The Masters is back as last year’s winner Scottie Scheffler aims to join an exclusive club of back-to-back champions. Only Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods have consecutively won the first major of the year and Scheffler would become the fourth golfer to pull on the famous green jacket two years in a row if he triumphs this week.
Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm lead the European challenge against the American. They have both been in excellent form on the PGA Tour, are well backed by the bookmakers and should prove to be strong challengers to compete at Augusta National.
Woods also returns but has admitted he does not know how many more times he will be able to play at the Masters. The 16-time major champion surprisingly made the cut at last year’s tournament following a serious car accident but has only played the odd competition since.
Masters 2023: Kisner and Henley make birdies; McClean bog
And now McClean does have company under par: a birdie at the second for Kevin Kisner is matched at the third by Russell Henley, and the Americans slot in behind our early Northern Irish leader.
Not for long! The first misstep from Matthew McClean, dropping a shot at five to give up the outright lead.
Blue chinos and a white polo for Tiger Woods, who looks to be moving reasonably smoothly as he wanders out to the practice area. That leg really does bother the five-time Masters winner, but he’d love to make the weekend again after admitting this week he was surprised to make the cut last year.
Still only Matthew McClean to have broken even par in a sedate start to the first round at Augusta. Alex Noren, who has struggled on three previous appearances at the Masters, has double bogeyed the second, though.
Masters 2023: How Rory McIlroy could achieve immortality at Augusta
The aura of destiny surroundingRory McIlroyendures with such unwavering belief that the defining moment of a glittering career could materialise this week at Augusta. After a nine-year pursuit of the green jacket, McIlroy’s legacy would be complete should he addthe Mastersto his collection of four majors and finally complete the grand slam.
Now with a silver shade to his latest trim, it helps to illustrate McIlroy’s vast experience on his 15th visit and the arduous journey even one of the most supreme talents has endured on the road to immortality, which once appeared inevitable.
Maturity and wit now protect McIlroy from the agonising collapse in 2011, the fairytale of St Andrews stolen by Cameron Smith and everything in between.
Instead then, happier memories emerge when assessing his chances this week at the first major of the year in men’s golf.McIlroy is brimming with joyat the mere thought of that majestic bunker shot on 18 last year. The ball’s unconventional route to the hole secured a captivating Sunday round of 64, equalling the course record. How McIlroy would covet a collection of six birdies and an eagle without the blemish of a bogey once more this week.
Well, we thought a Northern Irishman could be a front-runner today...birdie number two for Matthew McClean! A gorgeous shot at the 240-yard fourth, coming in off the right and landing invitingly on the soft morning surface. McClean’s putter looks in fine working order - he moves to -2.
Two pars to follow that opening birdie from Belfast’s Matthew McClean. His four at the third is brilliantly salvaged, delicately nudging from the fringe down the slope towards the hole to save par, the ball dropping in after a jig around the rim.
Make that four pars to start from Mike Weir. The Canadian has a curiously average overall record at Augusta - outside of his 2003 triumph, of course - but it has always been a course that lefties have liked, and he’s began tidily.
Kevin Na, playing alongside Weir, got a stroke back at the second after starting with a double, but has dropped back to two-over by bogeying the third.
An excellent start for Northern Irish amateur Matthew McClean - he’s birdied the first to record the first stroke gained of the tournament. A lovely shot in, hanging in the misty morning air and pitching short of the pin to hop a couple of yards past, and then a nerveless tickle in to the hole.
The 29-year-old is an optometrist by day and earned entry with victory at the US Mid-Amateur last September.
A bittersweet moment for Sandy Lyle, striking his last first tee shot of a Masters weekend. The affable Scot, Britain’s first winner at Augusta in 1988, has confirmed this will be his final entry here.
Steady enough from the veteran, hugging the right edge of the fairway short of the bunker. He’ll play his approach from 200 yards.
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