Masters Leaderboard 2016: Thursday Score Updates and Tournament Predictions
Live television coverage of Thursday’s first round of the Masters doesn’t start until 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, but golf fans probably don’t want to wait that long to get their annual Augusta National fix. After all, the first group teed off at 8:20 a.m. ET, and notable names such as Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler have already hit the course.
Have no fear because you can check all the live score updates throughout the first round right here:
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Thursday’s action is all about getting into position for a late charge for the top competitors. Nobody is going to win the green jacket in the first round, but it will be difficult to dig out of a large hole with a number of talented golfers in the field.
With that in mind, here is a look at a few predictions for the 2016 Masters.
Predictions
Winner: Jordan Spieth
It didn’t take long for Spieth to master Augusta National. In fact, he tied for second place in his first appearance in the tournament in 2014 and then captured the green jacket the next year during his incredible 2015 season.
While challengers such as Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Jason Day and Fowler figure to make Sunday a heated battle, the defending champion will not relinquish his grasp on the Masters title.
He proved last year that he is at his best when the spotlight is brightest, with victories at the Masters and U.S. Open, a second-place showing at the PGA Championship and a fourth-place finish at The Open Championship. While he has only one win this season (at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions), the former Texas Longhorn will rediscover that major magic at the Masters.
With such a deep field, the eventual winner will have to make a charge at some point. Considering Spieth is fourth on tour with a 4.65 birdie average, per the PGA Tour's official website, he can quickly rack up low numbers and shoot up the leaderboard.
That is exactly what he will do on the way to his second green jacket.
Notable Name to Turn Back the Clock: Phil Mickelson
Mickelson may be 45 years old, but there is something about Augusta that brings out the best in the lefty.
He broke through with his first major win at the 2004 Masters and also won in 2006 and 2010. He even finished in a tie for second place last year. Here is a look at his 15 top-10 finishes in the fabled tournament:
| 1995 | T7 | -8 |
| 1996 | 3 | -6 |
| 1999 | T6 | -3 |
| 2000 | T7 | -2 |
| 2001 | 3 | -13 |
| 2002 | 3 | -8 |
| 2003 | 3 | -5 |
| 2004 | 1 | -9 |
| 2005 | 10 | -3 |
| 2006 | 1 | -7 |
| 2008 | T5 | -2 |
| 2009 | 5 | -9 |
| 2010 | 1 | -16 |
| 2012 | T3 | -8 |
| 2015 | T2 | -14 |
Mickelson seemed confident and ready to go leading up to this year's edition, per Tom Spousta of the Masters' official website:
"I don't feel old at all; I feel great. I guess maybe you hang around these young guys as much as I have been, you just feel young.
We're here on a golf course that has suited me well in the past, and for the first time I really feel like coming into this Tournament, I'm not trying to find anything or search for anything. I feel like my game is coming along. I feel like the game is starting to be easy again.
"
Mickelson has made the game look easy at times this season, with six top-25 outings in eight events, including a second-place finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a fifth-place finish at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. He is also coming off a decent 13th-place showing at the Shell Houston Open.
According to the PGA Tour's official website, Mickelson is first in scoring average this year at 69.17. That type of consistency is critical at Augusta, especially in the early rounds, when he will simply look to remain in contention.
He will do just that on the way to another top-10 finish at the Masters.
Notable Name to Finish Outside the Top 10: Rory McIlroy
The Masters is the only major title missing on McIlroy’s quest for a career Grand Slam. Unfortunately for the Northern Ireland native, he will have to wait at least another year to win that elusive green jacket.
He has come close the last two years, with a fourth-place finish in 2015 and an eighth-place finish in 2014. However, his 2011 failure, when he entered the final round with a four-stroke lead at 12 under, likely still haunts him to this day. He proceeded to shoot an eight-over 80 and finish in a disappointing 15th place, squandering his best chance to win at Augusta in the process.
McIlroy has been inconsistent this season by his elevated standards and only counts two top-10 finishes and zero victories in seven events played. He even missed the cut at the Honda Classic in February.
Kyle Porter of CBSSports.com talked about some of McIlroy’s concerns entering the 2016 Masters: “Can [McIlroy] figure out the jigsaw puzzle that is Augusta National? ... It's encouraging that he's improved his finish here each of the last three years. It's not encouraging that he's been pumping double and triple bogeys all year. That will end your dreams in a hurry at Augusta.”
Based on talent alone, McIlroy is a threat to win whenever he steps on the golf course. However, he will struggle to establish enough consistency throughout the four rounds to finish in the top 10.
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