- Bryson DeChambeau leads the way after glorious 65
- Scottie Scheffler stays on his tail with 66
- Official leader board
Danny Willett joins the leading bunch with birdie at the par-five 8th. He’s on the fringe in two and nearly drains the long eagle putt. Meanwhile Phil Mickelson’s competitive juices are still flowing despite that cold start: birdie at the short par-four 3rd and the three-time winner, last year’s surprise joint runner-up after that final round of 65, is level par again.
The honorary start. Twenty minutes before Erik van Rooyen hit the first competitive stroke of the 2024 Masters, the legendary trio of Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson took their ceremonial tee shots. Between them: 246 years, 11 Masters. All three sent their little dappled orbs down Tea Olive to great cheer; Player, the oldest of the three at 88 but the youngest at heart, followed his shot with an elegant swivel and high kick that would pop out the hip of many a man half his age.
