Masters Leaderboard 2017: Updates on Golf's Top Scorers on Friday
Charley Hoffman is the man they'll all be chasing on Friday at the Masters, after the American produced a stunning seven-under par round on Day 1 to give himself a four-shot lead at the Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia.
In conditions that disrupted the game of so many of the world's top golfers, Hoffman excelled, shooting nine birdies—including four in a row on the back nine—to post a remarkable round of 65. There's a long way to go, but at this treacherous Augusta venue, it's given the 40-year-old a substantial advantage.
Here's a look at how things are shaping up on Friday, a closer look at Hoffman's stunning start to the 2017 Masters and a player with the potential to chop down the gap to the early leader.
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Below is the live leaderboard from Augusta:
Charley Hoffman (-7)
The gusting winds threatened to blow the challenge of many elite players off course on Day 1, meaning scores below par were rare. It makes Hoffman's effort of seven-under all the more impressive.
The American was so solid on Thursday. On the front nine, he played sensible golf, and although his card was blemished with a couple of bogeys, birdies at eight and nine put him in a brilliant position at the turn.
Hoffman then proceeded to take apart the back nine, with a birdie at the par-three 12th followed by four in a row from the 14th.
Per the European Tour Twitter feed, it was a round a long way ahead of the field average:
Naturally, the challenge for Hoffman will be keeping things together for the remaining three days. Although he's always been a dependable player, the focus and pressure that comes with leading a major championship will be a new sensation for him. After all, his highest-ever finish in one of the big four events was a tie for ninth at the 2015 Masters.
However, Hoffman suggested after his stunning round that he feels at home at the Augusta course, per Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph:
The rest of the field will need to be wary of Hoffman. Should he emerge on Friday with the same swagger and the same clinical edge with the putter, it'd be no surprise to see that chasm at the top of the leaderboard widen.
The world No. 52 will need to keep composed and will be aware that a round like Thursday's is unlikely to materialise again. Provided he keeps his head, there's every chance of him making the most of this brilliant position he's fashioned.
Justin Rose (-1)
One of the first men to post an under-par score on Thursday was Justin Rose, signing off a one-under par round of 71 to leave himself in a strong position.
In blustery weather, the Englishman is usually one of the most dependable performers in any field and showed his durability throughout an up-and-down round. After moving through the front nine in two-under par, Rose struggled a little after the turn with bogeys at 12, 16 and 17, but he fought back to pick up shots at 13 and the last.
Overall, it was an opener to be content with. The man himself commented on how difficult the conditions were on his Twitter feed after the first day:
"It's certainly very tough out there," said Rose ahead of Day 2, per Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star. "I've not played the course in a heavy wind like this before. There is no respite out there. Even simple tap ins aren't simple. I found the first 12 holes that even making simple putts were very difficult."
Rose will be hoping to kick on from this strong position, especially given he has pedigree at this venue, too.
As noted by The European Tour Twitter page, he's finished in the top 15 of the field in five of the last six years at Augusta. He'll be keen to make a decisive step forward and secure what'd be his second major triumph after his U.S. Open victory in 2013.
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