The Golf Storm

April 7, 2023

By: Carlos Alvarez

Happy Friday

It was sunshine and red numbers on Day 1 at The Masters, but it won’t stay that way. A rainy Round 2 is on the way. We could see the wettest and coldest Masters on record before Sunday ends. In the meantime, let\’s recap Round 1.

Letter Rip!

THE MASTERS

Day 1: Low Scores & Bright Skies

\"\"/ — *Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images*

Hovland, Rahm & Koepka Share Lead With 7-Under 65 in Round 1, But Inclement Weather Awaits

Thursday was the day to go low at Augusta National, and a bunch of star players did just that. The weather at The Masters stayed steady in Round 1, but that won’t be the case today. Tee times for Round 2 have already been moved up by 30 minutes to try and strike off some holes before the weather hits, and it should be dicey throughout the day. Round 1 was the day to go low, and it was the lowest-scoring round at The Masters, collectively, since 2009. Here’s the recap of Round 1 before we get things started again this morning.

The Leaders: Hovland, Rahm & Koepka

Entering Round 2, three players share the top spot on the leaderboard with 7-under — Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka. Hovland soared to the top of the leaderboard early in the day before Rahm and Koepka came on late. Rahm actually began his day with a double bogey on Hole 1 before turning things around. Those three leaders actually matched the most scores of 65 or lower in a single round in Masters history. The lowest score ever posted in competition at Augusta is a 63 (9-under).

Group of Stars in Red Numbers

By the end of Day 1, 36 of the 86 golfers finished below par. Thursday’s weather and pin locations made it likely the lowest-scoring round of the weekend. Things won’t be as easy in Round 2 and beyond. But three dozen players still feel confident in their chances after 18 holes.

Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy Struggle

Two of the game’s biggest stars struggled throughout their opening rounds. Woods fell to 3-over before salvaging a late birdie to enter the clubhouse at 2-over. McIlroy posted a double-bogey in the 7th and another pair of bogeys on the back-nine, but he fought to get in at even par.

Weekend Forecast: It’s subject to change, but it doesn’t look good right now. The forecast at Augusta National calls for 74 degrees and an 80 percent chance of rain on Friday. Saturday and Sunday see an even higher chance of rain with temperatures in the low-50s.

Round 1 Leaderboard

T1. V. Hovland (-7)

T1. J. Rahm (-7)

T1. B. Koepka (-7)

T4. C. Young (-5)

T4. J. Day (-5)

T6. S. Scheffler (-4)

T6. X. Schauffele (-4)

T6. S. Burns (-4)

T6. S. Lowry (-4)

T6. A. Scott (-4)

T6. G. Woodland (-4)

Other Notable Scorecards: J. Rose (-3), C. Morikawa (-3), T. Finau (-3), J. Spieth (-3), J. Thomas (-2), C. Smith (-2), F. Couples (-1), P. Reed (-1), P. Cantlay (-1), S. Im (-1), H. Matsuyama (-1), P. Mickelson (-1), D. Johnson (-1), M. Homa (-1), R. McIlroy (E), F. Molinari (E), H. Varner III (E), T. Fleetwood (E), T. Woods (+2), B. DeChambeau (+2) | Full Leaderboard

Watch: The Masters Round 1 Highlights

Round 2 Tee Times

*All Starting Times Moved Up 30 Minutes Due to the Weather

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: Masters Takeaways: Is Brooks Koepka’s Revival For Real?

SI: Augusta Thought One Part Of Its Course Needed A Refresh. Meet the New 13th Hole

Sporting News: Sam Bennett Scores Lowest Amateur Round in Masters History

Golf.com: Did He Cheat? Explaining the Collin Morikawa Rules Confusion

USA Today: LIV Golf’s Phil Mickelson Lost Weight. He Also Lost His Huge, Adoring Crowds

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NCAAH

The Frozen Four Finale

\"\"/ — *Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images*

#1 Minnesota & #2 Quinnipiac to Meet in NCAA Hockey Final on Saturday

The bracket madness isn’t over yet! The NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament is down to its final two teams after a pair of Frozen Four matchups last night saw top-seed Minnesota and 2-seed Quinnipiac earn blowout victories over Boston and #3 Michigan, respectively. Three of the Frozen Four programs have an extensive title-winning history, but the underdogs are searching for a piece of history.

Minnesota (5), Michigan (9), and Boston (5) entered with 19 combined championships while Quinnipiac is on the brink of their first. Jacob Quillan led Quinnipiac in their semifinal win with two goals and an assist. Logan Cooley and Luke Mittelstadt both tallied two goals and an assist for Minnesota. It’ll be the Golden Gopher Giants against the little guys (Bobcats) from Connecticut.

Frozen Four Highlights

#1 Minnesota def. Boston U. (6-2)

#2 Quinnipiac def. #3 Michigan (5-2)

Frozen Four Final

#1 Minnesota vs. #2 Quinnipiac (Sat. 8:00 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Minnesota & Quinnipiac Advance to Frozen Four Final

The Athletic: Minnesota Keeps Composure, Beats BU to Reach Frozen Four Final

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THE HIGHLIGHTS

NBA: CP3 Hits Seven 3s in Suns’ 7th Straight Win

A slow night in the NBA saw a lot of teams empty the benches with their playoff destiny secured, but not Phoenix. The Suns escaped the Nuggets (119-115) thanks to a career-high seven 3s (7-for-12) from Chris Paul. Phoenix boasts the NBA’s longest active win streak at seven games.

NHL: Bruins Pull Within 1 Win of NHL Record

It took the full 60 minutes and then some to beat the Maple Leafs (2-1, OT) and pull within one game of the NHL’s all-time wins record (62). Boston needed an overtime winner from David Pastrnak, his 57th of the season, and they’re now 61-12-5 (127 points) with four games to play.

MLB: Braves Get Walk-Off Win in Home Opener

The MLB moment of the night belonged to Orlando Arcia with his walk-off single that gave the Braves a thrilling 7-6 win over the Padres on Thursday. Atlanta rallied from two runs down in the 8th before Arcia’s walk-off winner, and the Braves (6-1) own the best record in the NL.

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THE STORYLINES

Lionel Messi’s Next Destination

For all the options Messi has before him as he considers how to spend his last few seasons as a pro soccer player, the one leading the pack and making the most sense is the choice that would bring him to Saudi Arabia, in his old rival Ronaldo\’s new home. (FOX Sports)

Final NBA Playoff Predictions

The start of the 2023 NBA playoffs is just days away, with many of the final seedings still undecided. With just a handful of games left, here are our final NBA playoff bracket predictions for the opening round. (Bleacher Report)

MLB Power Rankings Week 1

We\’re one week into the 2023 season and there\’s been plenty of excitement. Is your favorite team off to a hot start — and more importantly, will it last? Or are you hoping the first week\’s returns aren\’t a glimpse of the future? (ESPN)

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THE HEADLINES

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The Future of The Sportsletter

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WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

The Masters

Augusta National (All Weekend)

NCAA Frozen Four

#1 Minnesota vs. #2 Quinnipiac (Sat. 8:00 pm)

NBA

Bulls at Mavericks (Fri. 8:30 pm)

Suns at Lakers (Fri. 10:30 pm)