How did former Crimson Tide golfers fare in Masters first round?
After a rain-delayed Masters start that will leave several golfers coming back to finish their first rounds on Friday, all three Alabama Crimson Tide products in the field got through all 18 holes on the Masters’ opening day.
Almost 30 golfers will still need to complete their first rounds on Friday morning. Those players will begin at 6:50 a.m. central time while the first group of the second round will tee off on the front nine at 7:00 a.m.
Of the trio, Justin Thomas played the best round finishing with an even-par 72. Thomas played the front nine at -1 before bogeying the 10th and 11th holes. He made a birdie on 15 to get back to even par.
He’s tied for 32nd place.
Lee Hodges did not make a birdie in the first round of his Masters debut, shooting a 2-over-par 74 for the day. He made 16 pars. His two bogeys came on the 9th and 12th hole.
20-year-old newly minted professional golfer Nick Dunlap had a roller-coaster round that ended with a +5 score, shooting a 77. Dunlap made two double-bogeys, four bogeys and three birdies.
At one point, Dunlap had clawed back to +2 as he played birdied 10, 11 and 15. But then he gave three shots back on the 17th and 18th holes. He’s in 82nd place.
Bryson DeChambeau is in the lead at the Masters on Thursday night at -7.
World No. 1 and 2022 Masters winner Scottie Scheffler is behind him at -6. Nicolai Højgaard is at -5 but still has three holes to play in the first round. Jacksonville State product and 2016 Masters winner Danny Willett is at -4. Max Homa is also at -4, and will pick up his first round Friday morning on the 14th hole.
Hodges will tee off at 7:00 a.m. CT in the first group to start the second round. Thomas tees off at 12:24 p.m. CT.
Dunlap tees off at 12:36 p.m. CT.
Matt Cohen covers sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]