Bryson DeChambeau produced an incredible finish, posting four closing birdies to share the lead with Brooks Koepka at six under par the end of day one at the Masters Tournament.
A remarkable run of scoring in the late groups stretched the field at Augusta National Golf Club, with DeChambeau amongst a host of European Tour players in the mix going into Friday at the first Major Championship of the year.
Debutant Justin Harding of South Africa was one of the players who had set the target at three under par early in the day and for a long time it looked like there would be a highly congested leaderboard as a nine way tie for the lead developed.
But four birdies in a row from the 12th hole from Koepka moved the three-time Major Champion to six under par and into a two shot lead. DeChambeau’s incredible finish saw him catch his fellow American, thanks in part to a wonderful second shot on the 18th where he was only denied an eagle by the pin flag. He signed for a 66 – his best round at Augusta National – and Koepka parred his way home to record the only bogey free round of the day and share top spot.
Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson birdied five of his last seven holes to sit one shot off the lead at five under par, a shot clear of fellow American Dustin Johnson and England’s Ian Poulter.
Harding – who has won five times worldwide in the last year, including his maiden European Tour title at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters – is joined at three under par by Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Kevin Kisner of the United States, Australian Adam Scott and Spain’s Jon Rahm.
Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard, who is also making his Masters debut, and The Open champion Francesco Molinari are amongst a group of 10 players at two under par.
A four-time winner of the Australian Golf Media Awards, including Best Photojournalism, Best Opinion, Best Column and Best Photographic Presentation, Inside Golf Group Editor Richard Fellner is the quintessential Golf Tragic, having played the game for over 50 years (but has never gotten any better!) He has played and reviewed courses all over the world, and has interviewed many of the great players of the game (including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Greg Norman). Richard is a member of both the Australian Golf Media Association and the Golf Society of Australia, and has been a featured guest on many Australian "sports talk" radio shows and networks, including ABC Grandstand, SEN 1116, Melbourne Talk Radio 1377, 2GB and others.
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