Why scoring at Masters will get tougher at Augusta…

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Watch out.

Things appear like they’re going to get difficult at this Masters, thanks to the right climate.

There’s a sentiment among the gamers that Augusta National circumstances could be a handful by the time the weekend arrives. For the first time in years, there will be no rain during Masters week, which permits the course to firm up and play exhausting and fast.

The forecast the remainder of the week is temperatures in the 80s with plentiful sunshine.

“I feel this might be the hardest Masters we’ve performed in a while,’’ Shane Lowry said after capturing 71 Thursday to path first-round leaders Rory McIlory and Sam Burns by 4 pictures. “You look at the forecast. They can do whatever they need with the golf course this weekend.

“Over the last few years, we’ve had a day every 12 months where it’s been raining or it’s been heavy rains. It’s sort of helped us a little bit, but I feel before the week is out, it’s going to get very, very crusty around right here.’’

Justin Rose joked that “you would possibly get a yellow jacket if you win,’’ referring to the doable Sunday colour of the greens. 

Patrick Reed said the course “positively has the tooth in it to make it actually, actually robust.’’

“The greens are already getting firm, crusty, and bouncy,’’ he went on. “I really broke one tee on the (seventeenth) gap making an attempt to repair a ball mark. You already realize it’s going to get crusty. You realize it’s going to get fast, and it’s going to take a lot of persistence.

“With what the climate seems prefer it’s going to be — actually scorching, sunny — they may make this place actually, actually exhausting if they needed to. I wouldn’t be shocked. We have the best gamers in the world right here. Why not? Challenge us and make it tough.’’

Shane Lowry its a tee shot on the seventeenth gap during the first spherical of the Masters on April 9, 2026 at August National. GWN

Ryan Gerard, whose father, Robert, is from Oyster Bay on Long Island, shot an even-par 72 in his debut Masters spherical.

When requested to grade his day, he delivered the road of the day when he said, “I give the entrance 9 (3-over par) an ‘F’ [and] I might most likely give the back 9 an ‘A.’ Overall, a ‘C,’ which might get a [college] degree in some locations.’’

Fred Couples, the oldest participant in the sector at 66, was 2-under par through 14 holes, wanting ageless. And then, 15, 16 and 17 occurred.

Couples took a quadruple-bogey 9 on the par-5 fifteenth and then doubled 16 and 17 to tumble to 6-over par and end with a 78. He performed the last 4 holes in 8-over par.

Bryson DeChambeau entered the week as one of the event favorites, having gained his last two begins on LIV Golf. But a disastrous back 9 could have foiled his possibilities of successful a first inexperienced jacket after he posted a 4-over-par 76.

His spherical imploded when he took a triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 eleventh gap after he’d made the flip in even par. It took him three pictures out of a greenside bunker to extricate himself.

“The bunker was softer than I anticipated,’’ he said afterward.

Bryson DeChambeau reacts after his tee shot on the twelfth gap during the first spherical of the Masters on April 9, 2026 at Augusta National. Grace Smith-Imagn Images

DeChambeau wasn’t the only LIV participant to wrestle Thursday. In fact, all 10 of the LIV Golf gamers in the sector this week mixed for a cumulative 32-over par with not a single one of them under par.

Sergio Garcia is even par and the remainder are over par.

Jon Rahm, a past champion, struggled to a 6-over-par 78, second worst among the LIV gamers after only Carlos Ortiz’s 80.

Collin Morikawa has been on pins and needles all week, questioning whether or not his balky back was going to maintain up. He practiced sparingly all week, not wanting to push it. Since he withdrew from the Players Championship when a observe swing wrenched his back, Morikawa hasn’t been ready to observe at full velocity.

Collin Morikawa, who is battling a balky back, hits a tee shot on the fifth gap during the first spherical of the Masters at Augusta National. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

He opened with a 2-over-par 74 and called it “most likely the hardest spherical I’ve ever performed.’’

“I’m just preventing,’’ he said. “Like, it’s a battle. It all began when I woke up. I’ve never felt this nervous, like, in my life. I feel it’s a trust issue. When it occurred out on the course at the Players, you recognize, there’s a sure doubt issue of, like, is this going to occur (or) is this not?

“I’ve been hitting balls for the past week and a half, but not comfortably. When I teed it up on Tuesday I truthfully didn’t know if I used to be going to make contact.’’

Brandon Holtz, a 39-year-old real estate broker from Illinois, shot a 9-over-par 81 in his opening spherical.

“It was robust,’’ the U.S. Mid-Am winner said. “Definitely not what I needed to do on the golf course today, but I had a lot of enjoyable. I’ve sort of already gained. I’m 39, chasing a dream and right here we’re. But at the same time, I’m not completely satisfied with how I performed, you recognize. But we bought tomorrow so let’s see what occurs.’’

This 12 months is the fortieth anniversary of Jack Nicklaus’ sixth and remaining Masters victory, at age 46. It stays one of the most memorable in the 90-year historical past of the event.

“I don’t know whether or not it modified my life, but it was a good means to end a profession,’’ Nicklaus said Thursday. “It appeared like I used to be just about carried out with taking part in golf when I gained the U.S. Open and PGA in 1980, and I actually wasn’t, you would possibly say, anticipating to win anymore.

“All of a sudden, I discovered a little lightning in the bottle, and it was sort of enjoyable to discover that.’’

Nicklaus called that ’86 victory his “No. 1’’ favourite Masters reminiscence.

“I like them all, but clearly ’86 was the one that I wasn’t anticipated to win,’’ he said. “I used to be over the hill and the entire routine, and I gained. So that was very particular. It occurred to be the most particular to me, completely.’’

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