Masters leaderboard 2016: Jordan Spieth is leading at Augusta again
The two big names out early on Thursday at the Masters are Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth. One started with an eventful double bogey while the other is back in a comfortable spot atop the leaderboard.
Many experts have decided this is Rickie Folwer’s week to become a major champion. After the first hole, many of those same people might have been rethinking their pick. It was a disastrous start for Fowler who, while wearing high tops and joggers, hit his tee shot on No. 1 into the pine trees to the right of the fairway. Things got worse from there as Fowler clipped a tree in an attempt to recover and his ball settled near the trees on the opposite side of the fairway.
When it was all said and done, Fowler walked away from the first green with a double bogey. The Golf Channel was quick to point out, no player has ever won the Masters after double bogeying the first hole.
How NOT to play the first hole, by Rickie Fowler. Doubled it. pic.twitter.com/lkecph7uhW
— Steve Elling (@EllingYelling) April 7, 2016
But Fowler, never one to do things the way they’ve always been done, bounced back and then some. Rickie was able to get aboard in two shots on the par-5 second hole and two putt for a birdie. At the third, Fowler put it in the fairway again and stuck his second shot to about 13 feet. He made the putt for birdie and quickly erased his opening hole blunder to get back to even. After a par at the fourth, Fowler fired an absolute laser on his second shot into No. 5 green, leaving four feet for birdie.
Fowler was just screwing around on the first hole. pic.twitter.com/8h9HmrCQWx
— Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) April 7, 2016
He made the putt and put himself near the leaders in the very early going.
So far after about three hours of play, Bernd Wiesberger, Zach Johnson, and defending champion Jordan Spieth are setting the pace at 2-under. Spieth, was unable to birdie the par-5 second like Fowler, which is always a missed opportunity here.
But Spieth did hit a great appraoach on No. 3 for his first red number of the day. At the par-3 sixth hole, Spieth joined the lead by pouring in a birdie putt from 13 feet. This is the distance from which Spieth was so deadly last year -- saving pars and making birdies you’re not always supposed to. Spieth stands in the early co-lead at 2-under as he attempts to become only the fourth player to repeat as Masters champion.
Here is an early update of the leaderboard as we get close to noon in Augusta.
| Place | Player | Score | Thru |
| T1 | Bernd Wiesberger | -2 | 9 |
| T1 | Zach Johnson | -2 | 7 |
| T1 | Jordan Spieth | -2 | 6 |
| T4 | Victor Dubuisson | -1 | 10 |
| T4 | Thongchai Jaidee | -1 | 9 |
| T4 | Lee Westwood | -1 | 8 |
| T4 | Louis Oosthuizen | -1 | 6 |
| T4 | Paul Casey | -1 | 6 |
| T4 | Bryson DeChambeau | -1 | 6 |
| T4 | Harris English | -1 | 3 |
| T4 | Justin Rose | -1 | 1 |
| T12 | Kevin Streelman | E | 10 |
| T12 | Chris Wood | E | 8 |
| T12 | Tom Watson | E | 8 |
| T12 | Charley Hoffman | E | 8 |
| T12 | Rickie Fowler | E | 7 |
| T12 | Emiliano Grillo | E | 5 |
| T12 | Hideki Matsuyama | E | 3 |
| T12 | Henrik Stenson | E | 2 |
| T12 | Jamie Donaldson | E | 1 |
| T12 | Daniel Berger | E | 1 |
| T12 | Mike Weir | E | 1 |
| T23 | Jim Herman | 1 | 13 |
| T23 | Trevor Immelman | 1 | 10 |
| T23 | Larry Mize | 1 | 10 |
| T23 | Vaughn Taylor | 1 | 9 |
| T23 | Dustin Johnson | 1 | 5 |
| T23 | Justin Thomas | 1 | 5 |
| T23 | Chris Kirk | 1 | 4 |
| T23 | Vijay Singh | 1 | 4 |
| T23 | Kevin Na | 1 | 3 |
| T23 | Andy Sullivan | 1 | 3 |
| T23 | Phil Mickelson | 1 | 2 |
| T23 | Marc Leishman | 1 | 2 |
| T23 | Kevin Kisner | 1 | 1 |
| T23 | Adam Scott | 1 | 1 |
| T23 | Brooks Koepka | 1 | 1 |
| T23 | Sammy Schmitz | 1 | 1 |
| T39 | Derek Bard | 2 | 10 |
| T39 | Cheng JIN | 2 | 7 |
| T41 | Sandy Lyle | 3 | 9 |
| T41 | Webb Simpson | 3 | 8 |
| T41 | Jason Dufner | 3 | 6 |
| T41 | Patrick Reed | 3 | 6 |
| 45 | Robert Streb | 4 | 10 |
| 46 | Steven Bowditch | 6 | 13 |
* * *
Watch Ernie Els seven-putt from six feet out
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