Masters Leaderboard 2015: Friday Score Updates and Tournament Predictions
The opening round at the 2015 Masters not only gave us plenty to dissect entering Day 2 but more importantly, cast the first shadow of what might unfold throughout the weekend.
Thursday's first round is typically an opportunity for golfers to shake off the inevitable nerves and simply card a score that will keep them in the mix. But not everyone used Day 1 to that advantage, as others took the bull by the horns and posted some of the best rounds seen at Augusta in recent memory.
Needless to say, there's no shortage of golfers to keep an eye on. You can catch the action via live stream on CBSSports.com or Masters.com, or take a look below at the interactive leaderboard.
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2015 Masters Leaderboard
Tee Times: Masters.com
Predictions for Top Golfers
Sergio Garcia
Thanks to a jam-packed top of the leaderboard, someone like Sergio Garcia was able to sneak in under the radar with a score of 68.
With only one bogey on his opening round, Garcia looks poised to make another run at a major championship. Shots like the following chip on No. 14 that holed in for a birdie helped Garcia make up for a tee game that wasn't up to par—at least for him—per the Masters on Twitter:
Augusta hasn't traditionally been too kind to Garcia. He has played there every year since 1999 but only finished in the top 10 three times. After missing the cut last year, he seems to have rediscovered his game.
It's becoming less and less arguable that Garcia is the best golfer not to win a major, and it's inevitable that he'll get one if the 35-year-old continues to contend with the top of leaderboards. Confident of his game, Garcia will be right on the cusp of contention all weekend long and finish in the top 10 for the fourth time.
Prediction: Garcia finishes sixth in Masters at seven under par.
Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth is beginning to do what many expected of Rory McIlroy entering the year's first major.
It was McIlroy who entered with each of the last two majors in his back pocket, aiming to become the third golfer to ever rattle off three straight and just the sixth to complete the career Grand Slam. But it's Spieth taking all of the storylines, following a Day 1 round of 64 that finished one stroke off the course record.
He also broke McIlroy's record at Augusta, per SportsCenter:
Of course, Spieth has his eyes on a very different record—winning a green jacket—and it would be foolish to assume he won't be in contention come Sunday. He nearly became the youngest player to win the Masters last year at 20 and didn't shoot below par in all four rounds.
While he could play with the best at Augusta then, it seems like this year, nobody can play with him. And if that continues in any fashion throughout the final three days, Spieth is going to run away with his first major.
Prediction: Spieth wins Masters at 14 under par.
Tom Watson
The ageless competitor Tom Watson still has plenty of tricks in his bag.
Despite coming in as a 65-year-old who has only made two cuts at Augusta in the new millennium, Watson posted one of the most impressive rounds of Day 1 with a 71. It marked his first below-par score since 2010, the last time he made a cut at Augusta.
He's breaking records left and right and has a chance to break one more Friday, per Justin Ray of Golf Channel:
Will he have the chance to do it? It will be tougher than expected with Spieth dominating and a large contingent of below-par scores, but you can't count him out.
Few know the course better than Watson, and he showed in his opening round that there are no such struggles in his game to suggest he won't be able to hit around par again. That's all it will take to get into the weekend, which will be a victory in itself for one of the game's greats.
Prediction: Watson cards second-round 72 and makes the cut.
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