Masters 2022: Five interesting facts from first round

Tiger Woods was the main highlight of the first round of the Masters, but there was enough of other action to take in terms of providing some facts and figures that intrigued or outright wowed us. Here are five facts from Round 1 that stood out:

Scheffler looks to change history as world number 1

Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, started the day with a three-under-par 69 and finished T-3. It’s an unusually favourable situation for the world’s finest player.

Since the introduction of ranking in 1986, golfers at the top have had difficulty in the first round of the year’s first major. Only two players have finished first or tied for first in the first 18 holes: Greg Norman in 1996 and Dustin Johnson in 2020.

Only four times before Scheffler did the player shoot in the 60s, and Tiger Woods held that slot for 12 of those Masters.

Luck on Smith’s side

Credits: Gregory Shamus

Cameron Smith had a great day, starting and finishing with a double bogey and still finishing in second place with a 68.

Despite finishing one shot behind the first-round lead, he was within striking distance of some elite company.

Dennis Paulson, who shot 68 to take the outright lead in 2000 despite making a 6 on the par-4 11th, was the last player to win the crystal vase for having the lowest score after 18 holes with a double bogey on the card.

On the plus side, Smith’s luck should be better than Paulson’s, who failed to break par in any of the subsequent rounds, finishing T-14 with a score of 76-73-72.

Zalatoris aims at victory

Credits: David Cannon

Nine times in the Masters’ history a player has finished second and won the green jacket the following year.

Will Zalatoris finished second in his first Masters last year and got off to a good start on Thursday with a one-under-par 71 as he tries to join the likes of Ralph Guldahl (1937-38); Byron Nelson (1941-42); Arnold Palmer (1961-62); Jack Nicklaus (1964-65); Billy Casper (1969-70); Nicklaus again (1971-72); Ben Crenshaw (1983-84); Jordan Spieth (2014-15 (2019-20).

Zalatoris is attempting to join Nelson, Casper, Crenshaw, Spieth, and Johnson as the first player to win a major after finishing second the previous year.

Two players to hit 14 fairways

Credits: Jamie Squire

Bernhard Langer and Louis Osthuizen were the only players to hit all 14 fairways at Augusta National on Thursday.

However, being a perfect 14-for-14 on the course did not result in the intended outcomes on the scorecard, as both Langer, a two-time Masters champion, and Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Championship winner, posted four-over-par 76s.

Bryson continues to give difficult times

Credits: Gregory Shamus

Bryson DeChambeau’s double-bogey 6 on the par-4 14th hole continued a troubling pattern for the American golfer, particularly his proclivity for putting up large scores.

DeChambeau, who is in his 21st competitive round at the Masters, now has 13 double bogeys and a quad at No. 3 in the second round of 2021.

With a double box on the card, it’s hard for a man who famously declared Augusta National was a par 67 for him to get to that number.