The Masters: Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau share first-round lead at Augusta
Friday 12 April 2019 18:47, UK
Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau produced back-nine birdie blitzes to earn a share of the first-round lead as Ian Poulter led the British charge at the 83rd Masters Tournament.
Koepka put himself in prime position to win his fourth major, and his third in the last four, with five birdies in a sensational six-hole burst after the turn which propelled him to the top of a congested leaderboard on six under par, where he was joined by DeChambeau after he almost aced the 16th and then hit the pin with his second to the last.
Reigning US Open and PGA champion Koepka, who could not compete at Augusta National last year due to a wrist injury, and his Ryder Cup team-mate have a one-shot lead over three-time champion Phil Mickelson, while Poulter is two off the pace along with Dustin Johnson.
Tiger Woods set the pulses racing among the patrons when he shared the early lead before a late mistake at 17 saw him post a 70, while Rory McIlroy was left to rue "too many mistakes" after mixing five birdies with six bogeys in a frustrating 73 which leaves him much work to do if he is to end his Masters hoodoo.
Koepka, playing in the final group of the day, ignored the plight of playing-partners Jordan Spieth and Paul Casey and followed a competent, outward 35 with an incredible run after the turn as he birdied the 10th and made a mockery of Amen Corner with further gains at 12 and 13.
He converted another excellent approach to 14 and then picked up a bonus birdie at 15, where his drive cannoned off a tree and back into the fairway, from where he flew the green with his second before a neat pitch and putt resulted in an unlikely four.
Koepka left another good chance short at 16, but he laughed it off and safely parred the final two holes to match the 66 of DeChambeau, who provided two of the outstanding highlights over the last three holes - coming within a couple of inches of a hole-in-one at the 16th before his arrow-straight approach from the first cut at 18 hit the centre of the flagstick but bounced backwards.
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The tap-in birdie was his fourth in a row and his sixth of an inward nine blighted only by a mistake at 14, while Poulter also made the most of the benign conditions late in the day when he made three birdies in four holes from the 13th before capping off an encouraging 68 which briefly earned him the clubhouse lead.
Mickelson ended an enthralling first day in outright third as he followed the trend of grandstand finishes in the final three groups, recovering from bogeys at 10 and 11 with five birdies over the last seven holes including his seventh of the round at the final hole which lifted him within one of the leaders.
South African Justin Harding, who was ranked a lowly 716th in the world in January last year, enjoyed the lead for the majority of the opening day after he marked his Masters debut with a 69, a score later matched by 2013 champion Adam Scott, who birdied three of the last four holes, and exciting Spaniard Jon Rahm.
Kevin Kisner and Kiradech Aphibarnrat made it a five-way share of sixth, while Woods dropped out of that group when he paid the price for a blocked drive into the pines at the penultimate hole having earlier birdied 13 and 14 to get into a tie at the top.
Woods cruised to the turn in 35 which could have been two shots better had he not missed short putts at three and four, and he safely negotiated 10, 11 and 12 in pars before he two-putted from long-distance for a birdie at the 13th and added another at the next.
The 43-year-old flew the green with his second to 15 and was lucky to avoid the water, but he scrambled a par and was unable to do the same at the penultimate hole having blocked his drive deep into the pines.
Live from the Masters
Rickie Fowler and Open champion Francesco Molinari plotted their way carefully around and also handed in rounds of 70, while Tommy Fleetwood opened with a 71 alongside two-time winner Bernhard Langer, who defied his 61-year-old legs to return a commendable three-birdie card.
But McIlroy's latest bid to complete a career Grand Slam of majors got off to an uncertain start when he blocked his opening tee shot into the pines, scuttled his second up short of the green, pitched on and missed the putt for par.
He was unable to convert a good chip at the second, but he got it right at the third only to three-putt the sixth green before again restoring parity at the long eighth. But he then pushed his approach into sand at 10 and dropped another shot, and he bogeyed again at 11 before he hauled himself back into the tournament with a nice run from the 13th.
He birdied the two par-fives and holed a raking, 30-foot putt for another at the 16th, but his good work was undone over the last two holes as poor drives on both - one right and one left - led to a bogey, bogey finish and dropped him back to one over par.
The Masters
Defending champion Patrick Reed also fired a 73, while world No 1 Justin Rose needs to dig deep to extend his stay at the top of the world rankings after he laboured to the turn in 40 before salvaging a 75 - the same score as perennial Masters challenger and 2015 winner Jordan Spieth.
