Masters gets underway
The 90th Masters kicked off Thursday at Augusta National with Jack Nicklaus hitting the ceremonial opening tee shot — a classic start for one of golf’s biggest weeks. Scottie Scheffler goes into the event as the betting favorite while Bryson DeChambeau has drawn heavy wagering interest, signaling where public money is flowing heading into Round 1. Models and commentators warn the week is deeper than the shortest prices suggest — CBS ran 10,000 simulations that produced surprising results — and you can stream featured holes, groups and every shot for free via Masters.com and the Masters app. (usatoday.com) (espn.com) (cbssports.com) (golf.com)
Before most players had even teed off on Thursday, Augusta National had already done the part only Augusta does: Jack Nicklaus opened the 90th Masters with the ceremonial first shot, alongside Gary Player and Tom Watson, on the first tee at 7:25 a.m. Eastern Time. (masters.com) That ritual is not a side show at this tournament; Augusta uses it like a church bell before service, with three past champions whose combined Masters record spans decades and 11 green jackets. (masters.com) Once the ceremony ended, the week’s other story took over: Scottie Scheffler arrived as the betting favorite, with ESPN listing him at +510 to win, ahead of Jon Rahm at +900 and Bryson DeChambeau at +1050. (espn.com) Those odds say sportsbooks still see Scheffler as the safest pick, but the market is not treating this like a one-man tournament, because CBS Sports reported a 10,000-run simulation that pointed to a much messier leaderboard than the shortest prices suggest. (cbssports.com) Bryson DeChambeau is where the public-money story gets interesting, because betting outlets said heavy action pushed him toward the front of the board even with Scheffler still holding the favorite’s spot. (espn.com) (foxnews.com) That split matters at Augusta because this course tends to reward players who already know its tricks, and that is why proven names like Scheffler, Rahm, Rory McIlroy, and DeChambeau keep crowding the top of the market instead of a random long shot. (sports.yahoo.com) The other unusual part of this year’s start is how easy Augusta makes it to follow, because Masters.com and the official Masters app are carrying featured groups, Amen Corner, holes 4 through 6, holes 15 and 16, and a shot-by-shot feed for every player. (masters.com) (golf.com) The app goes even further than a normal broadcast, with live scoring, three-dimensional shot tracking, and video for every shot on every hole across all four rounds, which turns a tournament that used to feel locked behind television windows into something closer to a full-course control room. (apps.apple.com) (masters.com) So the first day of the 2026 Masters opened with the oldest image in golf, three legends on the first tee, and moved straight into the newest version of the event, where fans can watch every swing while the betting market argues over whether the favorite is really as safe as he looks. (masters.com) (espn.com) (golf.com)
