Scheffler Falls Three Back
Scottie Scheffler, one of the obvious contenders at Augusta, sat three shots behind the leaders after Round 1 — a solid position but one that demands stronger iron control if the course stays firm. Coverage framed him as the kind of long hitter who can benefit from rollout, but emphasized that distance alone won’t win if approach precision slips. (golfchannel.com) (youtube.com)
Scottie Scheffler opened the 2026 Masters with a 2-under 70, which left him tied for sixth and three shots behind co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns at Augusta National after Thursday. Jason Day, Patrick Reed, and Kurt Kitayama sat in between at 3-under 69. (golfchannel.com) That score sounds ordinary until you look at the course. Golf Channel’s on-site coverage said Augusta National was already getting “firm and fast,” the kind of setup where the fairways act like concrete and a drive can pick up extra yards after it lands. (golfchannel.com) Scheffler is one of the few players who can use that bounce without looking reckless. He was grouped Thursday with Robert MacIntyre and Gary Woodland, and his power off the tee kept him in scoring position even when Augusta started pushing balls forward and sideways after landing. (golfchannel.com) But Augusta does not hand out green jackets for long drives alone. On a firm course, the second shot matters more, because an iron that lands five yards wrong can skid over the green and leave a chip from a shaved slope instead of a birdie putt from 15 feet. (golfchannel.com) That is why three shots back is close enough to attack and far enough to worry. McIlroy and Burns reached 5-under 67 on the same day that Jon Rahm shot 6-over 78, which shows how sharply Augusta separated players who controlled spin and distance from players who did not. (golfchannel.com 1) (golfchannel.com 2) Scheffler’s position is still the kind contenders win from at Augusta. He starts Friday morning at 10:19 a.m. Eastern Time, while the first-round leaders go out later, so he gets a chance to post a number before the afternoon sun makes the greens even drier. (golfchannel.com 1) (golfchannel.com 2) The chase now is simple. If Scheffler keeps getting rollout with the driver and tightens the irons by even a small margin, three shots can disappear in nine holes at Augusta; if the approach play stays loose, 70 will look more like a warning than a launch point. (golfchannel.com)
