2015 Masters Leaderboard: Real-Time Updates for Augusta's Leaders on Thursday
After a long eight months since the 2014 PGA Championship, golf fans can finally whet their appetites for major tournament action, as the 2015 Masters Tournament has commenced.
That lengthy gap between majors is one of the many reasons the Masters is such a highly anticipated event. One of golf's most storied tournaments, the Masters has provided a long history of memorable moments from its elite field over the years—from Gene Sarazen's double eagle in 1935 to Jack Nicklaus' victory at the age of 46 in 1986 to Tiger Woods' incredible chip in 2005 and everything in between.
Expect 2015 to continue that trend.
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As the opening round continues and the world's top players attempt earn the coveted green jacket, here's a look at the tournament's updated leaderboard:
Thursday's Players to Watch
One player who always generates significant hype is world No. 1 Rory McIlroy. That hype is magnified at Augusta this year, as the Northern Irishman can become the seventh player in history to earn golf's career Grand Slam with a Masters victory.
McIlroy has been on fire since the back half of the 2014 season, winning The Open Championship and the PGA Championship en route to his rise to the top of the world rankings. He'll be under heavy pressure to notch a victory at Augusta this year due to what's at stake.
The world No. 1 let it be known he's playing for a place in history during a press conference:
"What's at stake? A place in history. I think it's the big thing for me. Six other golfers have won a career Grand Slam. To join that list, you're getting up there with the pinnacle of what you can achieve in sport.
To write your name in the history books like that is what's at stake. That's what will be at stake in future years at Augusta if I don't win it this year, but the sooner I get it out of the way, the better.
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One player who may be able to take some of the spotlight off McIlroy is former world No. 1 Tiger Woods. Entering the Masters with his lowest world ranking since 1995 at No. 111, Woods is out to prove his career isn't over.
Several health issues, swing alterations and the dreaded yips have led to Woods' plummet down the rankings, as he has either withdrawn or missed the cut in six of his last nine tournaments. His chipping woes were on display during the Phoenix Open and the Farmers Insurance Open, leading to terrible accuracy around the greens and two unfinished tournaments.
Woods spoke of his desire to get his short game back to form before the Masters during a press conference:
"It was a slow and steady progression each and every day. We worked on it each and every day, just taking little bits of it, just improve each and every day. When the sun came up, by the time the sun set, I should be a better player than I was in the morning, and that was the case. This was our whole focus was just to get better incrementally. We don't need to make big, giant leaps or anything like that, but just incrementally get better.
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The four-time Masters champion did appear to be over the yips during his practice sessions at Augusta; however, we'll know for sure if that's the case when he begins to perform under the pressure of a major tournament.
While plenty of onlookers will be expecting either McIlroy or defending champion Bubba Watson to claim the green jacket this year, 21-year-old phenom Jordan Spieth shouldn't be overlooked.
After earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2013, Spieth burst onto the scene in 2014 with a fantastic showing at Augusta, relying on solid play to remain in contention throughout the tournament before finishing tied for second. Since then, he's been playing even better.
Spieth ended his 2014 campaign with back-to-back wins in the Australian Open and the Hero World Challenge before continuing his stellar play early in 2015, notching another win in the Valspar Championship and a pair of runner-up finishes in the Valero Texas Open and the Shell Houston Open. Now, he arrives back at Augusta.
During an interview with George Willis of the New York Post, Spieth spoke of what he learned from playing in the tournament last year:
"The hardest lesson taken from last year was that I had an opportunity to make a dream come true and I had it in my hands and then I was just a little anxious. You can make the excuse that as a first-time and whatever, 20 years old, that that's likely to happen. But in my mind, I was playing the best through 60 holes, 62 holes and had an opportunity to continue that the next 10 or 11 holes and didn't quite close it.
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Spieth is arguably playing the best golf of his young career right now, and not only does he have a great deal of momentum entering the Masters, but he also should have plenty of confidence due to his brilliant showing at Augusta in 2014. Keep a keen eye on Spieth. He has the tools to win it all this time around.
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