AUGUSTA, Ga. — For whatever you want to say about what the Masters has been this year with Kevin Hart, Jason Kelce and something called The Miz making appearances on the grounds here and on your television — and we will get to some of that at some point this week — one thing remains the bedrock of this place.
One thing undergirds everything else that happens here. Whether you think the par 3 contest is silly, the Champions Dinner is saccharine and the gnomes are downright stupid, one point is irrefutable. And that is that Augusta National is still, arguably without peer, the best championship golf course in the world.
On a week when storylines have lacked at times and the hubbub of the event has waned just a little bit in the afterglow of Rory’s historic win, the main character emerged on Thursday, resulting in middle fingers, club-twirling shots OB and wonderful quotes from past champions who got pummeled late in the shadows of Thursday afternoon.
Let’s get to all of that and more with 13 thoughts on Round 1 of the 2026 Masters.
Name drops today: Eli Manning, Ryan Klesko, RNP, Ollie, Haotong Li and Major Championship P.
Thanks to Garmin for presenting today’s newsletter. Not only is Garmin giving away a Z30 rangefinder to whoever is closest to guessing my step total on Thursday (you still have time to guess — I haven’t revealed it yet), but they are also outfitting me with their amazing Approach S70 watch, which I used to count said steps.
Also, perhaps we can get Patty Reed a Z30 for the 15th tomorrow after he absolutely sent one over the green and into the pond on 16 just after absolutely twirling one (I dropped the GIF below in the members only portion of the newsletter, and I greatly hope you enjoy it).
OK, now onto the news.
Round 1 Leaderboard Fruit Nursery Edition
1. It felt a bit like a “Saturday at the U.S. Open” course setup on Thursday here at ANGC. The wild part about watching guys in person is just how difficult it seemed like it was for them to get balls to stop on the proper shelf. I watched a ton of shots into 18 (back left) and some into 14 (front right) as well as 15 (middle far left), and all three shots gave players absolute fits.
There is no defense in golf, which makes it unique compared to almost all other sports. This means that not only is the golf course part of the game in a way other venues (football fields, basketball courts) are not, but that it can also become one of the primary characters. It would be weird to watch other sports and act as if the defenders don’t matter at all, and yet we rarely think about courses in this way.
Until we get to Augusta National that is.
Does it look fun to play? Absolutely not. Are the same guys who were bopping around, having the time of their lives with their children less than 24 hours ago mad as hell about having to navigate these bowling-alley-hard greens? A thousand percent.
But listen, sometimes you face Ryan Klesko in left field, and sometimes Vladdy is throwing missiles from all over the yard. That’s just sort of the deal.
And I know which one I prefer watching.
2. I thought Fred Couples described it most eloquently.
Fred, by the way, was 2 under thru 14 and finished 9-5-6-4 to shoot 78. A tough scene — especially since he went from six up on Bryson to two down against him — but here’s what he said after his round.
Well, it's fun. It's very fun. It's fun at all times. It's challenging at all times. But it's getting really, really firm. I don't know what they'll do tonight. I know I have an early morning tee time tomorrow so that might help me stop a ball on the green. … It's really rock hard.
Again, it's Augusta National. It's supposed to be like that. The wind makes it challenging because you can't really realize how far you're going to hit it.
You fly it a little far, goes over the green. Fly it a little short, you come up short and the chipping is hard. For the really good players I think they want it like this.
Fred Couples
The greens may look big, but the reality is that they are tiny. Divided by different levels, and additionally shrunk by how firm the bounces were. Watching shots into 15 all day (and subsequent reactions from players) proved that.
Here’s what Max Homa added.
Even on the easiest day here, you're still playing on the razor's edge. I watched in my group one of the guys got off to not a great start, and you start to trying to press on a hole like three. If you [hit] a great shot, you have a kick in. If you don't, it's hard to make par or bogey at times.
So that's this whole place. I think that's why you see when someone wins, they hit a legendary golf shot, but someone that day also tried that and, you know, blew up in their face. It's the golf course, man. Everything is so fine.
Max Homa
It’s the golf course, man.
Five guys in the 60s (it was out there) and 10 in the 80s (but you better hit the right shots). Simply the best championship venue in the world.
3. There are 1,000 things to say about Rory’s round today, but the one that rings the most true right now is that the freedom we thought he was going to experience in 2025 after winning here last year seems to actually be hitting him right now.
He did not play particularly well over the first nine holes today, still went out in 34, hit some absolutely filthy wedge shots and shot 67 on a day when 1. He did not have his best stuff and 2. The field average was nearly 75.
It was the exact round that always made everyone wonder how he hadn’t won three of these by the time he turned 30 and caused Fred Couples to state after Thursday that he may never lose here again.
4. There were two Rory quotes that if I’m Sam Burns, Jason Day or Pat Reed are extremely concerning to me. Here’s the first one.
I think it's easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the champions locker room and put my green jacket on and have a Coke Zero at the end of the day.
Rory McIlroy
That is a problem.
The next one even more so.
I still have high expectations of myself, but my expectations are more, Did I make good decisions today? Was I committed? Was I trusting? It wasn't my expectations of, I'm going to go out and shoot 65 and did I do it?
I think it took me a while to get to that point where, if I focus on the process and the little mini goals of not compounding errors, like today, hitting it in trees and trying to be a hero, making good decisions, thinking my way around the golf course, I think those are the expectations I have for myself. And if I can live up to those expectations, then the scores and the results should take care of itself.
Rory McIlroy
That is terrifying. Rory’s talent with Scottie’s mindset would keep me up at night if I’m anybody else on the board.
This post will continue below for Normal Club members (all 1,043 of them) and includes notes from the grounds on Thursday and a memorable morning in a press conference with three Masters legends.
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