Masters forecaddie: Analysis of Round 1 at Augusta National

Stay tuned throughout the day as theScore keeps you updated with insights and analysis from Round 1 of the Masters.

Welcome in!

We tracked everything going on at Augusta National during Round 1 and provided analysis on what we saw. We focused on the leaders, marquee names, and any surprises throughout the day.

Let's get to it! (All times ET.)

7:20 p.m. - The round is complete! It was a phenomenal opening round (unless you're named Rory McIlroy) that sets the stage nicely for the remainder of the tournament.

Here's where we stand after Day 1:

Odds via theScore Bet/ESPN Bet

Data via DataGolf.com

6:50 p.m. - Rory McIlroy may have posted the most disappointing even-par round in Masters history. He carded another double-bogey on the 17th before scrambling for par to end a round destined to be his best opening day at the Masters since 2011. McIlroy was once the +250 favorite, but has fallen to +1100 thanks to an ugly four-hole stretch.

6:34 p.m. - Here comes Bryson! The big hitter birdies No. 16 for his third red number in his last four holes. DeChambeau was the first-round leader at last year's Masters after shooting 65 in Round 1. He's three shots off that pace right now, but his game seems to be in a much better spot.

6:00 p.m. - Disaster strikes for Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman's first mistake of Round 1 is costly - he chipped his third shot into the water on No. 15, leading to a double-bogey seven. As a result, his odds to win plummet from +250 to +550, a 13% swing in implied probability.

5:35 p.m. - Justin Rose is in the clubhouse at 7-under par, a brilliant round that thrust him into contention at yet another major. However, Rose gained over five strokes putting on Thursday, which will be tough to sustain. He's the third favorite to win at +750 behind Rory McIlroy (+250) and Scottie Scheffler (+300).

5:10 p.m. - Jon Rahm seems lost - and angry. The 2023 champ is wearing his emotions on his sleeve as he tries to finish his opening round without completely embarrassing himself. Rahn is 4-over through 11, which is by far the worst showing out of any of the pre-tournament favorites, and his outright odds move from +1600 to +9000.

4:55 p.m. - Justin Rose's sensational opening round continues as he buries his seventh birdie of the day on No. 15 to take an early three-shot lead. Rose has missed three of six cuts on the PGA TOUR this season, so this outburst is a bit of a surprise. He does love Augusta, though: He's a two-time runner-up at the Masters and has 14 top-25 finishes in 19 appearances.

4:40 p.m. - Early in the day, it looked as though we could be in store for some low scores. But that's not the case. Augusta National is playing extremely firm and fast, and even without much wind, the scoring average is 1.81 strokes over par (73.81). Four holes are playing under par, and only one of those is on the back nine (the par-5 15th).

4:25 p.m. - It's been an uncharacteristic day for Xander Schauffele, the biggest name struggling on Thursday. The two-time major winner hit every fairway through 11 holes, but only six greens in regulation. He made three straight bogeys heading to No. 12 in the heart of Amen Corner.

3:55 p.m. - It was a nearly perfect first nine for Rory McIlroy. He had two moments of stress: par putts on the par-5 second and par-3 fourth, both of which he converted. He heads to the back nine at 3-under par - three shots behind Rose and one back of Scheffler.

3:35 p.m. - Quick stats update: Leader Justin Rose tops the field in strokes gained: putting, picking up over four shots on the field on the greens. Corey Conners (-4) and Scottie Scheffler (-4) are in the top five. Harris English (-2) led the field in strokes gained: approach, with Joaquin Niemann (E) second and Tyrrell Hatton (-3) third.

3:15 p.m. - Collin Morikawa's time near the top of the leaderboard was short-lived. He played his final four holes at 3-over to fall into a tie for 23rd at even par. His odds lengthened drastically from +800 to +3500 as a result.

3:00 p.m. - Again?! Scheffler drained a 42-footer on the par-3 16th to move one shot off Rose's lead. He's made over 100 feet of putts between two birdies on par 3s. (He sank a 62-footer on No. 4.) The reigning champion has gained over two strokes putting through 16 holes, and his odds are already down to +250 (28.6% implied probability).

2:50 p.m. - There's something about major championships that brings out the best in Justin Rose. The 44-year-old Englishman made the turn at 5-under after hitting seven on nine greens in regulation and putting well enough to gain nearly three shots with the flatstick. Rose was a runner-up at the Open Championship last year - the most recent major contested.

2:30 p.m. - We have a new clubhouse leader. Corey Conners birdied three of his final four holes to post a 4-under 68. The Canadian gained over two strokes putting - a rarity for him - and gained nearly another two around the greens. His odds to win shifted from +5000 to +2000 with his opening-round performance.

