Masters Leaderboard 2016: Friday Score Updates and Tournament Predictions

Jordan Spieth has thrown down the gauntlet once again.

One year after setting the golf world on its collective ear by running away with the Masters championship, Spieth fired a six-under 66 in Thursday's opening round and was able to sleep on a two-stroke lead in the tournament.

While there are still three rounds to play in the tournament and Spieth has a lot of work to do, he made quite a statement with his opening-round play. He had six birdies and no bogeys, showing the rest of the field that he is not going to let the Masters go without a fight.

Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world, appeared to be hot on Spieth's heels when he shot a five-under 31 on the front nine, but he stumbled badly in the late stages of the back nine and finished with an even-par 72.

Spieth has led the Masters for five consecutive rounds, and the Augusta, Georgia, course fits his game quite well. 

The defending champion believes he can hit the ball better than he did on Thursday. 

“I got a lot out of the round with what I felt like was kind of average‑ish ball‑striking,” Spieth said after his round, per Rex Hoggard of Golf Channel. “I just scored the ball extremely well, which is something I've been struggling with this season. Certainly made a lot of putts today. But I am extremely pleased with that round today. I felt like we stole a few.”

Rory McIlroy is looking to complete a career Grand Slam if he can win the Masters, and he had an opening round of 70. While he had some impressive moments Thursday, he lacked the consistency that he will need if he is going to get the best of Spieth, Day and the rest of the field.

Danny Lee and Shane Lowry were quite impressive with their opening-round performances. Both of those golfers are in second place at four under, and they are in a position to make a run at Spieth if they can continue their excellent play.

Five golfers, including Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter, are three shots behind Spieth after shooting 69 in the opening round.

Golfer	First-Round Score	Predicted Finish
Jordan Spieth	66	Winner
Rory McIlroy	70	Runner-up
Jason Day	72	Top 10
Sergio Garcia	69	Fifth place
Shane Lowry	68	Third place
Ian Poulter	69	Top 10
Phil Mickelson	72	Fourth place

The best golfers will continue to jockey for position Friday and in Saturday's Moving Day round, but we don't expect Spieth to do anything but stay at or near the top of the standings.

He was thrilled with his score in the opening round but believes he can hit the ball better than he did. That's a scary thought for the rest of the field, but don't expect Day, McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker or Lee Westwood to go away.

However, it may be too late for Bubba Watson and Adam Scott, who struggled to three over and four over, respectively, in the opening round.

Scoring conditions are likely to be difficult in the second and third rounds because the wind is likely to pick up, particularly in the afternoon.