Despite coming off of consecutive missed cuts at the Masters, Bryson DeChambeau went low on Thursday as he shot a 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead at Augusta National Golf Club.
DeChambeau entered the first round with +3500 odds to win the tournament at bet365, but he now sits at +550 as of Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Only Scottie Scheffler, who shot a 6-under 66, has shorter odds of winning the green jacket at +130.
After a weather delay pushed tee times back this morning, DeChambeau teed off in the fifth group at 11:18 a.m. ET and got off to a fast start with three consecutive birdies. He would make the turn at 2-under after a bogey on the ninth hole.
After making par on the 10th hole, DeChambeau made two birdies on 12 and 13 at Amen Corner to get to 4-under.
He made par on the 14th hole before hitting the green under regulation on the par-5 15th, despite missing the fairway off the tee, then two-putted for birdie. He followed that birdie by knocking his tee shot tight to six feet on the 170-yard par-3 16th hole and rolled that in for a two.
After making birdie on No. 16, Bryson DeChambeau reaches six under par and extends his lead. #themasterspic.twitter.com/L7dWBp9YKz
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
DeChambeau pulled his tee shot on the par-4 17th hole but got a friendly bounce off the trees closer to the fairway. He capitalized on that break by knocking in a 31-foot birdie from the edge of the green to get to 7-under and take a three-shot lead.
After hitting the bunker off the tee on the par-4 18th hole, DeChambeau made par to shoot a 7-under first-round 65.
DeChambeau’s first round was a significant improvement on his recent form at Augusta National Golf Club as he had recorded six consecutive rounds over par before Thursday morning.
This was DeChambeau’s 25th round at Augusta National but only his seventh time breaking par. It was also his lowest round ever in the Masters, with his prior best round being a first-round 66 (6-under) in 2019.
Bryson DeChambeau at #TheMasters
First 24 rounds:
3.9 bogeys/worse per round
61% greens hit
-0.48 strokes gained putting per roundThursday:
1 bogey
83% greens hit
+3.56 strokes gained putting— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) April 11, 2024
The 2020 U.S. Open winner missed the cut at the Masters each of the last two years and has never finished in the top 20 in his seven starts at Augusta, but he is in position to change that this weekend.
DeChambeau was strong throughout the bag as he gained over eight shots (+8.29 as of 6:30 p.m. ET) on the field overall. He leads the field in Strokes Gained (SG): Putting at +3.71 and is currently eighth in SG: Approach at +2.04. He also gained 1.91 shots Off the Tee and 0.63 shots Around the Green.
