All eyes are on Koepka, Big Three and forecast

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Brooks Koepka did not want to share the gruesome details of the injury. But after shooting 7 under 65 to take the first round lead at the Masters with Jon Rahm And Viktor Hovlandyou are required.

The now LIV Golf Tour member and four-time major winner explains how he slipped at home, dislocating his knee in the process and fracturing it when he tried to put it back only to tear one of the ligaments around his kneecap. .

“My leg was turned to the side and protruded,” Koepka said. “My foot was turned out.” “And when I broke it back, because the kneecap broke, it went in pretty well. It got in much easier.”

In a revealing interview after the round, Koepka detailed his journey back from an injury that once prevented him from flexing his knee and caused him to miss a cut at the 2021 Masters following surgery.

Before his injury and before his move to LIV last year, Koepka was not only considered one of the top tennis players in the world, but also a player who excelled almost exclusively at professional tournaments. He’s built his entire reputation by being indifferent to any events other than professional tournaments and seems to thrive on his indifferent attitude to golf. The Netflix episode “Full Swing” in which Koepka appeared revealed another side of the former top tennis player — his interest in golf and winning. Much.

“I think that’s good. People may not think I’m as open-minded as I really am,” Koepka said. “I’ll tell you exactly how I felt then, how I feel at the moment. I’m also pretty vulnerable away from the golf course. I always say what you see on the golf course is of course not what you get behind closed doors.”

On Thursday, it looked like we saw both sides of Koepka: the golf side dominated as he hit 12 of his 14 lanes and 15 greens and finished with three birdies on his last four holes. , while the personal side is a bit more open and vulnerable.

Koepka said of her injury: “I wish I had celebrated the little milestones along the way instead of thinking I could get over it. “It was the hardest job I’ve ever had, just trying to get back up, because I felt like I was at the top of it, and it’s nice to know that I was able to get through that. “

Many doubts have followed Koepka since he left LIV, including whether he can produce the level of golf that in a short but remarkable time made him the dominant player. best in the game or not. There’s only been one round on Thursday, but if Koepka is not only getting fit again, but playing as he is, perhaps the best players in the world right now have to worry about another, more than amazing player. Rory McIlroyRahm and Scottie Scheffler to Friday and beyond.

Here are four other things to look out for on Friday at the Masters:

Sign up on Big Three

Speaking of McIlroy, Rahm and Scheffler, all three had very different innings on Thursday. Scheffler didn’t play his best golf — which for him meant he didn’t finish the round in first place — but still played well enough to finish 4 under and three points after an eagle, four birdies and only one bogey.

Rahm took the lead in the first round, starting with an unusual four putt on the first hole before knocking down seven birdies and an eagle en route to seven points below. It seems the Spaniard enters this tournament as the least hyped of the trio, and he’s quick to show why he might be the most popular when it comes to popularity. the case moves to the second round.

McIlroy, meanwhile, had a roller coaster opening lap with 5 birdies but equalized them with 3 bogey points and a double bogey to finish even. While on a normal day that might be disappointing, McIlroy’s opening rounds at Augusta National Golf Club weren’t exactly stellar. In fact, his 72 on Thursday was his best opening round at the Masters since 2017. There’s still plenty of golf to play and while many in the field have to worry about timing. As the weather got worse, McIlroy could thrive in that subject.

Winter is coming (something like that)

Thursday is an idyllic day at Augusta National because the spring weather in Georgia is perfect. That won’t last. With a heavy downpour expected to make landfall on Augusta over the next two days, it is unclear how the second and third rounds will turn out, whether they will be able to finish or how it will affect performance. of the player like. One thing is for sure: A low score on Thursday is required.

“Today is the right time to play below par,” tiger forest speak. “Today most people are down. This is the day to do it.”

As Rahm pointed out on Thursday, the usual bad weather at Augusta resulted in a suspension due to thunderstorms, delaying the tournament but making the pitch softer and easier to score after. clear sky and clear clouds. Friday and Saturday are forecasted as days with a 90% chance of rain or more.

“With it being softer, you’ll find these golf attackers a bit better,” Patrick Reed, who shot 1 under 71, said. “If the wind stops blowing, like today, you’ll see a lot of low points.”

The forecast forecast will include winds of 10 to 20 mph on both Friday and Saturday, and if the tournament extends into Sunday and perhaps Monday, the forecast will be clearer and possible. facilitated lower scores than Thursday.

Mickelson has signs of life

In a surprising turn of events, it was Phil Mickelson — not Woods — who scored two lower on Thursday. The 52-year-old shot 1 under 71, while Woods shot 73 in his first major round of the year. Mickelson has struggled a lot on this season’s LIV tour, finishing in 27th, 32nd and 41st place in three events so far. His last major appearance was a miss at the US Open.

But according to Mickelson, there’s something about Augusta that matches his aging and imperfect play.

“I feel like you can play this golf course and don’t have to be perfect,” Mickelson said. “As long as you put it in the right position, you can manage your game and shoot some. I think that’s why I’ve always enjoyed playing here because I feel a little bit more comfortable, like like I don’t have to be perfect.”

Whether Mickelson can maintain this form and make it into a major tournament for the first time since winning the 2021 PGA Championship remains to be seen, but considering the positions of the leaders, both will probably fight for a spot on Friday. Who knows, maybe we’ll see them together over the weekend.

The Sam Bennett Program

An amateur in the field was talked about a lot before Thursday’s first round. It’s the NCAA Individual Champion Gordon Sargent — who wowed players like Justin Thomas, Max Homa and McIlroy with his incredible ball speed and distance. However, after the close of Thursday, it was the US amateur winner Sam Bennett who stole the program.

Bennett and his unique, twisty swing played alongside Homa and Scheffler and matched the top player in the world in under-4 while shooting four strokes better than Homa. The Texas A&M senior was unfazed all day and started his round by scoring birdies on point 1 and eagles on point 2. He added a birdie point on the par-3 sixth hole and surround those red scores with 15 pars, of which 12 are straight to end a bogey-free inning.

“I couldn’t have dreamed of a better start,” said Bennett. “Without the bogey, that’s probably my favorite of all. Going around this place without a bogey is great.”

With this score, Bennett not only became the first amateur player to break into the top 10 after the first round since. Ryan Moore in 2005. His score of 68 was the lowest score by an amateur player in a professional tournament since Hovland’s score of 67 in the final round of the US Open 2019.

It’s unclear if Bennett can sustain this through the rest of the week, but it will be interesting to see him try.