Masters 2016: Live Updates for Leaderboard Scores on Friday

Defending Masters champion Jordan Spieth proved on Thursday that he's in no mood to bestow a green jacket on another golfer this year, finishing the first round of the 2016 Masters with a score of six under to give him a two-stroke lead over his closest competitors. 

Shane Lowry and Danny Lee were tied for second at four under after 18 holes, while the likes of Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and Rory McIlroy all secured places in the  top 10 after one round.

World No. 1 Jason Day looked the part of a contender at five under after 14 holes, but bogeys on the No. 15 and No. 17 holes sandwiched a disastrous triple bogey on No. 16, leaving him at even par for the round and way down on the leaderboard. The only person who probably felt worse than Day on Thursday was Ernie Els.

The weather is supposed to improve as the tournament moves along, so Friday could see some players who struggled with the breezy conditions on Day 1 make their moves up the standings.

The live leaderboard below will help you keep track of all of Friday's action.

Early Friday Action

McIlroy got off to a fine start on Friday, notching two birdies within his first three holes to move to four under. The Northern Irishman watched as Spieth took over the mantle of golf's most exciting young player last year, and he again finds himself chasing the young Texan after one round and change.

Despite being down early, McIlroy insisted he has a chance to win his first Masters this year, per the Press Association (via ESPN.com):

"

He's very, very comfortable here. You look at the way he played in 2014 and 2015 and look at what he's done this year; it's a golf course he's comfortable on and he's going to be tough to beat this week.

I feel I'm going to have to play good golf, but I feel there's enough good golf in me so that I can reel him in over the next 54 holes.

"

Scott Piercy, who hasn't finished in the top 10 in any event since a seventh-place run at the CIMB Classic last October, also had a good start on Friday. He birdied twice within his first three holes before a bogey on No. 7 moved him to three under for the tournament. 

Brandt Snedeker wasn't challenging for a top spot early Friday, but this 25-foot putt for birdie is worth a look, per the Masters Tournament:

Day looked set for another frustrating day with a bogey right out of the gate, but he gathered his wits and managed three birdies in his next seven holes to move into the top 10. ESPN's Jason Sobel spotted Day stretching out his back but noted that it might not be a hindrance to the Australian: 

Davis Love III hit three birdies in a row early Friday to move himself away from the projected cut line and toward the top of the leaderboard. The Masters Tournament provided a look at one of his birdies, plus a few others from early Friday: 

Spieth, Casey and Bryson DeChambeau are set to start at 12:55 p.m. ET, and the leader has to like the way the field was shaping up on Friday. No player went on a devastating early run, leaving him with a cushion at the leaderboard's summit before starting his second round.

There is still plenty of tournament left, however, and if Spieth falls off, he will find a glut of excellent golfers waiting to overtake him.