The Masters 2019: The best storylines from the first round at Augusta National

Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka looking for first Masters title

It’s an easy line to take, but you can never ignore the players who find their way to a share of the lead at the Masters. The old saying is that you can’t win the championship on Thursday, but getting a leg up never hurt anybody.

Only five players in the history of the Masters have gone wire-to-wire. Jordan Spieth (we’ll touch on him later) is the most recent player to accomplish that feat, in 2015. Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972) and Raymond Floyd (1976). are the others. So if we go with the odds, this might not be a good thing for these two young stars, right?

Well, not so fast. Six other players have held a share of the first-round lead and gone on to win the green jacket. Unfortunately, Augusta doesn’t consider a shared lead after any round to qualify for “official” wire-to-wire status. 11 champions out of 82 isn’t much better, but hey, it’s something.

On a more serious note, DeChambeau and Koepka both played some outstanding golf on Thursday. Koepka, winner of two majors in 2018 and the last two U.S. Opens, posted a clean card for his six-under 66, despite losing significant weight over the past few months and generally not being on top of his game lately. The best revenge, they say, is living well, and Koepka certainly is doing that right now.

Bryson DeChambeau, on the other hand, continues to prove that his analytical game might not be for everybody, but it’s certainly working for him. He was the low amateur here in 2016, and after a T-38 finish in his first Masters as a pro last year, he’s beginning to adapt to the unique challenges of Augusta National.

DeChambeau made the turn to the second nine at just 1-under par for the day, but he got crazy hot at the end. He not only birdied all four par-5 holes on Thursday, he made birdie on six of his final seven to head to the clubhouse tied with Koepka at 6-under. He nearly aced No. 16, and his second shot on the par-4 18th hit the flagstick. He was literally inches away from doing something truly special.

“I was just looking to shoot something in the 60s because I’d never done that here before,” DeChambeau said. “What a magical back nine. The wind started to pick up around Amen Corner, and it was tough. It was not easy one bit.”

Both of these players are currently in the top six in the Official World Golf Ranking, and each have something to prove at this Masters Tournament. Don’t be shocked to see them continue to separate themselves from the pack as we move toward the cut on Friday.