Masters 2023 leaderboard: Tiger Woods finishes first round, live updates from Augusta National
The 2023 Masters Tournament began with Kevin Na and 2003 champion Mike Weir teeing off first in Thursday’s opening round at the famed Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Before play in the 87th Masters officially got underway, the traditional opening ceremony had honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson hitting drives off the first tee.
Five-time champion Tiger Woods came on strong late in the first round but concluded his day with a bogey on No. 18 to finish 2-over par. Last year’s winner Scottie Scheffler and three-time champ Phil Mickelson are also among the stars in the field, which includes both PGA Tour and LIV golfers.
Follow along for the latest action, leaderboard updates, highlights and more.
TEE TIMES: Pairings for Thursday’s first round
Live Leaderboard: Latest Masters Tournament Scores, Schedules, Pairings and more
defending champion Scottie Scheffler hasn’t had the most efficient round, needing to scramble at times to save par. Scheffler, however, is staying well within striking distance, currently at 4-under par (and tied for sixth) after birdies on Nos. 13 and 15.
Scheffler’s tee shot on the gettable par-3 16th, though, fell long of the pin and left him some considerable work for another birdie.
an antitrust lawsuit LIV filed in August 2022.
Rory gets back to even par; Koepka representing LIV Golf well
World Golf No. 2 player Rory McIlroy’s first round at the Masters has been all over the place. He birdied No. 2, bogeyed No. 3, got a double bogey on No. 7 and then birdied two of his latest three holes — Nos 8 and 10 — to climb back to even-par.
As far as the LIV Golf players in the field, Brooks Koepka has been far and away the top player. He is just one stroke off the lead as he starts the final hole of his first round. Koepka actually had a makeable birdie putt at No. 16 that just missed the pin.
Jordan Spieth rebounds from bogey on No. 5
2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth had a solid front-9 and is currently sitting at 4-under par through 10 holes. Spieth had dropped a stroke at No. 5 but has otherwise played cleanly, converting five birdies, on Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8.
Drizzle starts to fall; Scheffler finishes front-9
The first round has seen warm and humid — though mostly dry — conditions at Augusta National. Coupled with rain earlier in the week, the greens have been amenable to low scoring, but after 4 p.m. ET hit, a slight drizzle started to fall. As of yet, it hasn’t appeared to affect conditions, but as the forecast the rest of the weekend is projected rain, it will continue to bear watching.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler posted a clean and efficient, bogey-free front nine. An eagle at No. 2 and a birdie at No. 9 has him sitting at 3-under par at the turn.
Also making the turn is one of Scheffler’s playing partners Thursday, amateur Sam Bennett, who has excelled in his Masters debut, and is actually outpacing Scheffler, currently at 4-under. That score ties him for the lowest-ever front nine score for an amateur at the Masters.
Viktor Hovland on his shirt
Currently tied atop the leaderboard, Viktor Hovland caught some attention for something else on Thursday, his colorful shirt that featured an oversized bright pink flower.
“I had nothing to do with it,” Hovland said after his first round. “I just wear what they tell me to wear. It’s definitely a little bit out there, but I’d rather take these than the pink pants I had last year.”
— Dan Wolken
A couple of low scores atop the leaderboard
A pair of players, Viktor Hovland of Norway and John Rahm of Spain, have opened up a two-stroke lead on the rest of the field. Both Hovland and Rahm are tied atop the leaderboard at 7-under par (65).
Hovland blistered out of the gate, picking up an eagle on No. 2 and then birdies on Nos. 6, 8, 9, 11 and 13. His pace slowed, however, as he had to scramble for five consecutive pars to close his round.
Rahm was the opposite story; he double-bogeyed No. 1 and then slowly chipped away, going bogey-free the rest of the way. Rahm birdied four of his last six holes to climb into a tie with Hovlan
Woods gains a stroke with bogey at 18, ends round at 2-over par
Tiger Woods had to manage a difficult second shot at No. 18, shooting out of an uneasy stance in which his left foot was on the first cut and his right foot was in a bunker. That shot eventually found a green-side bunker, from which he also had to navigate a tough stance. He set himself up with a challenging, but doable par putt that he pushed just left with too much pace.
That means Woods will have some work to do Friday, as he finishes his first round at 2-over-par (74). That left him hanging around the cut line, which will see the top 50 players, including ties, after the second round advance.
As warm and humid conditions have remained at Augusta National, scoring chances are available. John Rahm, the third-ranked player in the World Golf Rankings, made consecutive birdies at No. 15 and 16 to move up the board. A lenghty birdie putt at 17 left him with a tap-in par.
