The Masters 2015: Final Reaction to Thursday Leaderboard Scores and Standings
Welcome to Augusta National Golf Club, otherwise known as Jordan Spieth’s personal playground.
Spieth was the dominant storyline in the opening round of the 2015 Masters on Thursday when he shot an incredible eight-under 64 to seize the lead. It was certainly a loud statement made by one of the best golfers on the entire Tour after he nearly won the Masters in 2014 as a 20-year-old.
The other major development Thursday was the return of Tiger Woods after he missed more than two months of competition. While Woods is far from the near-invincible golfer he once was, he played solidly for most of the round.
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He finished with a one-over 73, which is not going to get him anywhere near the top of the leaderboard but was still a respectable score given the time off.
Here is a look at the top of the leaderboard below. The entire leaderboard can be found here, courtesy of the Masters’ official website.
Reaction
As mentioned, Spieth was the star of the show Thursday and made a day at the country's most prestigious course look like a round of miniature golf.
It wasn't just the raw score of 64 that turned heads, it was the way he got there. He ripped off six birdies in seven holes from Nos. 8 through 14 and was the best and most consistent golfer on the course in a loaded field. He slipped on No. 15 with a bogey but birdied No. 18 to make up for it and headed into the clubhouse with an abundance of momentum.
Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times commented on Spieth's performance:
Considering Spieth nearly won the last Masters before giving up the lead in the final round, putting up the best score of the day was a monumental step forward. He discussed what he learned from his previous Augusta showing, per George Willis of the New York Post:
"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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He clearly took that lesson to heart.
However, Justin Ray of the Golf Channel noted that it is far too early to give Spieth the green jacket:
The next question will be how Spieth handles the pressure that comes with being atop the leaderboard heading into the second round and beyond. This is not an unfamiliar position for him, but it is impossible to envision a scenario where he had the lead on the weekend and didn't at least think back to last year.
Still, he is playing red-hot golf (a victory and two second-place finishes in his last three tournaments) and was a picture of confidence Thursday. Given the way he has played recently and his understanding of the pressure that comes with the Masters, the tournament appears to be his for the taking at this point.
As for another player who understands the pressure of the Masters, Woods was up and down throughout the day. He flashed moments of brilliance, didn't appear to have too many issues with his chipping and was solid but not spectacular.
Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel had a glass-half-full approach:
Spieth wasn't the only one who turned heads with an incredible stretch, as Jason Day skyrocketed up the leaderboard with five straight birdies from holes Nos. 12 through 16 on his way to a five-under 67 for the opening round.
Kyle Porter of CBS Sports was already prepared for a showdown in the later rounds:
Perhaps the most surprising development of the first round was the play of Ernie Els, who turned in a five-under 67.
Els has missed the cut in four consecutive tournaments this year, so this performance on golf’s biggest stage was certainly unexpected by most. He really started making headlines in the back nine, when he birdied No. 10, birdied No. 13 and eagled No. 15.
Jason Sobel of ESPN.com noted that Els threw himself into the crowded discussion with that eagle:
In a tournament where the 21-year-old Spieth is in first place, it seems only fitting that the 45-year-old Els is right in the mix. Stina Sternberg of Golf Digest commented on the age gap near the top of the leaderboard:
Ray pointed out that Els’ performance was a first for his impressive career:
Among the other headline names, Phil Mickelson shot a two-under 70, Rory McIlroy shot a one-under 71 and defending champion Bubba Watson finished with a one-under 71. While none of them are at the top, they all played solid enough golf to be well within striking distance of Spieth and the rest of the leaders in the later rounds.
Matt Barrie of ESPN highlighted the most important takeaway from Mickelson’s and McIlroy’s rounds, while Golf Digest passed along a quote from McIlroy:
McIlroy is going for a career Grand Slam and his first-ever green jacket, and he is certainly still in the hunt. He didn’t wow anyone with his opening round, but he will be a factor on the weekend. Golf personality Shane Bacon was impressed:
As for Watson, he may be the defending champ, but he wasn’t the only Watson making headlines Thursday, as Dan Jenkins of Golf Digest noted:
One player who Watson, McIlroy and Mickelson will have to overcome is Justin Rose, who added yet another impressive first round to his Masters resume with a five-under 67. Rose, though, led or shared the lead during the first round in 2004, 2007 and 2008 and did not win any of them.
Rose commented on his Thursday showing in the context of his other performances, per Randall Mell of GolfChannel.com: “I've led this tournament early, and there's so much golf left that I don't think it's even worth paying attention to, to be honest with you."
If he continues to play like he did Thursday, people will certainly pay attention.
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