🏌🏻 Drama at the Masters

Plus: How to gain more club head speed

Good morning. The weather forecast at Augusta is perfect for golf today, and round 1 and round 2 are already underway.

40% of us are rooting for Scheffler from our poll yesterday, and he looks pretty much on track - solo 2nd after Round 1.

With DeChambeau in the lead and Scheffler close on the heels, seems like a PGA vs LIV duel in the making.

Fun Fact: Jon Rahm shot a 73 in Round 1. 6 of the last 8 defending Masters champions now have opened their week with a round over par.

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⛳ This day in history: On this date in 2015, Jordan Spieth became the first Texan to win the Masters since 1995. He set the mark for the most birdies in a single Tournament with 28. His 18-under-par 270 matched Tiger Woods’ 72-hole scoring record set in 1997.

ALBATROSS
DeChambeau, Scheffler Set The Pace In Augusta

Photo: Getty Images | Source: The Washington Post

Round 1 remained incomplete at Augusta National due to darkness but it wasn't short of drama and action.

The first round will resume on Friday at 7:50 am ET.

💎 DeChambeau Leads: Bryson DeChambeau shot 7-under-par 65 for his lowest score at Augusta and leads by one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler shot a 66 - his first bogey free round at Augusta and also the lowest of his Masters career. Nicolai Hojgaard (thru 15) lies third, two shots behind the leader.

🤯 Epic Return: Former Masters Champion Danny Willett shot 68 in his first competitive round of golf in seven months. He currently sits T-4 alongside Max Homa.

Willett, who won the Green Jacket in 2016, is making a comeback to the sport after an intrusive shoulder surgery.

🚀 Tiger Shines: Tiger Woods stands 1 under through 13 holes as he seeks his sixth green jacket and a record 24th consecutive Masters made cut.

He shares the 17th spot with Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland among others.

LIV Players Dominate: LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau is the sole leader as things stand but he isn't the only one doing well. Tyrrell Hatton (T-6) and Joaquin Niemann (T-9) have got off to good starts as well.

Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson (both T-42) didn't have the best opening round.

🚩 Stars Sweating Cutline: As things stand, the cut line appears to be at 1-over, with 53 golfers on the right side of that boundary. Top stars like Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Zach Johnson could all miss out if they don't have a good second round.

Watch Round 1 Highlights

TWEET
Worth Mentioning

EAGLE
New Equipment For The Win

Photo: Getty Images | Source: PGA Tour

A number of players added new gear to their bags for this week's Masters and some of them have got instant results including Round 1 solo leader Bryson DeChambeau.

📌 Bryson DeChambeau: DeChambeau is playing with a custom set of single-length irons made by little-known clubmaker Avoda that are made by 3-D printing and weren’t approved by the USGA until Monday.

The irons failed to pass muster with the USGA as the grooves were too narrow because of the way a 3-D printer prints in layers but it was grinded until they were deemed confirming.

📌 Justin Thomas: Thomas' bag underwent much experimentation before his ninth appearance at Augusta National.

Thomas has a longer 5-iron than before and an even longer 4-iron in the bag - a new-found combination: Titleist 621.JT mid-to-short irons (6-9), a T100 5-iron and a T200 4-iron.

He has also switched to a new 2024 Phantom X 5.5 putter, which first launched in Hawaii.

📌 Tony Finau: Finau has made a rare move of carrying two drivers in his bag this week. He already has a Ping G430 LST 9-degree driver with a new Mitsubishi Diamana GT 70TX shaft.

His second driver is a Ping G430 LST to help him on the right-to-left holes at Augusta National. The second driver which replaces his 3-wood, measures about the length of his 3-wood and has 10.5 degrees of loft.

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news

Norman Ignored: LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman attends the Masters after buying tickets from the 2nd hand market; wasn't invited.

Caddie Corner: Click here to find out how much caddies will earn at the Masters.

Masters Collection: Masters introduces caddie Christmas ornament to gnome family at Augusta National.

GC For Sale: Cincinnati is considering selling off all of its municipal golf courses.

Presidents Cup: Tickets for the 2024 Presidents Cup, scheduled for Sept. 24-29, 2024, at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, are officially on sale. Click here to buy.

Equipment: Collin Morikawa adds Scottie Scheffler’s putter to his bag for this week.

BIRDIE
These Are The Best Dressed Golfers In Augusta

Photo: Getty Images | Source: ESPN

Several golfers are standing out by sporting outfits seemingly inspired by quirks of the course - here are some of the most eye-catching ensembles at Augusta National.

⛳️ Sergio Garcia: Garcia began the tournament with a green and gold outfit - a head-to-toe look that paid homage to the course.

Sergio Garcia

⛳️ Viktor Hovland: Hovland sported a black polo with a floral design and if rumors are to be believed, his outfits will get sexier as the tournament progresses.

Viktor Hovland

⛳️ Rickie Fowler: Fowler donned a green-and-white striped top with navy flowers and white slacks. He accessorized the look with a cap and his signature shades.

Rickie Fowler

⛳️ Tyrrell Hatton: LIV Golf's latest star Hatton wore a unique black polo during the first round at Augusta National.

Tyrrell Hatton

⛳️ Thorbjørn Olesen: Olesen wore clean light-colored fit that features a floral-patterned polo shirt.

Thorbjorn Olesen

DRIVING RANGE
Gain More Club Head Speed

In this video, we share fitness drills to help you hit the ball further, gain more clubhead speed and get you more impact with more rotational power.

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