Jon Rahm bounces back from four-putt double bogey to share Masters lead

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm made a stunning comeback after a four-putt double bogey to grab a share of the lead at the Masters on Thursday. Despite forecasts of rain, the weather held up, creating soft conditions that helped players to score well at Augusta National Golf Club. Rahm made the most of these conditions, shooting an impressive seven-under-par 65, tying with Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka, who won the LIV tour last week.

Rahm’s consistency off the tee and excellent iron play, hitting 16 of 18 greens, helped him post his best opening round at Augusta. Meanwhile, Hovland showed his class, relying on a fantastic save at the par-four 10th after a wayward approach.

Last year’s rookie of the year, Cameron Young, is two shots behind the leaders after shooting a 67. Australia’s Jason Day, who has returned to the game after recovering from a long-standing back injury, put on a solid display, joining Young on five-under.

The leaderboard boasts some of the biggest names in golf, including Ireland’s 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry, American world number seven Xander Schauffele, and Australia’s 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott, who are all within three shots of the leaders.

However, six-time Masters champion Tiger Woods had a disappointing day, carding a two-over 74. Woods, who recently admitted he would never fully recover from the severe car accident he had in February 2021, looked uncomfortable on the steep hills of the iconic course.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler put in a fine performance but struggled with his putting, restricting him to a four-under-par 68, still an excellent position to mount a charge.

Joint pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy struggled once again at Augusta, but managed to cling on for a level-par round of 72.

Amateur golfer Sam Bennett put on an impressive display, shooting a faultless 68 to finish tied for sixth place at the end of the opening round. Bennett, who is making his debut at Augusta National Golf Club, looked calm and composed as he played his way around the iconic course. Despite facing some of the best golfers in the world, the young amateur held his own, hitting accurate shots and sinking crucial putts to finish at four-under-par. Bennett’s performance was one of the highlights of the day, and he will be looking to maintain his momentum in the coming rounds.

While wet weather is forecast for the weekend, raising the possibility of a first Monday finish since 1983, the calm conditions on Thursday allowed players to score well. With seven major champions in the top 12 and ten in the top 16, the tournament is poised for an exciting day of action on Friday.