Rahm is currently second overall at 6-under par, one stroke behind leader Viktor Hovland, who finished his round at 7-under.
Tiger makes it two in a row
After muddling through the middle of the back-9, Tiger Woods bridied his second-consecutive hole at the par-3 No. 16. His tee shot left him a manageable putt just left of the hole.
Woods also converted par on the 17th hole, keeping him 1-over on the day.
Tiger gets second birdie of the day at No. 15
Though Tiger Woods’s approach iron again, following the trend of his opening round, left him a difficult birdie opportunity at No. 15, he recorded his second birdie of his Masters with a challenging but confidently-taken putt. The putt broke from left to right, but Woods read it perfectly and now sits at 2-over par, with three holes left to play. He had previously recorded his first birdie at No. 8.
Viktor Hovland remains the overall leader at 7-under par after notching birdie-par-par at Nos. 13, 14 and
Of the LIV Golf players, Brooks Koepka is the one who has performed best thus far, recording consecutive birdies at Nos. 7 and 8. Koepka finished the front-nine bogey-free and is 4-under par.
Elsewhere, amateur Sam Bennett of Texas AM has showed he’s ready for the big stage. At No. 1, Bennett drained a putt of about 15 feet and then chipped in at No. 2 to start with a birdie-eagle. He parred at No. 3 and is at 3-under.
Defending champ Scottie Scheffler races off to hot start; Tiger stays unsteady
After kicking off his Masters title defense at No. 1 with a steady par, Scottie Scheffler’s approach shot on the par-5 second hole, from about 245 yards, landed softly on the green within five feet. It set up a tap-in eagle meaning that — already — Scheffler has done something he didn’t do last year when he won the green jacket: record an eagle.
At No. 14, Tiger Woods continued his uneven play, landing his tee shot in the rough. Though he eventually saved par — after his approach shot hit the branch of a pine and kicked out just in front of the green — Woods remains at 3-over par and needs to shave some strokes off his score if he is to make a move in the first round.
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy start first round; Woods still at 3-over
The star power continues to make their way to the first tee, as defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy start their first rounds.
Tiger Woods’ last three holes on No. 10, 11 and 12 were par-bogey-par.
Will Zalatoris withdraws from Masters
Will Zalatoris became the second golfer to withdraw from the tournament on Thursday after leaving the course minutes before his tee time. This time, it is due to a back injury.
He also withdrew from the WGC-Dell Match Play with a stomach bug and said he felt great heading into the Masters, even though he lost seven pounds due to the illness.
Tiger bogeys 11, now at 3-over
Tiger Woods missed a birdie opportunity from 17 feet on the 10th, as the shot just missed and he also got off to a good start on 11 with the driver but missed the green, hit a bunker, and had to settle for bogey. Woods is now 3-over through 11 holes.
Viktor Hovland still maintains the lead at 6-under. Cameron Young and Jon Rahm are at 3-under. Eight others, including four-time major champion Brooks Koepka and Fred Couples, the 1992 winner, are four shots off the lead.
Woods finishes front nine at 2-over, Hovland increases lead
Tiger Woods finished his first nine holes with a 38, good for a score of 2-over with a birdie-par finish.
Phil Mickelson went par on his first hole, but Viktor Hovland made two straight birdies at No. 8 and 9 and now is at 5-under for the tournament, good for a two-shot lead. Scott Stallings has completed his round and is at 2-under after a birdie on No. 18.
Tiger hits first birdie, Phil Mickelson tees off, Hovland takes lead
One of the early storylines of the tournament is how well the golfers on the LIV tour will do in the tour’s first major. One golfer, Kevin Na, has already withdrawn from the Masters after only finishing nine holes. Phil Mickelson, one of the most popular players on the LIV Tour, has teed off for his first round.
Woods finally got on the right side of a hole and birdied the par 5 No. 8 and now is at 2-over.
On the leaderboard, Viktor Hovland has a one-shot lead at 4-under over Shane Lowry.
Tiger Woods 3-over through 7 holes
Woods had a chance to get his first birdie but instead two-putted the par-3 sixth. On the seventh, he was 20 feet from a birdie shot but again ended the hole with a bogey. He is struggling and now sits at 3-over-par.
Viktor Hovland has joined Cameron Young at the top of the leaderboard at 3-under after he birdied the par-3 sixth hole. Canada’s Mike Weir was the first golfer to finish his round as his playing partner Kevin Na withdrew earlier in the tournament. Weir finished his round with a 72, good for even par.
