Arizona State amateur makes curious Masters bathroom decision — in Rae’s Creek

AUGUSTA — Amateur Jose Luis Ballester is still learning his way around Augusta National.

That included where to use the bathroom on Thursday during the Masters first round.

The Arizona State senior said he didn’t know where to go when he needed to relieve himself near the 13 tee. So he shuffled over to the tributary of Rae’s Creek while playing partner Justin Thomas putted out on 12.

“I’m like, I really need to pee,” he said. “Didn’t really know where to go, and since JT had an issue on the green I’m like, I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me that much, and then they clapped for me.”

Ballester, who won last year’s U.S. Amateur Championship, shot 4-over 76 while playing with Thomas and defending champion Scottie Scheffler. He said his bathroom decision generated his biggest cheers from patrons during the round, adding he had no regrets.

“It was not embarrassing at all for me,” he said. “If I had to do it again, I would do it again.”

Masters first round leaders

Nick Dunlap’s scorecard says 90. But it’s not the worst round ever

Nick Dunlap needed 90 strokes to finish his first round Thursday at the Masters.

The University of Alabama product had a triple bogey at the par-4 fifth hole and four double bogeys on the second nine. His miserable time included his ball finding water on 11, 12 and 13.

Still, that’s not the worst round here of all time.

Officially, Charlie Kunkle set the record with a 95 in 1956.

Unofficially, Billy Casper holds the distinction. The 1970 Masters champion shot a 106 in 2005 but it wasn’t recorded because he didn’t turn in his scorecard and withdrew from the tournament.

Dunlap, 21, is in his second Masters after failing to make the cut last year in his debut. He expressed optimism earlier this week about this year’s tournament.

“Honestly last year I only played two days, but the more rounds you get out here, the better,” he said, “and the more prepared you’re going to be come game time.”

Scottie Scheffler has noteworthy opening round but isn’t the leader

Scottie Scheffler had one of the best rounds of his Masters career on Thursday.

Yet the world’s No. 1 golfer doesn’t hold the lead. That belongs to Justin Rose, the two-time runner-up here, at 7-under.

Scheffler had his second career bogey-free round at Augusta National, finishing with a 4-under 68. He joins Tiger Woods (2020) and Jordan Spieth (2016) as defending champions to post a bogey-free opening round.

Scheffler made two birdie putts of at least 40 feet, including one from 62 feet, just the second player, joining Brian Harman last year, to do so in the past five years.

Rose holds the top spot on the leaderboard after opening his round with three consecutive birdies and carding another three straight at 8, 9 and 10.

“I think anytime you get close to the lead, it’s going to be easier for you to win the golf tournament,” Scheffler said. “That’s a simple fact of the matter. You get off to a good start, statistically you’re going to have a better chance to win the tournament.”

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Rory McIlroy, left, and Ludvig Åberg wait by second green during first round of the Masters golf tournament, at Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Fred Couples still thriving at Augusta National

Fred Couples still has what it takes to thrive at Augusta National.

On Thursday, he shot a 1-under 71, just the second player age 65 or older to break par in a round at the Masters.

The 1992 Masters champion is 65 years, 189 days old. Tom Watson shot a 71 in the first round of the 2015 Masters at age 65 years, 217 days.

“I’ve been saying it for 40 years, I just love the course,” Couples said after his round.

“I mean, I think about it all the time. You know, if I could have won it one more time it would be the greatest upset in the world of golf, but I didn’t.

“But that was really my goal. But still, 65, still get to come back. It’s a fight. It really is a fight.”

The 15th player to make at least 40 starts in the Masters, Couples has been a fan favorite among patrons here for decades.

In 2023, he became the oldest to ever make the cut at 63 years, 6 months and 5 days of age. Couples has completed 72 holes in the Masters in five different decades and is second behind Jack Nicklaus in most tournament cuts made with 31.

Rory McIlroy isn’t the only headliner vying for a first green jacket

Rory McIlroy was the overwhelming “if you can’t pick Scottie Scheffler, who is going to win” selection heading into the 2025 Masters.

Even legends Gary Player, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus said on Thursday that it was time for McIlroy to win his first green jacket.

McIlroy, however, isn’t the only headlining name posing as a threat to Scheffler.

Tyrrell Hatton took the lead Thursday afternoon at 4-under. The 33-year-old from England has recorded top-10 finishes in all four major championships, including a T-9 here at the Masters a year ago.

Just before Hatton ascended to the top of the leadership, Collin Morikawa eagled No. 13 to move into a tie with Scheffler for second at 3-under. Morikawa tied for third at last year’s Masters and has three top 10s in his five tournament appearances.

Scottie Scheffler matches a Masters record, shares the lead

Scottie Scheffler sank a 62-foot putt. Then he tied a record. And he has a share of the lead.

Just another Thursday at the Masters.

Scheffler’s 3-under score, including the long putt for birdie on the par-3 fourth, matched the record for lowest through the first nine holes at the Masters by a defending champion.

He’s tied with Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose at the top of the leaderboard.

It’s early, of course, but Scheffler’s potential for dominance can’t be dismissed.

The Masters has had just five champions complete a wire-to-wire victory: Craig Wood in 1941, Arnold Palmer in 1960, Jack Nicklaus in 1972, Raymond Floyd in 1976, and Jordan Spieth in 2015.

