Masters 2015 Leaderboard: Latest Scores and Standings from Thursday at Augusta
With some impressive early rounds in the books and world-renowned golfers on the course, the 2015 Masters leaderboard is changing by the minute.
Some of the most notable players didn't take to the course until after noon, while others are finishing up play long before national television picks up the action at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. You can catch various angles of play at Masters Live, which is provided by CBS Sports, but take a look below to get filled in on the leaderboard and gain some key information.
2015 Masters Leaderboard
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Top Early Performances from Thursday
Charley Hoffman
Not many players have had a better day in the office at Augusta on Thursday than Charley Hoffman.
The only ones to take to the first tee earlier than Hoffman were golf legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Hoffman and Brian Harman then kicked off the Masters with the first tee time. Hoffman went out and shot one of the best rounds of the day, as ESPN's Jason Sobel noted:
While Hoffman's early clubhouse-leading round of 67 may not be the top score when Thursday's round is said and done, it undoubtedly puts him in a great position entering Friday and the weekend. Confidence could have been an issue, having missed seven cuts in his 14 major starts, but now he'll enter Round 2 knowing he can contend with the top of the leaderboard.
If you're looking for an early surprise story who could turn into a dark-horse contender for the green jacket, look no further than Hoffman.
Russell Henley
Hoffman wasn't alone among big underdogs making very early surges to the top of the leaderboard on Thursday.
Joining him was Russell Henley, who shot four under par for an opening round of 68 to rival Hoffman for the top early score of the afternoon. After parring his opening four holes, Henley canned three birdies in five holes with only one bogey for the round.
Even if it was because of a few lucky bounces, Henley rose to the top on Thursday, per Adam Sarson of The Score:
The 25-year-old is no stranger to the big stage, and a number of strong finishes in recent history suggest he could be around for the weekend. He finished fourth at the Houston Open last weekend and had two other top-five finishes late in 2014.
Henley is one of the best putters in the field, a skill that he showed early on. If that keeps up, he'll have no trouble staying around the top of the leaderboard.
Tom Watson
Don't look now, but a 65-year-old is hanging around below par on the biggest stage in golf.
Of course, Tom Watson isn't your average 65-year-old. But the two-time Masters champ and eight-time major winner has still got it, as shown by his round of 71 shot Thursday to open up play at Augusta.
Watson's stellar round marked his best such performance at the Masters in five years, as per Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman:
The 1977 and 1981 Masters champion hasn't threatened to contend over the last several years, having only made the cut twice since the turn of the millennium. But one such occasion occurred in 2010 when he opened with a below-par score, which suggests that history could repeat itself at this year's tournament.
Watson is an ageless competitor, as he's shown over the last decade. Simply playing out here with the world's best is commendable, but he's hitting the ball better than a fair share of them. Not bad for a 65-year-old.
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