Tiger Woods struggling, Cameron Young surges to lead
Cameron Young, who is making his second Masters appearance, birdied his first three holes and is leading the way early.
The scores are slowly falling as now there are seven golfers within striking range at 2-under, including 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott, and Sergio Garcia, the 2017 champion.
Woods continues to chug along and after bogeying the 5th hole, now sits at 2-over.
Surprising leaders at the top, Tiger 1-over through three holes
Adrian Meronk from Poland has two bogeys and two birdies and is currently 2-under. He is joined by Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who eagled the par-5 second hole after a par on the first hole
Woods has hit two of the first three fairways first two holes and on the third hole, he badly missed the cup from eight feet out and had to settle for a bogey.
Tiger Woods tees off, pars first hole
“Fore please. Tiger Woods, now driving,” started the five-time champion’s tee time for the 25th time at Augusta National. On his first shot on the Par 4, 445-yard hole, Woods used his driver and hit the fairway down the right center to get off to a good start. He continued to play the course and ended up about 40 feet for a birdie on his second shot. He chipped in for par on the first hole.
How to watch Tiger Woods in first round of 2023 Masters
Fans will be able to watch Tiger Woods entire round on ESPN+ as coverage will follow his featured group. ESPN will broadcast live 2023 Masters Tournament coverage at 3:00 p.m. ET.
The 2023 Masters can also be streamed on the ESPN app, Masters.com and fuboTV.
Jumbled leaderboard at the top
Seven players are currently atop the leaderboard at 1-under, Scott Stallings, Louis Oosthuizen and Patrick Reed. So far, the par-5 second hole has been the favorite as several golfers have scored well on Pink Dogwood, which is measured at 575 yards.
Kevin Na withdraws
Na was in the same group as Mike Weir, but withdrew from the tournament after nine holes due to illness. Na had five bogies and two birdies during his short round. There are now 17 LIV golfers remaining in the field.
How many times has Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament?
Tiger Woods has won the Masters Tournament five times. His last victory came in 2019 as he captured his 15th major golf championship.
TV schedule for 2023 Masters
The first and second rounds of the 2023 Masters will be broadcast on ESPN. The main coverage will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET.
This weekend, the 2023 Masters coverage will shift to CBS. The coverage will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday and the final round will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Mike Weir, Louis Oosthuizen among early leaders
Former Masters winners Mike Weir and Louis Oosthuizen are among those atop the early leaderboard at one-under par. Weir won the 2003 Masters and Oosthuizen was the 2012 Masters winner.
There are currently eight players tied at one-under par so far.
Amateurs in 2023 Masters
There are seven amateur golfers in the 2023 Masters field. The group includes Sam Bennett, Ben Carr, Harrison Crowe, Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, Matthew McClean, Aldrich Potgieter and Gordon Sargent.
Amateur golfer Matthew McClean begins with hot start
McClean birdied the first hole on the course. He later birdied the par-3 fourth hole. It’s still early but a pretty cool accomplishment for the amateur golfer at Augusta National.
Fun Fact: McClean is a 29-year-old optometrist. He will earned a spot in the Masters by winning the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Tournament.
Kevin Na, Mike Weir find fairway to begin 2023 Masters
LIV golfer Kevin Na and 2003 champion Mike Weir launched their drives down the first fairway at Augusta National, signaling the official start of the 87th Masters.
Na is one of 18 players from the polarizing Saudi Arabia-backed golf league participating in the event, which is almost certain to make this “a tournament unlike any other.”
— Associated Press
REACTIONS: Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player enjoy emotional start
The start of the four-day event came after honorary starters and longtime fan favorites Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson thrilled the crowd with their traditional tee shots on hole No. 1.
Player was greeted on the tee with a smile by Masters Chairman Fred Ridley a week after the tournament’s first international champion told the Times of London he did not feel welcome at Augusta National.
Player said he had to “beg a member to play with us” when he wanted to play a round with family members, and that “if it wasn’t for the players, it would be just another golf course in Georgia.”
Nicklaus, who walked with a noticeable limp, joked with the crowd before bending over to put his tee in the ground saying. “that’s the hardest part.”
Headliners in this year’s tournament are scheduled to tee off later today.
— Associated Press
LIVE at the Masters: Jack Nicklaus hits ceremonial tee shot
The 2023 Masters has officially begun as golf legend Jack Nicklaus hits the ceremonial first tee shot. Nicklaus has won the Masters six times and has the most Major championships in the sport.