Justin Rose becomes Masters trivia answer, joins Arnold Palmer and Raymond Floyd

Justin Rose became the 29th player to start the Masters with three straight birdies. Only two players did it at an older age than Rose, who is 44: Arnold Palmer (63 in 1993) and Raymond Floyd (49 in 1992).

Rose is in his 20th Masters. He finished runner-up in 2015 and ‘17.

Among new names on the Masters leaderboard, of course, is Scottie Scheffler

Sandwiched between names most casual onlookers probably don’t know, Scottie Scheffler is positioned near the lead early on Thursday at the Masters.

Stephan Jaeger — born in Germany, lives in Chattanooga — moved to the lead just after noon at 4-under. Jaeger didn’t make the cut last year in his first Masters.

In third place, newcomer Aaron Rai fell off after a strong start, posting back-to-back bogeys to fall to third at 2-under.

Scheffler sat between the two upstarts in second at 3-under after completing the first nine. The defending Masters champion carded birdies at the second, fourth and eighth.

Masters newcomer Aaron Rai starts fast, grabs early lead

Augusta National hasn’t fazed Aaron Rai. Not yet.

The Englishman fired off with four birdies on the first eight holes in his Masters debut to take the lead at 4-under.

Rai, 30, is one of 21 newcomers in the field. He was among first-time Masters players pushed as trendy picks to find success, including Maverick McNealy, Thomas Detry and Taylor Pendrith.

The last time a first-year player won the Masters was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

Nicolai Højgaard carded a 67 in his debut last year. He was one of 10 first-timers to make the cut in 2024.

Georgia Bulldogs top the leaderboard early

Georgia Bulldogs were bound to make their way to the front at the Masters.

There are seven of them playing here this week, after all.

Chris Kirk and Brian Harman each carded two birdies early during Thursday’s round, moving into a tie for the lead at 2-under.

Kirk, who lives near Athens in Watkinsville, has top 25 Masters finishes in each of the past two years. He birdied the par-5 second hole and added another at the par-3 fourth.

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Harman, a Savannah native who lives in St. Simons Island, tied for 12th at the 2021 Masters. He had back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2 and 3.

“Augusta National’s in the state of Georgia, so it’s a special place for all of us that grew up here,” Harman said earlier this week. “A special place across the world, but especially growing up close and watching this as a kid. It’s always one that we all circle.”

Joining as former Bulldogs in the field: Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, Russell Henley, Harris English, Sepp Straka and Davis Thompson.

Scottie Scheffler isn’t golf legend Gary Player’s Masters pick to win

Jack Nicklaus raised both hands above his head. Gary Player picked up his tee and kicked his right leg high into the air. Tom Watson drew laughs from patrons with a quip about bending down to place his ball.

These legends officially kicked off the 2025 Masters Tournament on Thursday with typical flair for dramatics and humor.

“When I walk up, make sure I don’t trip,” Nicklaus said later. “Second one is make sure I get the tee in the ground without falling over, and the third one is just don’t kill anybody. Don’t laugh too much about that — that’s actually the thoughts that I have."

This is the fourth year the trio — six-time champion Nicklaus, three-time winner Player and two-time champion Watson — hit opening tee shots at the Masters as honorary starters.

“I’m standing here for the 67th time, and I think the word is gratitude, just being here,” Player said. “It’s an honor to be at this — as the Scottish people say, the holy ground.”

The favorite to win this year’s Masters, Scottie Scheffler, is attempting to join Nicklaus as just the fourth player to win the tournament in back-to-back years.

Scheffler isn’t Player’s pick to win, though.

“I think Rory McIlroy will win the Masters this year, and I hope he does because it would give golf a great boost to have another winner of the Grand Slam,” he said. “He has the best swing in golf without a question.”

Watson agreed with Player, saying “I just have a gut feeling that Rory is the guy that’s going to win this week. That’s the bottom line. That’s my gut feeling.”

Nicklaus chimed in to say it’s about time McIlroy joined the ranks of Masters winners. But he added a diplomatic hedge: “I think obviously Scottie Scheffler is just coming back in again, he’s a defending champion, there’s nobody playing any better in the game than Scottie. Between the two of them, I think you’re going to find your winner.”

Credit: Hyosub Shin/ Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com

Credit: Hyosub Shin/ Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com

Another way Scottie Scheffler is approaching Tiger Woods territory

For the second consecutive year, Scottie Scheffler is the pre-tournament favorite at the Masters.

The two-time tournament winner and defending champion is 4/1 to claim the green jacket for a third time, according to Draftkings Sportsbook.

The No. 1 golfer in the world is approaching Tiger Woods territory in numerous ways.

Woods, who isn’t here due to injury, had a run of “Tiger or the field” dominance from 2000 through 2009, when his Masters odds were typically 2/1 to win. In 2007, he was -125 for victory, a number that likely will never happen again.

Scheffler is trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back green jackets. Woods is one of them, joined by Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo.

Recent Masters winners/pre-tournament odds:

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, at +650 to win, is considered Scheffler’s biggest threat. 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm (+1400), Collin Morikawa (+1600) and Bryson DeChambeau (+1800) are next on the list of contenders.

Masters first round tee times. When will Scottie Scheffler start?

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Scottie Scheffler walks with his wife Meredith as he hold his son Bennett on the first hole during the Par 3 of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta. (Jason Getz / AJC)