Jason Day in Contention as Bryson DeChambeau Struggles with a Three-Shot Bunker Exit in Masters First Round Disaster

The shadows of previous Masters meltdowns appeared to linger over Bryson DeChambeau as his aspirations for a green jacket disintegrated in a flurry of sand—three shots’ worth to be precise—during the opening round.

The 2024 US Open champion struggled to exit a greenside bunker at the par-4 11th, requiring three strokes to free himself. This mishap resulted in a triple-bogey seven, culminating in an overall score of four-over 76.

This very hole had nearly dashed his chances of victory in last year’s event when he famously dunked his second shot into the water, ultimately leading to a double bogey.

The worst opening round recorded by a champion was a 75 by Craig Stadler back in 1982.

After years of working to reshape his public persona, DeChambeau—once viewed as a golf brat—has metamorphosed into a crowd favourite at major tournaments, where he only gets the chance to compete alongside the regulars from the PGA Tour.

Following his challenging first round at Augusta, the long, jovial responses he’d been delivering in interviews were replaced with brief, sharp retorts.

DeChambeau remarked he had “hit a good shot” but the ball carried about 10m further than he intended, landing after two bounces in the sand.

When asked about his struggles in the bunker, he replied, “The bunker was softer than I anticipated,” in a flat tone.

At the top of the standings, defending champion Rory McIlroy started brilliantly, signing for a five-under 67 to share the lead with American Sam Burns. Jason Day represents the best of the Australians, sitting tied for third just two shots off the leaders.

McIlroy managed to hit only five fairways yet still found his groove, notably blistering a 3-wood out of the rough, over the hill, and onto the green on the par-5 eighth. This set the stage for the first of five birdies within an impressive eight-hole span, maximising his overall performance.

In the past decade, only one other competitor—Hideki Matsuyama in 2021—has posted a 67 while hitting just five fairways, a testament to McIlroy’s skill. Unperturbed by the challenges, he displayed freedom in his swing, and there’s nothing more liberating than having just bagged a Masters green jacket.

“I believe winning a Masters makes it easier to capture your second,” McIlroy stated confidently.

“It’s hard to articulate because there are always shots where you might feel tense, and you simply need to step up, commit to making solid swings, and not obsess over the outcome.”

“However, I believe it’s easier for me to take those shots without stressing over the outcome, knowing I can retreat to the Champions Locker Room at the end of the day and don my green jacket.”

After starting with consecutive pars, Day faced a bogey on the third hole, which would be his sole error for the day. He bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 eighth and made the turn at even, before netting three more birdies at the 12th, 13th, and 16th.

Justin Rose, who lost to McIlroy in a playoff last year, was poised to share the lead again after finishing the 16th at four-under. However, he fell short with back-to-back bogeys.

Xander Schauffele enjoyed a lucky break with a tee shot that would have landed in the pine straw but instead landed in a fan’s merchandise bag just off the fairway. Under the rules, he was free to remove the ball and place it closer to the original spot without penalty, concluding that hole with par.

“It just flew straight into the bag — a nice break indeed, so cheers to the lady on eight,” he quipped post-round.

Adam Scott is also in contention. He made a strong recovery from a two-over front nine to finish with an even 72, which could have been improved were it not for frustrating bogeys from favourable positions on the 15th and 18th holes.

Cameron Smith finished two over, while Min Woo Lee had a rough day, ending at six over. He began with a bogey and continued to falter with additional bogeys on the sixth, seventh, and tenth holes. A birdie on the 12th offered a glimmer of hope, which he promptly followed with a double bogey on the 13th.

— with AP

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