Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm struggle in first round as LIV Golfers flop, conditions set to get tougher at Augusta National, talking points

Golf legend sparks backlash over ‘creepy’ remark to female reporter

LIV GOLFERS HIT NEW LOW

A green jacket winner is arguably the one thing LIV Golf is craving more than anything.

The breakaway tour boasts six past champions on their books, but none of them having won The Masters while on LIV.

It looks like that trend will continue as none of the ten LIV golfers in the field broke par in the opening round.

The best of the bunch was 2017 champion Sergio Garcia with an even par 72 – Australia’s Cameron Smith was two shots worse after bogeying the final two holes.

Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm stood as their great hopes coming into the tournament.

Things could hardly have gone worse.

DeChambeau opened with a four-over par 76 – one shot worse than his final round last year – including a triple bogey at the 11th courtesy of taking three shots to escape the sand.

He also then got in a tense exchange with reporters over a 3D-printed 5-iron he has in his bag for the first time this week.

Rahm, meanwhile, shot his worst ever round at Augusta National.

The 2023 champion carded a six-over 78.

“It’s a hard golf course,” he said. “Some of the players might have been able to manage a respectable round, but when you have no feel with the swing whatsoever, it’s just not an easy one.

“It sucks to be in this position, to need a Herculean effort the next two days to give myself the sniff of a chance to win. It’s just frustrating.”

Former professional turned commentator Brandel Chamblee has been a long time critic of LIV Golf.

And on Live from The Masters, he did not hold back.

Chamblee pointed out that DeChambeau was ranked 72nd in strokes gained approach, labelling it “abysmal”.

As for Rahm, Chamblee said: “It’s like he’s forgot how to play the game”.

“Every tee, he’s swinging as hard as he can swing. It’s like he’s in a long driving contest,” Chamblee continued.

“I’ve never seen anybody swinging as hard as he’s swinging at every single tee shot. There’s no nuance. There’s no niche to his golf swing.

“Now, you’re talking about a guy who is averaging 82 per cent of greens hit on the LIV Tour.

“They’re not being challenged. They’re not being tested. They’re not ready. They’re playing golf courses that are not particularly hard. They’re not set up very hard and they’ve only got to beat five or six guys.

“When I look at the statistics, it’d be like Steph Curry going out and shooting free throws with a hula-hoop size rim, and thinking he’s 100 per cent.

“Now, Steph might get to 100 per cent, but that’s kind of the false arrogance they would have coming in here.

“They’re not getting tested. They’re not getting challenged and they don’t have to beat too many players out there.

“As time as gone on, they’ve gotten worse and worse and worse.

“This was the worst day in major championship for the LIV players collectively.”

Earlier, former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley shared a similar argument about the contrasting styles of LIV compared to the majors or a regular PGA Tour event.

“You don’t have to go at this game gung ho from the first hole to the 72nd. Maybe if you’re playing on LIV. You see the low scoring that there certainly is on LIV,” McGinley said.

“It’s a different style of golf over there and that’s why they probably struggled when they came to a golf course like this today.

“Where there’s more bouncing in terms of the scoring, you’ve got to bounce back in terms of mistakes.

“On LIV, it’s driving towards, certainly 20-25 under. Certainly the PGA Tour has a lot of the courses too. But there’s more of the Ying and the Yang.”

Rahm came into the tournament with a grey cloud hanging over his head as his dispute with the DP World Tour remains unresolved.

Three-time green jacket winner Sir Nick Faldo told Sky Sports that he believed that ongoing saga was a problem for Rahm as well as the nature of LIV.

“Jon is having his battles with the DP World Tour over the Ryder Cup stuff… I wondered whether that would inspire him and he’d be saying you know what to them,” Faldo said.

“But maybe that has affected him. And they’ve just played two tournaments on LIV (Singapore and South Africa) where the scoring was around 25 under to win.

“You’re not doing that here. It’s a completely different mindset. I don’t believe that was the best preparation – when you consider the (PGA) Tour have been at TPC Sawgrass, by contrast.”

