Masters 2026 Round 1 live updates, leaderboard: Rory McIlroy is making a move

Scottie Scheffler just drove the green at the par-4 third after his eagle, which left him with a very easy two-putt birdie.

He’s only two off the lead now with 15 holes to go today. Scheffler appears to be on a mission today.

After an easy birdie at the par-5 13th, Rory McIlroy is now just two off the lead.

The top-ranked golfer in the world opened with an eagle at the second today, too. Talk about a fast start.

Well, things are not going well for Bryson DeChambeau so far at Augusta. He just made a triple bogey after needing three attempts at getting out of the bunker at No. 11. His drive landed in the middle of the fairway before that, too.

Not great … but it’s relatable. So there’s that?

Shane Lowry was perfect from the middle of the fairway for the latest eagle out on the course so far today. He’s now just one back of the leaders.

After a sluggish start, the defending champ has birdied Nos. 8 and 9 to get it to -2 and onto the first page of the leaderboard.

Remember, only three players have ever gone back-to-back at Augusta National: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

Should we be surprised that Fred Couples is in red numbers in the early going, carding birdies at Nos. 1 and 2?

Probably not, considering Freddie has the smoothest swing golf has ever seen.

Even at 66, Couples still has it. But can it hold up enough to make his first cut since 2023?

There are scores to be had on the front nine at Augusta National, which is always true — particularly if you can take advantage of the two par 5s. Patrick Reed did just that, eagling both.

Now he heads to the more difficult back nine, where he’s already dropped a shot at 10.

A number of players have gone to the back in red numbers, only to watch them turn black quickly. Only Kristoffer Reitan, thus far, has managed to buck that trend, carding a birdie and an eagle at Nos. 12 and 13, respectively, to get to -3.

Quite literally … at No. 8, Schauffele’s drive wound up in a woman’s shopping bag.

At the par 3 sixth hole, Bryson DeChambeau yanked his tee shot to the left and, well, this happened:

Patrick Reed has pushed his lead to two shots early here, thanks to a second eagle at the par-5 8th.

He was already just the sixth player in Masters history to open the tournament going birdie-eagle. Now, he’s the second to ever card two birdies in his opening nine holes of the tournament.

He’s only two holes in, but Patrick Reed is the new leader. Reed opened with a birdie at the first and then eagled the par-5 second to get to 3-under immediately.

Talk about a perfect start.

A year ago at the annual Par 3 Contest, Frankie Fleetwood charmed the entire golf world and became something of a social media sensation for probably the cutest interview in the history of the sport after failing to hit it over the water.

“I’ve been doing my hardest to get it over the green. I’ve been practicing as hard as I can, just not reaching it this year but just trying my hardest,” he said on Sky Sports.

But twice, Frankie just barely missed. His first shot was wet after it went a bit short and to the right. His second shot had the distance, just not the aim — maybe four or five yards right. Lowry’s daughter enveloped him in a hug.

With dry conditions, Augusta National is going to play difficult this week, so you have to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there. One of those is at No. 2, the gettable par 5.

Sam Burns did just that, carding an eagle to get to -2, and it a tie for the lead with Jose Maria Olazabal, who is not going away just yet.

If you’re a golf an of a certain age, you remember where you were 40 years ago when Jack Nicklaus turned back the clock, can still hear Verne Lundquist screaming, “Yes, sir!”

Thursday, Nicklaus opined on the victory, and our Jay Busbee was there to capture it.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — If you can, ask your father or grandfather about Jack Nicklaus’ Masters win 40 years ago in 1986. If you can’t, you can imagine what they’d say.

Greatest Masters ever. Greatest golf tournament ever. Among the greatest sports moments ever. Brought a tear to my eye. 

When 46-year-old Nicklaus rolled in that long putt on the 17th hole to take the solo lead that long-ago April afternoon, when he donned his sixth green jacket, when he stared Father Time in the face and the clock blinked, he didn’t just win more accolades for himself.

Read the entire story here.

No, not even Augusta National is inflation-proof.

A year ago, a blueberry muffin at the Masters would set you back $2. This year: $2.50. Same for the southern cheese straws. And the cookie — that’s gone from $1.75 to $2.

And yet, the concession prices at the Masters remain notoriously low as they have for decades.

If you want to try one of everything, it will cost you a grand total of $75.75 — or roughly half a quarter-zip in the merchandise shop.

As for the cost of admission to pay these exorbitantly low prices, well, you either have to win the Masters lottery or … grab one of the few remaining tickets on the secondary market, which for Thursday’s Round 1 will only set you back about $34,000.

Gary Woodland knows it’s not going to be easy for him out on the course this week at the Masters.

Not only is he competing in the biggest tournament of the season, but fans will be back into Augusta National. Large galleries will be surrounding the course, near greens and tee boxes, with all of their attention on him. That is often a trigger for Woodland.

Woodland was diagnosed with PTSD after his brain surgery in 2023, and has been struggling out on the course ever since. Even at the Houston Open, which he won by five shots, Woodland had issues and was “thinking people were trying to kill” him during the second round.

But Woodland said he’s worked with both Tour security and the security at Augusta National to help him out ahead of the Masters so he can be as prepared as possible. The issues are largely visual for him, and “if I can see somebody, then I can remind myself that I’m safe constantly.”

For more on Woodland’s PTSD battle, click here.

Safe to say, Tom Watson is not a fan of those who jumped ship to the LIV tour. After Thursday morning’s opening tee shot, Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player held court, and Watson had this to say:

“I thought the LIV players, when they left, they were supposed to be banned for life. If I was commissioner, that’s what I would do. I’d say if you’re finished with your contract with LIV Golf, if you want to play the PGA Tour again, you come back, and you must play the Korn Ferry Tour for a year to qualify for it.”

The Korn Ferry, if you’re not familiar, is the feeder tour to the PGA Tour. And while it might seem like a punishment for the likes of Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, Watson’s plan would probably end up punishing that tour’s players more.

The 5-iron in Bryson DeChambeau’s bag today will be one he made himself, using a 3-D printer, that according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.

DeChambeau has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to equipment. He famously uses irons that are all virtually the same length. But this will be the first time he’s used a club he created himself.

Risky on golf’s biggest stage? Yep, but DeChambeau has never shied away from risk.

Famously, in the 63 times the contest has taken place in its traditional Wednesday slot ahead of the Masters, no player who has won the Par 3 has gone on to claim the green jacket four days later.

Of those 63 winners, 21 have missed the cut, while just 10 have finished inside the top 10. Two have finished runner-up, with Raymond Floyd losing to Nick Faldo in a playoff in 1990.

The last five Par 3 winners have gone on to finish 51, T30, Cut, T50/Cut, Cut.

The Par 3 curse did not sway Aaron Rai. The two-glove wearing Englishman carded a 6-under 21 on his 9-hole round to win by a stroke.

Rai, who made his Masters debut a year ago when he finished T27, currently has +20000 odds to win.