2:20 p.m. - Every group has teed off, and the afternoon wave is bringing the fireworks. Bryson DeChambeau is 2-under through two and launched a 362-yard drive on the par-5 second. He then showed off his short game with a tidy pitch into the third to put another circle on the scorecard.

1:55 p.m. - Collin Morikawa hasn't done anything exceptional today besides avoiding bogeys and making an eagle on the par-5 13th. Morikawa's blemish-free scorecard puts him one behind Hatton's 4-under lead. His live odds are down to +800, still behind Scheffler (3-under through 12) and Rory McIlroy (E through two holes).

1:40 p.m. - Shot of the day so far goes to Fred Couples, who holed out for eagle on the par-4 14th from 191 yards using a hybrid! The big bird put the 65-year-old into a tie for sixth at 1-under.

1:30 p.m. - Fun fact: Scheffler's first-nine score of 3-under ties the best start from a defending champion in the past 30 years. There have been four other instances, one of which was Scheffler in 2023, according to the Twenty First Group's Justin Ray.

1:25 p.m. - Max Homa sighting? The golfer who received the most bets to miss the cut at theScore Bet/ESPN Bet is 2-under through four holes. It's the easiest stretch at Augusta National but still a positive sign for Homa, who's missed five straight cuts in the lead-up to the Masters.

12:55 p.m. - Some notable names are starting to climb up the leaderboard. Tyrrell Hatton (-3), Justin Rose (-3 through three), and Jordan Spieth (-2) are all off to great starts. Hatton is currently the lowest LIV player with Niemann stuck at 2-under.

12:50 p.m. - The last thing the rest of the field wants to see is Scottie Scheffler's name near the top of the leaderboard early on Thursday. Bad news, folks - Scheffler is in cruise control. The reigning champ is 3-under through nine holes, one off Stephan Jaeger's lead, and hasn't hit a poor shot yet. His live odds to win are down to +290, a 25.6% implied probability.

12:26 p.m. - Justin Thomas is struggling big time. His score may not reflect it at 1-over par through seven holes, but he hasn't hit a good shot. Thomas failed to convert two straightforward up-and-downs, was forced to make an 11-footer to save par on No. 7 after an errant drive, and chunked his approach into the par-5 eighth.

12:05 p.m. - We may have gotten a bit excited regarding early-round scoring. The front nine is playing 0.15 strokes over par with nine groups through. It's imperative for someone looking to post a solid front-nine score to make birdies early and hang on. The par-4 fifth is playing 0.62 strokes over par.

11:50 a.m. - Bernhard Langer is a magician and this stat is too good not to share. Langer's longest drive during warm-up was 238 yards, according to Golf Digest's Joel Beall, and is currently 1-under through 11 holes, sitting at T16.

11:30 a.m. - Aaron Rai makes the turn leading at 4-under. One of the most accurate drivers on the PGA TOUR hit all seven fairways on the front and seven of nine greens in regulation. He's gained over three strokes tee-to-green and has live odds of +4500. Rai has the game to make some serious noise this week.

11:15 a.m. - Scheffler is off to a comfortable 2-under start through four holes. He took care of the par-5 second and missed a slippery 12-footer for birdie on No. 3. He was seen yawning as he walked toward the fourth green then rolled in a 62-footer for birdie. Talk about a walk in the park.

10:45 a.m. - Rai becomes the first player to reach 3-under par in his Masters debut. All three of his birdie putts have been less than 10 feet long, and he also missed a 6-footer on No. 4. His closing odds were +17500, but his current odds of +6000 may be worth a look.

10:37 a.m. - Joaquin Niemann is off to a fantastic start, making birdie on his first two holes. He then burned the edge on No. 3, narrowly missing out on a third straight. LIV's top player has yet to record a top-15 finish in a major championship but couldn't have drawn up a better start.

10:15 a.m. - Nicolai Hojgaard started 3-over through two holes but rattled off five birdies over his next six holes, showing how scorable Augusta is at the moment. Hojgaard becomes the first player since 1992 to have at least five birdies and a double-bogey or worse on their first nine holes, according to the Twenty First Group's Justin Ray.

9:55 a.m. - As the lead group makes the turn, scoring conditions at Augusta are perfect. There isn't a breath of wind, and golfers are taking advantage, with 13 players already in red numbers. If someone can make par on No. 1, they'll have a good shot at getting to 2-under par quickly. The par-5 second follows, and No. 3, playing nearly half a stroke under par, could end up being the easiest hole today.