Nicklaus is joined by honorary golfers Tom Watson and Gary Player as they open the competition for the 2023 Masters.
Masters featured morning groups, tee times and pairings
The 2023 Masters will begin with a pair of top groups looking to win the illustrious green jacket. After the twosome of Kevin Na and Mike Weir gets things started, players will be going out in groups of three through 2:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Patrick Reed draws an early 9:24 a.m. ET start. He is in a pairing with Adam Svensson and Sahith Theegala. Meanwhile, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson will tee off at 9:49 a.m. ET.
Scottie Sheffler will begin defense of his 2022 Masters title at 1:36 p.m. ET.
Here’s the complete list of tee times for Thursday’s opening round.
overall forecast for the 2023 Masters features chances of thunderstorms, rain showers and cool temperatures. Thursday is expected to be mostly cloudy during the first round with a slight chance of rain in the morning and afternoon hours. There’s a chance of isolated thunderstorms in the evening hours.
— Richard Morin
Tiger Woods win a sixth time at Augusta National Golf Club and claim a 16th career major championship? How will Woods’ body hold up through the 72-hole tournament?
Woods acknowledged on Tuesday the 2023 tournament could be his last at Augusta. He made the cut and finished 47th in 2022 in his first Masters appearance since suffering severe injuries in a 2021 car crash.
“Last year was kind of … didn’t know if I was going to play again at that time,” Woods told reporters. “For some reason, everything kind of came together and I made the cut, which was nice. But I don’t know how many more I have in me. Just being able to enjoy my time here and the memories.”
— Richard Morin
Can LIV golfers play in the Masters?
Yes, they can. The PGA Tour considers the Masters an official event, but the field is determined by the Augusta National Golf Club and is by invitation only.
There are 18 LIV golfers in the 2023 Masters field, six of whom have previously won a Green Jacket:
- Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010 Masters champion)
- Bubba Watson (2012, 2014 champ)
- Dustin Johnson (2020 champ)
- Patrick Reed (2018 champ)
- Sergio Garcia (2017 champ)
- Charl Schwartzel (2011 champ)
- Brooks Koepka
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Cameron Smith
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Mito Peirera
- Joaquin Niemann
- Kevin Na
- Abraham Ancer
- Thomas Pieters
- Harold Varner III
- Jason Kokrak
- Talor Gooch
Masters officials are giving into Saudis’ sportswashing scheme
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Augusta National Golf Club was very pleased to display a photo of its Masters Champions Dinner Tuesday night on social media for all the world to see. Thirty-four men in green jackets, decades worth of Masters champions surrounding club chairman Fred Ridley, all of them smiling for the camera enjoying a celebration of the most famous brotherhood in golf.
You know who else was especially thrilled to see that photo spreading across the globe?
Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the mastermind of the killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, as well as his golf-bro buddies in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the nation responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States nearly 22 years ago and the abysmal human rights violations against women and the LGBTQ community in particular to this day.
— Christine Brennan
How can I watch the Masters on TV?
ESPN will provide live coverage of the first two rounds of the Masters on Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m . ET.
CBS will take over coverage of the third and fourth rounds on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
How can I stream the 2023 Masters online?
All network coverage of the Masters can be streamed online at Masters.com.
ESPN broadcasts can be streamed live on ESPN.com and on the Watch ESPN app.
CBS broadcasts can be streamed on CBSSports.com and Paramount +.
Masters.com and the Masters app will also stream a Featured Groups channel. Thursday’s Featured Groups will be:
10:18 a.m. ET
- Tiger Woods
- Xander Schauffle
- Viktor Hovland
10:42 a.m. ET
- Justin Thomas
- John Rahm
- Cameron Young
1:36 p.m ET
- Scottie Scheffler
- Max Homa
- Sam Bennett
2:00 p.m. ET
- Jordan Spieth
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Tony Finau
Who are the announcers for this year’s Masters telecast?
Once again, Jim Nantz will lead CBS’s coverage of the Masters. He will be joined by Trevor Immelman in the 18th hole tower.
Other announcers include: Ian Baker-Finch, Frank Nobilo, Verne Lundquist and Andrew Catalon.
Dottie Pepper is the on-course reporter, while Amanda Renner will be conducting interviews.
On ESPN, Scott Van Pelt and Curtis Strange will be the main hosts.
Ian Baker-Finch, Dottie Pepper, Frank Nobilo, Verne Lundquist and Andrew Catalon will provide analysis.
Michael Eaves will conduct interviews.