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TOUGHEST MASTERS IN RECENT MEMORY?

Only 16 players in the field of 91 shot under par in the first round, while there were ten rounds in the 80s – the most in almost 20 years.

But things might be about to get a whole lot tougher at Augusta National.

With dry weather and temperatures in the high 20s forecast for the coming days, the iconic golf course is set to cause even more headaches.

The rock hard greens will become harder to stop the ball on, and more slippery to putt on.

European Ryder Cup star Shane Lowry (-2) believes the coming days will be the most testing seen at Augusta for several years.

“I think this could be the toughest Masters we’ve played in a while,” the Irishman said.

“You look at the forecast – they can do whatever they want with the golf course this weekend.

“I think over the last few years we’ve had a day every year where it’s been raining or it has been heavy rains.

“It’s helped us a little bit, but I think before the week is out, it’s going to get very, very crusty around here.”

Lowry’s playing partner Jason Day also warned that conditions could lead to a nine-year first.

Sergio Garcia in 2017 was the last player to win a green jacket with a total below ten-under par – the Spaniard shot nine-under that year.

While leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns already sit at five-under, more birdies could be hard to come by, according to the Australian.

“Just depends on what they want. If they want single digits to win, it’ll be baked out and fast and guys will be kind of spewing on themselves out there. Be really difficult,” Day said.

“So if they want, they can definitely soften it out if they need to. It’ll be interesting. It’s going to be a good challenge regardless.”

Day highlighted the par 5 15th as a great example of how tricky the course can be.

With water guarding the front of the green and the putting surface sloping down hill towards it, golfer’s nightmares come to life there.

Many players go for the green in two and cop the uncomfortable chip from the back of the green if they go long.

But Day was out of position off the tee so opted to lay up.

He made par in the end, but the way he got there left him and Lowry baffled.

“A lot of people don’t realise how tough that wedge shot is. It makes us very nervous,” Day said.

“Shane and I landed (our golf balls) just up to the green and bounced up to the back. I looked at him and he just started laughing shaking his head.”

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J-DAY LEANING ON EXPERIENCE

Australia’s hopes a second green jacket for the nation are alive and well after Jason Day’s strong start.

Sitting two shots off the lead following an opening round three-under par 69, Day was pleased with his efforts but was very much keeping a lid on things post-round.

“When I see five under leading, and with what weather we got coming up, I’ve just got to be very patient,” he said.

“I’ve just got to take my birdies when I can and not try and force anything. (I am) off to a great start. We’ve got three more days.”

But Australian golf fans could be forgiven for daring to dream of a second major for the former world No.1.

This is Day’s 15th appearance and coming off a tied eighth finish last year, the 38-year-old is well-placed to make a run at a maiden green jacket.

He boasts five top tens at Augusta National, including a runner-up finish on debut in 2011.

But also weighing in Day’s favour is that since he made his career resurgence after a nasty back injuries, he has performed his best in the majors when the going has been tough.

That includes a runner-up result at the 2023 Open at a wet and wild Royal Liverpool.

Augusta poses a very different challenge this week with warm, dry weather creating conditions that Day would have come across on the Melbourne Sandbelt in his junior days.

Combined with his knowledge of Augusta National, Day feels ready to plot his way around better than anyone else in the coming days.

“Man, like it’s — you can start seeing — if you look down the first fairway you start seeing the purple change. That’s when you know when you start seeing that tinge of purple, that’s when you know it’s starting to get firm and fast,” he said post-round.

“Like I said yesterday was a dramatic difference in the way the course was playing. It was very soft — it was softer, a lot softer, a lot slower.

“Now you’re starting to see things roll out a little bit more. Like I mean, you can’t — there is certain locations where you have to miss and sometimes you just got it suck it up.

“So that’s when getting back to your question about the experience, definitely helps knowing that — being around here 15 times now, it definitely helps in those situations.”

CAN RORY KEEP IT UP?

Rory McIlroy’s title defence got off to the best possible start as he nabbed a share of the lead alongside Sam Burns.

