Live Updates| Hovland leading Masters, Tiger 9 shots back

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The Newest from the primary spherical of the Masters (all occasions native):

3:40 p.m.

Tiger Woods struggled within the first spherical on the Masters, however his taking part in companions on Thursday certain didn’t.

Viktor Hovland, the No. 9 participant on the planet, is the early chief within the clubhouse after taking pictures a 7-under 65, simply two photographs off the event report shared by Nick Worth (1986) and Greg Norman (1996). The Norwegian shot 35 on the entrance 9 and performed a bogey-free spherical.

A number of gamers are nonetheless on the course.

Xander Schauffele, the opposite member of the Woods, Hovland threesome, additionally performed properly and is tied for sixth after a gap spherical 68.

The 47-year-old Woods struggled all day along with his iron play however obtained again to 1 over after birdies at No. 15 and 16. Nevertheless, the five-time Masters champion bogeyed the ultimate gap and completed with a 74, leaving him 9 photographs behind Hovland. ____

Sergio Garcia is uninterested in listening to concerning the pressure between LIV and PGA Tour gamers on the Masters.

The previous champion says it doesn’t exist.

Garcia, now a member of the LIV Tour, mentioned issues have been “completely regular” between the gamers from the 2 excursions this week at Augusta Nationwide, earlier than including “You guys have to cease it. (The media) are making an enormous deal out of this.”

When challenged that it’s not, Garcia doubled down, saying, “Sure, it’s. I’ve had nothing however nice issues from each single participant I discuss to. So please cease it and discuss concerning the Masters.”

Garcia shot 74 on Thursday and is 9 photographs behind chief Viktor Hovland.

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1:55 p.m.

Defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler has teed off at Augusta Nationwide, whereas Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the event earlier than ever stepping on the course.

Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 participant, received final yr’s event by three strokes over Rory McIlroy.

Zalatoris, the No. 8 ranked participant on the planet, has struggled with again points previously.

He was the runner-up on the PGA Championship and U.S. Open final yr went on to win his first PGA Tour win on the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Nevertheless, the next week on the BMW Championship, he suffered two herniated disks throughout a tee shot, ending his season.

The 26-year-old Zalatoris completed tied for sixth final yr on the Masters, seven photographs behind Scheffler.

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12:45 p.m.

Norway’s Viktor Hovland has raced to the early first spherical lead on the Masters at 5-under par by means of 9 holes on an 81-degree day at Augusta Nationwide.

Hovland is considered one of 16 golfers below par with the afternoon teams set to tee off.

He has seven profession wins however has by no means received at main, eagled the par-5 second gap to realize some early momentum and adopted with birdies at Nos. 6, 8 and 9 to report a 31 on the entrance 9.

Hovland is taking part in in the identical threesome with Tiger Woods, who’s seven photographs again at 2 over.

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11:40 a.m.

Tiger Woods is off to a tough begin on the Masters.

The 47-year-old five-time champion is 2 over after 5 holes following bogeys on the par 4 third and fifth holes. Woods has fallen 5 photographs behind chief Cameron Younger, who leads the sphere at 3 below.

Woods is competing in his twenty fifth Masters.

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10:40 a.am.

Tiger Woods opened his twenty fifth Masters with a par on the primary gap at Augusta Nationwide whereas taking part in in entrance of an enormous crowd, many stacked rows deep standing on tippy toes hoping to catch a glimpse of the generational star.

Even earlier than Woods took to the course, followers flocked to see him on the apply tee.

The five-time champion is now 47 and admitted earlier this week he’s unsure what number of extra Masters tournaments he has in him.

Woods, who walks with noticeable limp at occasions, remains to be recovering from a automotive crash in suburban Los Angeles the place he crushed bones so badly in his legs that docs contemplated amputation.

Woods has solely performed in a single PGA Tour occasion this yr, the Genesis Invitational, the place he completed tied for forty fifth place at 1-under 283. He final received the Masters in 2019.

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10:30 a.m.

LIV golfer Kevin Na has withdrawn from the Masters on account of an undisclosed sickness after taking pictures 40 on the entrance 9. Na was considered one of 18 golfers from the Saudi-backed tour competing this week at Augusta Nationwide.

Na had completed tied for twelfth place 3 times on the Masters, most just lately in 2021.

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10:15 a.m.

LIV golfer Louis Oosthuizen shares the very early lead on the Masters at 1 below, though fellow tour member Kevin Na is mentioning the rear 5 photographs backs of the leaders.

To this point eight of the tour’s 18 golfers on the Masters are on the course, together with former Masters champions Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia. The others are all even par.

Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka will tee it up later within the day.

LIV CEO Greg Norman advised the Every day Telegraph earlier within the week that he expects if one of many tour’s 18 gamers wins the Masters they’ll all be there to congratulate him on the 18th inexperienced much like a Ryder Cup win.

Norman was not prolonged an invite to the Masters this yr with event chairman Fred Ridley saying he needed to maintain the main focus to be on the competitors on the course.

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8 a.m.

LIV golfer Kevin Na and 2003 champion Mike Weir launched their drives down the primary fairway at Augusta Nationwide, signaling the official begin of the 87th Masters.

Na is considered one of 18 gamers from the polarizing Saudi Arabia-backed golf league taking part within the occasion, which is sort of sure to make this “a event not like some other.”

The beginning of the four-day occasion got here after honorary starters and longtime fan favorites Gary Participant, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson thrilled the group with their conventional tee photographs on gap No. 1.

Participant was greeted on the tee with a smile by Masters Chairman Fred Ridley per week after the event’s first worldwide champion advised the Occasions of London he didn’t really feel welcome at Augusta Nationwide. Participant mentioned he needed to “beg a member to play with us” when he needed to play a spherical with members of the family,” and that “if it wasn’t for the gamers, it will be simply one other golf course in Georgia.”

Nicklaus, who walked with a noticeable limp, joked with the group earlier than bending over to place his tee within the floor saying. “that’s the toughest half.”

Headliners on this yr’s event are scheduled to tee off later in the present day.

Tiger Woods, 4 years faraway from capturing his fifth inexperienced jacket, is about to tee off at 10:18. Defending champion and world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler tees off at 1:36, adopted by Rory McIlroy at 1:48.

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7:45 a.m.

The 87th Masters tees off this morning amid the blooming azaleas and towering pines of Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.

From the renegade LIV tour to Scottie Scheffler’s bid for a second straight inexperienced jacket to an elongated thirteenth gap, golf’s first main of the yr supplies its standard abundance of compelling storylines.

And don’t neglect about five-time champion Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy, who’s trying to full a profession grand slam.

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