Masters Round One Live

Before most of the field had even hit a shot, Augusta National had already done its oldest trick: turn a quiet Thursday morning into a ritual. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson hit the honorary opening shots at 7:25 a.m. Eastern, then the first competitive pairing of Johnny Keefer and Haotong Li went out at 7:40. (pgatour.com), (golfchannel.com) This is the 90th playing of the Masters, but the field is only 91 players, which makes it feel less like a sprawling tournament and more like an invitation-only dinner where every seat matters. The Masters stays small because Augusta National uses exemption categories instead of a giant open qualifying week. (golfchannel.com), (golfweek.usatoday.com) That small field is why Thursday morning matters so fast. With fewer players on the course, the early leaderboard can take shape before lunch instead of getting buried under 156 scorecards the way it does at many other major championships. (golfchannel.com), (augustachronicle.com) Rory McIlroy is the center of that first wave because he is not just another favorite this year. He arrived as the defending champion after winning the 2025 Masters, and his Thursday tee time was 10:31 a.m. Eastern. (nytimes.com), (augustachronicle.com) Bryson DeChambeau went off even earlier at 10:07 a.m. Eastern with Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick, which put three of the biggest names in the same television window before the afternoon starters even reached the range. Augusta’s opening day often feels like a slow burn, but this year’s tee sheet stacked star power into the morning. (golfweek.usatoday.com), (augustachronicle.com) The other reason the opening round feels crowded with storylines is that McIlroy is chasing a repeat while Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm were still waiting to start later in the day. That splits Thursday into two acts: the morning belongs to the defending champion and the early movers, and the afternoon belongs to the other major winners trying to answer them. (nytimes.com), (tennessean.com) Even the ceremony on the first tee carried extra age and history this year. Nicklaus is 86 and has served as an honorary starter since 2010, Player is 90 and joined him in 2012, and Watson is 76 and became part of the trio in 2022. (cbssports.com), (pgatour.com) That is part of why the Masters can make a first round feel bigger than a first round. One minute you are watching three former champions in sweaters and slacks hit ceremonial drives at sunrise, and 15 minutes later you are tracking whether a birdie on the second hole puts McIlroy or DeChambeau on the first real leaderboard of the week. (golfweek.usatoday.com), (independent.co.uk) By Thursday evening, the scores will sort themselves into contenders and chasers, but Augusta usually starts revealing that picture much earlier than other tournaments. With only 91 players, a defending champion already on the course, and a first tee ceremony that still stops the sport in its tracks, the Masters does not need a weekend to feel important. (golfchannel.com), (upi.com)