The career grand slam winner now has a chance to make more history.

Tiger Woods in 2002 was the last to win the Masters in consecutive years, but McIlroy also now has a 60-year first in his sights.

Jack Nicklaus in 1966 was the last defending champion to lead after the first round and go on to win back-to-back green jackets.

If McIlroy is to mimic that feat, Paul McGinley believes he will need to tidy things up a little bit despite shooting a five-under par 67.

That mark is five shots better than how McIlroy started last year.

But like last year, when the Northern Irishman became the first person to make four double bogeys for the tournament and still win the green jacket, it is not all smooth sailing for McIlroy.

“It was a game of two halves as they say in soccer. The front nine he was all over the place. I think he got lucky,” McGinley said on Live from The Masters.

“I think a number of times he was so far off line that he was amazed that he actually had a shot to the green.

“I know he had to conjure something up, but he did. Number five and number seven comes to mind. Incredible recovery shots.

“He did have gaps, you could see that from the TV coverage.

“I thought his chipping was fantastic on the front nine. Just staying in the game. Staying in the fight, which is not something he’s always done historically.

“Staying in the game was important because that was the foundation for going on then.

“You know he was going to ignite at some stage and what it took was that second shot to eight.

“All of a sudden the lights went on and Rory McIlroy said ‘okay, now shoulders back, I’m going to Rolls Royce a bit’.

“He played some phenomenal golf on the back nine.”

McGinley added: “Can he keep it up for four days? The battery is quite drained with all that’s been going on.”

Broadcaster Rich Lerner responded by saying a slice misfortune last month could prove to be a blessing in disguise for McIlroy.

“I think three weeks off served him well because I think he knew he was going to have to have max energy for all that he wanted to do,” Lerner said.
“He wanted to be there for the club in every way and he has been. He was there Saturday at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

“He was handing out trophies on Sunday morning to the kids at the drive, chip and putt.

“He was there Tuesday night for the dinner. He was there Wednesday for the par 3.

“I thought strategically that seemed to be a good move.

“I know some of it had to do with the back issue – withdrawing at Bay Hill.

“But maybe he has more energy than we think. Time will tell.”

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LEGEND BLASTS PGA TOUR OVER LIV RETURNEES

Before the LIV Golf contingent battled their way around Augusta National, some of their former colleagues were in the gun in the media centre.

Brooks Koepka (E) and Patrick Reed (-3) made headlines earlier this year with their decision to jump back over the fence after defecting to LIV four years ago.

Koepka was fortunate to be immediately reinstated to the PGA Tour courtesy of being a major winner since the men’s game was split in two in 2022.

While Reed must bide his time on the DP World Tour until he can re-join for the 2027 season after serving a 12-month gap from his final LIV appearance.

Eight-time major champion Tom Watson is displeased with Koepka and Reed being allowed to come back, however.

In his Honorary Starters press conference, the 76-year-old took aim at the PGA Tour for opening their arms.

“The (PGA) Tour made a decision to renege on what they promised when the players left for LIV,” Watson said.

“They felt that the compensation that he (Koepka) paid is good enough.

“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. They saw it differently.”

Watson added: “When the players left, they violated the number one rule that we really had out here, which is to protect the sponsors.

“Sponsors need players. They need the names to be able to promote their tournaments.

“If the players play wherever they want to play without a conflicting event rule, where you had to seek the permission of the PGA Tour to play in a tournament opposite of a PGA Tour tournament, the sponsors would be hurt by that. I think we all understood that.

“When the players left for LIV, I think it was basically over. They chose to go for the money, which is fine, but to return to the PGA (Tour), I thought, was a non-starter, but apparently, it’s not.”

Reed was asked about Watson’s comments following his three-under par third round 69, in which he made two eagles on the front nine.

The 2018 Masters champion responded by saying: “I’m just going by the rules.”

“I’m doing my time from what they said on Player Handbook, and I’m excited to come back playing on the PGA Tour,” he continued.

“I can’t wait really to get back and finish my career on the PGA Tour where I started.”