12 MONTHS ON FROM HIDEKI MATSUYAMA BECOMING THE FIRST ASIAN WINNER OF THE MASTERS, KOREA'S SUNGJAE IM HAS TAKEN THE FIRST ROUND LEAD WITH A ROUND OF 67 TO LEAD BY 1 FROM THE PLAYERS CHAMPION, AUSTRALIA'S CAMERON SMITH. IM WAS RUNNER-UP TO DUSTIN JOHNSON IN 2020 AND HAS WON TWICE ON THE PGA TOUR, WINNING IN 2020 AND 2021. THE 24-YEAR-OLD IS CURRENTLY RANKED 26TH ON THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING, AND HIS PERFORMANCE IN 2020 SHOWS HE WILL NOT BE GOING AWAY EASILY IN THE FIGHT FOR THE TITLE.
HE BIRDIED THE FIRST THREE HOLES AND ADDED A FOURTH AT THE SEVENTH HOLE BEFORE BOGEYS AT 10 AND 11 STALLED HIS CHARGE. THE MAN FROM JEJU THEN THEN MADE A SPECTACULAR EAGLE AT THE THIRTEENTH BEFORE MAKING A BIRDIE AT THE FIFTEENTH. IM HAS BECOME KNOWN AS SOMEHWAT OF AN 'IRONMAN' ON TOUR, PLAYING AN AVERAGE OF OVER 30 TOURNAMENTS PER YEAR FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, AND THERE'S NO DOUBT THE KOREAN HAS THE QUALITY TO FOLLOW IN THE JAPANESE'S FOOTSTEPS AND WIN THE MASTERS.
HE BIRDIED THE FIRST THREE HOLES AND ADDED A FOURTH AT THE SEVENTH HOLE BEFORE BOGEYS AT 10 AND 11 STALLED HIS CHARGE. THE MAN FROM JEJU THEN THEN MADE A SPECTACULAR EAGLE AT THE THIRTEENTH BEFORE MAKING A BIRDIE AT THE FIFTEENTH. IM HAS BECOME KNOWN AS SOMEHWAT OF AN 'IRONMAN' ON TOUR, PLAYING AN AVERAGE OF OVER 30 TOURNAMENTS PER YEAR FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, AND THERE'S NO DOUBT THE KOREAN HAS THE QUALITY TO FOLLOW IN THE JAPANESE'S FOOTSTEPS AND WIN THE MASTERS.
SAITAMA, JAPAN - JULY 28: Sungjae Im of South Korea practices prior to the Men’s Individual Stroke Play event on Day 8 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on July 28, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR/IGF)
THE PLAYERS CHAMPION, AUSTRALIAN CAMERON SMITH HAD A WILD ROUND WHICH BEGAN AND ENDED WITH A DOUBLE-BOGEY BUT FEATURED 8 BIRDIED IN BETWEEN AND 2020 RUNNER-UP LOOKS SET TO CONTEND FOR THE GREEN JACKET AGAIN, AS WELL AS THE 2020 CHAMPION DUSTIN JOHNSON AND 2016 CHAMPION DANNY WILLETT. BOTH PLAYERS OPENED THEIR TOURNAMENTS WITH ROUNDS OF 69 TO SIT 2 OFF THE LEAD.
DANNY WILLETT AT THE 2021 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP. WILLETT HAS WON AT AUGUSTA, WENTWORTH AND ST ANDREWS, SOMETHING ONLY JACK NICKLAUS AND NICK FALDO CAN MATCH.
TIGER WOODS MADE HIS REMARKABLE RETURN TO GOLF WITH A STUNNING ROUND OF 71 TO SIT INSIDE THE TOP 10 AFTER 508 DAYS AWAY FROM COMPETITIVE GOLF FOLLOWING HIS CAR ACCIDENT IN FEBRUARY 2021. THE 5-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION WAS FOLLOWED BY LARGE GALLERIES AND CHEERED ON AT ALMOST EVERY SHOT, AND MADE BIRDIES AT THE 6TH, 13TH AND 16TH TO COUNTER BOGEYS AT 8 AND 14.
RORY MCILROY, CHASING THE FINAL LEG OF THE CAREER GRAND SLAM FOR AN 8TH TIME, MADE AN SLOW START TO HIS TOURNAMENT, POSTING A ROUND OF 73 WHICH FEATURED 2 BIRDIES AND 3 BOGEYS.
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA WAS IN TREMENDOUS FORM PRIOR TO THE FLORIDA SWING BUT RECENT INJURIES HAD PUT HIS MASTERS DEFENCE IN SOME DOUBT, HOWEVER THE 2021 CHAMPION IS AT AUGUSTA AND MADE A SOLID START TO THE WEEK WITH A ROUND OF 72, WHICH FEATURED 3 BIRDIES AND 3 BOGEYS.
JORDAN SPIETH, BRYSON DECHAMBEAU AND BROOKS KOEPKA ALL MADE LESS THAN IMPRESSIVE STARTS WITH ROUNDS OF 74, 76 AND 75 RESPECTIVELY, LEAVING THEM EACH WITH MUCH WORK TO DO ON FRIDAY IF THEY ARE TO MAKE THE WEEKEND AND CHALLENGE FOR MORE MAJOR GLORY.
SKY SPORTS BEGIN THEIR COVERAGE OF DAY TWO AT 2PM WITH BUILD-UP AND FEATURED GROUPS INCLUDING DUSTIN JOHNSON AND RORY MCILROY, WITH THE FULL LIVE COVERAGE BEGINNING AT 7.30PM.
