MASTERS 2017: Charley Hoffman sets pace with four shot lead at Augusta
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Charley Hoffman raced to a four-shot lead during the first round of the Masters with an incredible seven-under-par round of 65.
Hoffman was only one of two players who managed to shoot rounds in the 60s as just 11 members of the field finished the opening round at Augusta National under par.
It felt at times as if we were watching Hoffman playing a different golf course to the rest of his comeptitors. While the majority of the field struggled to handle the fast greens and punishing pins of Augusta, Hoffman birdied the 12th, 14th, 15th,16th and 17th holes to put distance between himself and William McGirt.
When asked by Sky Sports how he managed such an impressive round of golf, Hoffman replied “The putts started going in the hole, as simple as that sounds.”
“I hit it pretty solid in the wind and got away with a few shots. I just kept hitting my spots and out here in the wind you just end up with 20-footers and I was able to hole some putts in the wind.”
“I hit a few real close at the end there which was a bonus. Hopefully we can keep it going.”
Masters rookie McGirt was the first man to break 70 with a three-under 69, which at the time felt like the score to beat – but it wasn’t as kind a story for the tournament favourites.
Dustin Johnson withdrew with a back injury before play even started due to a freak accident on Wednesday afternoon, and while Jordan Spieth navigated his way past the 11th and 12th horror holes of last year it was only to meet a similar fate a few holes later and finish his round at 3-over-par. The 2015 Masters champion three-putted two holes in a row, and the second was for a quad-ruple bogey nine at the 15th.
However, it was a more encouraging start for Rory McIlroy. The World No.2 had a disappointing start to find himself three-over at the turn, but birdies at 13, 15 and 16 helped move him to level-par and in to a much more favourable position at T12 for the tournament.
After his round McIlroy said: “Really pleased with my day’s work. I really battled out there.”
“I would have ripped your hand off for level par heading into the back 9”
Rory McIlroy’s Ryder Cup playing partner Thomas Pieters set a blistering pace to get to 5-under through the first ten holes early on in the day, but the Masters rookie wasn’t able to sustain momentum and topped off a tough back-nine with a double-bogey on the 18th to end up level-par for the tournament.
Pieters wasn’t the only one to falter on the 18th during Thursday’s round. Rickie Fowler and Matthew Fitzpatrick both double-bogeyed the last, forcing Rickie over par and Fitzpatrick to surrender the lead he had had standing on the 18th tee. Fitzpatrick now sits in a group that includes Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia at 1-under-par.
Last year’s runner-up Lee Westwood birdied five-holes in a row to get to 2-under-par and solo third, while 2016 Masters Champion Danny Willett ended with a bogey to card a one-over-par 73.
Westwood said after his round “I didn’t putt very well on the front nine, missed a few short ones but it was just a matter of staying patient”
