Masters Cut Line 2017: Latest Projections After Thursday's Leaderboard Analysis

The opening round of the 2017 Masters was defined by tough playing conditions precipitated by strong winds and fast greens. 

As a result, the leaderboard is rather crowded after just two players—Charley Hoffman at seven under and William McGirt at three under—were able to break 70 over the first 18 holes at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia: 

The other ramification is that, because of the tough conditions and Hoffman's stellar score, several big names are hovering around the potential cut line. As a reminder, the revised cut line rules at the Masters state the top 50 players and ties in addition to anyone within 10 shots of the lead will advance to the weekend.

Currently, that means players at three over par and better would be safe. However, the cut line is almost certain to move as the second round progresses. 

And while it's not time to panic just yet, as Golf Channel's Will Gray noted, additional backslides on Friday combined with modest gains by the leaders could make things interesting with cut day on the horizon. 

As an example, Jordan Spieth is sitting at three over for the championship. That puts him 10 shots behind Hoffman and with some serious ground to make up. 

If his struggles—which were highlighted by ESPN Stats & Info—continue Friday and the two-time major champion can't shoot in the low 70s or high 60s, he could land in a precarious position: 

Joining Spieth at three over is Adam Scott. 

The 2013 Masters champion played a fine front nine and made the turn at one over, but three bogeys over the final four holes sent Scott tumbling down the leaderboard as he battled harsh conditions all day long. 

"We were really lucky we had a little rain overnight, because if the greens were firm like they were in '07, I don’t know how we would have played today," he said, per GolfChannel.com's Ryan Lavner. "It was borderline anyway, all swirling around."

The story was the same for Hideki Matsuyama—who shot four over after entering the tournament with the sixth-best odds to win at plus-1800, according to OddsShark.  

In terms of players who already appear out of it, a few names stick out.

First and foremost, there's Henrik Stenson. The world's fifth-ranked player was plagued by inconsistencies all day long, and he fell all the way back to five over as the result of six bogeys compared to a single birdie during his opening round. 

Joining Stenson in that group of shaky starters is Jim Furyk, who is six over and firmly out of contention looking ahead. 

Unfortunately for the 46-year-old, Thursday's underwhelming showing represented the continuation of a recent trend. 

Although he's finished fourth at the Masters twice (1998 and 2003), Furyk floundered at Augusta National in 2015 with a missed cut before he failed to make an appearance a year ago. 

In other words, his faint title hopes have been dashed. 

With Round 2 on the way Friday, Spieth, Scott and Matsuyama will hope to avoid the same fate as they attempt to battle back and move into red numbers in advance of the weekend.