clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Who can win the Masters after Thursday’s leaderboard

Who put themselves in contention on Thursday to win The Masters?

Jordan Spieth of the United States plays his shot from the 17th tee during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 08, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

The 85th Masters started with a track that was much more firm and fast than the 84th version. Greens were tough to hold, balls were running much more quickly into the second cut, and a dried out Augusta National made life much more difficult for the field.

Everyone is currently chasing Justin Rose, who posted a how-did-he-do-that 65 for a four-shot lead after 18 holes. The 2013 US Open winner has come close at Augusta before, finishing second in both 2015 and 2017. For a 10-hole stretch from No. 8 to No. 17, he had an eagle, seven birdies and two pars. That’s -9 on a course where no one else could break -3 for the day.

But there were plenty of players that shot themselves in the foot as well. One of the early favorites in Bryson DeChambeau is +4. Lee Westwood was a chic pick, and he’s at +6.

But one player that put themselves in position is Jordan Spieth, despite a triple-bogey seven on the Par 4 9th. He finished at -1 thanks to a rare eagle yesterday on the slippery 15th, and is in the Top 10 after his win in four years last week at the Valero Texas Open.

There’s not a ton of names the casual golf fan would recognize on the leaderboard, but you’ll hear plenty about Will Zalatoris soon. The 24-year-old from Wake Forest has been a Korn Ferry Tour champion, and this course sets up perfectly for his game. His -2 shows he might be in contention here all week, and his sixth-place finish at the 2020 US Open shows he’s been in position before.