Masters 2023: Follow the progress and latest news on all the Australians at Augusta National
Jason Day is leading the Aussie charge after day one of the Masters with -5, but good mate Adam Scott also turned back the clock a decade to be placed just one shot back.
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Jason Day made a flying start to his pursuit of a green jacket but concedes his dream of slipping into sport’s most prized piece of apparel may be at the mercy of the weather Gods as Masters organisers prepare for a weekend of torrential downpours that could push the tournament into a fifth day.
Day led the Australian charge on the opening day of the Masters, his five under par 67 good enough for a share of fourth, two shots behind co-leaders Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland.
Day’s compatriot Adam Scott, celebrating the 10th anniversary of his historic Masters win, was a further shot back on a leaderboard littered with quality - Cameron Smith was at two under after shooting a 70.
Day has a love affair with Augusta National which stretches back to his childhood. He has been in the thick of it on a handful of occasions, including 10 years ago when he finished third behind Scott.
Once again, he is a prominent figure on the leaderboard, although he modestly deflected when asked whether he should be considered a threat by his opponents.
“I hope so, but, I mean, you look at the leaderboard, it’s very, very stacked right now,” he said.
“I mean, any one of those guys can win easily and there’s big names on that leaderboard right now. So I just got to keep my head down and keep pushing forward.”
Asked whether he saw a threat when he looked in the mirror, Day joked: “Depends on how I wake up in the morning.”
He clearly woke up in a good place before his opening round - Day made five birdies in total, including two in his final three holes as he nipped at the leaders’ heels.
The unknown is the weather - organisers and players are preparing for lashings of rain over the weekend. So much rain, that some are suggesting the tournament could be decided on day five rather than four.
“I look at that leaderboard, and it’s like all the names are up there, which is fantastic,” Day said.
“So I think it’s more imperative to actually get off to a good start here just because of what we’re going to have on the weekend.
“It might end up turning into a marathon if we have a pretty wet kind of windy conditions on the weekend.”
While Day made his run late, Scott made big strides early. The portents were positive from the start. His caddie Steve Williams was the 87th out of 88 caddies to register for the tournament and he got a touch of good fortune on the 1st when his ball flirted with the edge of the bunker before finding its way onto the green.
Scott made the most of it as he continues to mix it with the big boys into his 40s. It’s no fluke as Day can testify. He and Scott passed each other on tournament eve - Scott was headed to the gym, Day was resting on the back of a cart ploughing into some food.
It should be taken more as a reflection of Scott, who at the age of 42 looks as fit and spritely as any player on the tour.
Still, it didn’t stop one reporter asking about his age and the prospect of playing extra holes should the tournament suffer delays due to weather.
“I like this my age stuff,” Scott replied.
“I work at it really hard and I have pretty much my whole career, I would say.”
We’re thinking Scott won’t have any trouble getting through. Looking at him, he could probably knock out 36 holes in a day and then squeeze in a surf, another of his favourite pastimes.
He certainly showed no sign of age as he pushed the leaders on the opening day of the Masters. Scott arrived at the course this week with happy feelings given his win 10 years ago. He wasted no time making his mark as he produced what he suspected was his best start to the tournament.
Day will certainly be looking over his shoulder if Scott maintains this sort of form.
“I had a chat with Scotty yesterday - he was on the way to the gym to go throw the weights around pretty hard, and I was sitting on a golf cart just eating food,” Day quipped.
“Scotty’s been a good mate of mine, so it’s nice to see him play well. I know that he’s got off to a little bit of a slow start this year, but things can change in major championships.”
Day opens up on personal heartache in Masters return
Jason Day is eyeing off a return to Australia as he prepares to launch his US Masters assault with a heavy heart.
Day played the traditional par three tournament at Augusta National on Thursday morning (AEST) with his wife Elie and children in tow but it will be an absent family member who will be on his mind when his Masters begins in earnest on Friday morning.
This year’s Masters will be the first Day has played since his mother Dening passed away last year from cancer, leaving a void that is impossible to fill.
Dening was Day’s rock, raising Jason and his two sisters on her own after his father Alvyn passed away when the former world No. 1 was 12.
The Masters was always a special tournament for the Day family – on his deathbed, Alvyn asked to have his ashes spread on Augusta National.
Day has never broached the idea with Masters officialdom because he is wary of putting them in an awkward position. However, he will head into the opening round with family at the forefront of his mind.
“It is always tough to think about not having my mum here,” Day said.
“But I can already hear her in the back of my mind saying you have to go out and play – that’s what she would have said.
“I try to keep all the emotion out of my mind for the week.”
Dening moved to America to be closer to Jason and his family when she was diagnosed. After initially being given 12 months to live, she battled on for five years before losing her fight last year.
“She has always helped me regardless of where we have been,” Day said.
“The journey we had since 2017 together – it was sad that she passed away, but it was such a blessing that she was over here with the kids, able to meet all the grandchildren.
“I always think about her all the time. She is obviously going to be missed this week.”
Dening’s death coincided with a difficult period in during which he dropped in the world rankings, costing him the chance to play in last year’s Masters.
It was a bitter pill to swallow given his remarkable record at the tournament, where he has had three top five finishes.
His game suits Augusta and given his resurgence, it would be no surprise to see him among the leaders this week.
“Just to be here because I missed last year – it feels awesome to be here again,” Day said.
“It was very disappointing for me not to be able to play last year. To be able to come back this year and do it with family, it is nice.
“It’s nice to have the family out before we head into the serious part of the week.”
The serious part starts now. Once the tournament is over, Day will turn his mind to returning to Australia later in the year for the local events. He hasn’t been in home in four or five years but insists it is firmly on his radar, although the impending arrival of his fifth child could make things interesting.
“I definitely want to get back down there,” Day said.
“It has been a while since I have been down there. It is hard with the (children). Then life gets in the way and injuries, then we had Covid and we couldn’t get back into the country.
“Now everything is back to normal, we can hopefully get back over there this year.”
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