2024 Masters comparison: LIV golfers vs PGA players on Thursday | Who came out on top?

The tournament was delayed for 2 1/2 hours on Thursday due to bad weather. When the sun finally emerged from behind the towering pines of Augusta National, Bryson DeChambeau stepped up and amazed the Masters patrons. He made birdies on the first three holes and finished his round with a remarkable flourish, scoring birdies on holes 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17. DeChambeau’s excellent performance saw him shoot a scorching 7-under 65, setting the standard for the rest of the tournament.

This year, fewer LIV golfers qualified for the 2024 Masters than last year (13 compared to 18). However, some of golf’s biggest storylines remain the players who split from the PGA Tour. There was talk of a deal to merge the two entities last summer that would have bridged the two tours through Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. But talks stalled after missing a Dec. 31 deadline. With fewer players in the tournament, there are fewer chances for LIV golfers to make a better result statistically.

The best-placed LIV player, after DeChambeau, was Joaquin Niemann, who had a double bogey on the par-4 fifth hole, had five birdies, and just one bogey outside of the poor fifth hole, finishing his round at 2-under and tied for eighth place. Niemann received a rare special invitation from the Masters to compete in 2024. Masters chairman Fred Ridley said this “announcement represents the tournament’s continued commitment towards developing interest in the game of golf across the world.”

Cameron Smith was next, scoring 1-under 71 and tied for 17th place. The only downside of his otherwise positive round was a ball into Rae’s Creek at No. 12. Highlights of his round included birdies at Nos. 2, 6, and 15.

Sergio Garcia scored an even par 72 and tied for 32nd place. He had a mixed day, with three bogeys and a double bogey in the middle of his round. But he finished strong by posting birdies in three of his final six holes after landing his tee shot in Rae’s Creek on the par-3 12th and finding himself at 3-over.

After playing one round on the Augusta National course, the players’ scores were as follows: Jon Rahm scored 1-over 73 and tied for 42nd place, as did Phil Mickelson. Meanwhile, Charl Schwartzel scored 2-over 74 and tied for 54th place, followed by Adrian Meronk, who scored 6-over 78 and tied for 85th place.

Augusta National’s opening round was interrupted by darkness. Play will resume at 7:45 a.m. for some players on Friday.