to solve some problems in his left shoulder. He has been on the sidelines until January and since then he has done little more than train and prepare his body for the return. In 2024 he only played the Seminole Pro Am, just over a month ago, probably to test how the joint was. The result was not satisfactory and he decided to postpone his return.
He wasn’t even sure about his participation in the Masters. He decided last Sunday, after playing a practice round with a friend. Masters champions have the privilege of playing the Sunday before the tournament with the guest they choose. “I wanted to test myself to make a decision and the truth is that I felt very good,” he assured. “I still have some shots that I can’t do exactly as I want, but overall I feel much better. Today has been one of those things that happen, I felt good, a couple of birdies fell at the beginning and I got encouraged…”, he finished.
In addition to DeChambeau and Willett, Ryan Fox (-3) has made it to the top among those who played in the first matches, which by the way did not have as bad weather as expected. The wind blew, strong at times, gusty, but also had quieter moments. The main difficulty was the changing situation.
Sergio García makes par with two balls in the water
As for the Spaniards, Sergio García (PAR) has signed a round with a lot of movement. He has made five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey, a demonstration that, indeed, his game is very good, as five birdies in Augusta have to be made, although he is also having some bad shots, like the balls in the water on 12 and 13 that cost him many strokes.
On the other hand, José María Olazábal (+5) has suffered as expected. The course is very long for him and he needs a lot of things to go in his favour to get close to par. The key today has been the three good birdie chances that escaped him on 12, 13 and 15 and that would have put him at that moment at +1.
