Fewer LIV golfers qualified for the 2024 Masters than a year ago (13 compared to 18), but the players who split from the PGA Tour continue to be some of golf's biggest storylines.
A deal to merge the two entities emerged last summer that would have bridged the two tours through Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, but talks have stalled after missing a Dec. 31 deadline.
While several LIV golfers qualified as past champions, a couple have earned their way through world rankings or major championships in the past couple years. Joaquin Niemann, however, received a rare special invitation from the Masters to compete in 2024.
“The Masters Tournament has a long-standing tradition of inviting leading international players who are not otherwise qualified,” Masters chairman Fred Ridley said in a release. “(This) announcement represents the tournament’s continued commitment towards developing interest in the game of golf across the world."
2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm became one of the most well-known PGA Tour defectors when he joined the LIV Tour in December. He has top-8 finishes in all five LIV events he's competed in this season.
"I understood my position, yes. And I understood that it could be, what I hoped, a step towards some kindof agreement. Or more of an agreement or expedited agreement," Rahm said on Tuesday about the tours merging. "But, unfortunately, it's not up to me. But I would hope it would be something that would help expedite that process. But at the end of the day, I still did what I thought was best for myself."
The tournament was delayed 2 1/2 hours on Thursday as weather swept over the area. Players teeing off later in the opening round will like have their rounds carry over into Friday morning.
Here's how each LIV golfer performed Thursday in the 2024 Masters opening round. They will be updated as golfers complete their rounds:
Bryson DeChambeau | 7-under 65, Leader
DeChambeau was on fire from the start Thursday, with birdies on his first three holes on his way to the top of the leaderboard. The LIV golfer birdied five of seven holes to close his round, and a bogey on No. 9 was his only blemish of the day.
DeChambeau held a 3-shot lead when he finished his round over former Masters champion Danny Willett, Viktor Hovland and Byeong Hun An.
Joaquin Niemann | 2-under 70, T8
A double bogey on the par-4 fifth hole was an unsightly blemish on an otherwise fantastic round for Niemann. The special invite to the tournament had five birdies and just one bogey outside of the poor fifth hole and finished his round at 2-under and tied for eighth.
Cameron Smith | 1-under 71, T16
A ball into Rae's Creek at No. 12 was the only downside to a positive round for the 2022 Open Champion. Birdies at Nos. 2, 6 and 15 were highlights of a 1-under par round.
Sergio Garcia | Even par 72, T27
The 2017 champion closed strong on an up-and-down day, posting birdies in three of his final six holes.
Garcia had three bogeys and a double bogey in the middle of his round and found himself at 3-over after landing his tee shot in Rae's Creek on the par-3 12th.
Tyrell Hatton | Even 72, T27
Hatton fell apart Friday morning when he resumed his first round with a double bogey on 15 and a bogey on 18. He was 3-under par and tied for sixth when the day began. He tees off his second round at 9:48 a.m.
Jon Rahm | 1-over 73, T36
The defending champion carded five bogeys and four birdies during an uneven opening round at the Masters. A three-putt at the 17th gave him his third bogey on the second nine and he closed his round with his fourth.
Brooks Koepka | 1-over 71, T32
The defending PGA champion had a pair of bogeys after resumption of play on Friday but rebounded with a birdie on 18 for a respectable day. He tees off his second round at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Phil Mickelson | 1-over 73, T32
Mickelson struggled to get his round rolling on Thursday after a bogey at No. 1. He had birdies at hole Nos. 3 and 8 but bogeyed the 16th and 17th to finish at 1-over. The three-time champ finished his round tied for 42nd.
Patrick Reed | 2-over 74, T48
Reed closed with bogey, bogey, double bogey to move from 2-under to 2-over and drop from T9 to T48 in the matter of three holes. He tees off his second round at 9:36 a.m.
Charl Schwartzel | 2-over 74, T48
Schwartzel rallied with three straight birdies down the stretch to salvage a respectable round. A bogey at the par-3 16th quelled some of the momentum he gained back from a 4-over par start through the first 10 holes.
Bubba Watson | 2-over 74, T48
Three bogeys and a par was on the card for the two-time champion. He tees off his second round at 9:24 a.m.
Adrian Meronk | 6-over 78, T85
It was a rough day for the Polish golfer who carded eight bogeys in his round to just two birdies. Fortunately for him, the final birdie came on the 18th which will hopefully provide momentum for Friday. But he's currently 86th of 88 golfers in the Masters field.
Dustin Johnson | 6-over 78, T78
It was a disastrous restart for Johnson, who went double-double-bogey on Nos. 14, 15 and 18, respectively, including a ball in the water on the 15th.
He tees off his second round at 10:54 a.m. on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: LIV golfers scores at 2024 Masters on Thursday, Friday
