The first round of the 2026 Augusta Masters is officially in the books, and our Kerins O'Rahillys Masters Challenge is already heating up! With a massive €750 First Prize on the line, every birdie and bogey over in Georgia is causing huge swings on our club leaderboard.
Action at Augusta: The Highs and Lows
Out on the course, defending champion Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns set the early pace, both shooting superb opening rounds of 67 to share the lead at -5. They are closely followed by a pack at -3, including Jason Day and Patrick Reed.
For those who played it safe with the heavily backed favorites, things are looking good. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, and Ireland's own Shane Lowry are all lurking ominously just three shots back at -2.
However, Augusta National took no prisoners on Thursday, and several big names had disastrous starts that have blown up a lot of our Challenge entries. Jon Rahm carded a shocking +6 (78), while Min Woo Lee also struggled to a +6 after a double bogey on the 13th. Bryson DeChambeau (+4) and Viktor Hovland (+3) also have massive mountains to climb if they are to see the weekend.
The Strand Road Leaderboard
Thanks to some incredibly sharp selections, we currently have a four-way tie at the very top of our club competition.
Tied for 1st Place (-13):
Action at Augusta: The Highs and Lows
Out on the course, defending champion Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns set the early pace, both shooting superb opening rounds of 67 to share the lead at -5. They are closely followed by a pack at -3, including Jason Day and Patrick Reed.
For those who played it safe with the heavily backed favorites, things are looking good. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, and Ireland's own Shane Lowry are all lurking ominously just three shots back at -2.
However, Augusta National took no prisoners on Thursday, and several big names had disastrous starts that have blown up a lot of our Challenge entries. Jon Rahm carded a shocking +6 (78), while Min Woo Lee also struggled to a +6 after a double bogey on the 13th. Bryson DeChambeau (+4) and Viktor Hovland (+3) also have massive mountains to climb if they are to see the weekend.
The Strand Road Leaderboard
Thanks to some incredibly sharp selections, we currently have a four-way tie at the very top of our club competition.
Tied for 1st Place (-13):
- Billy Thompson
- John Sheehan
- Anne Hoare
- Ollie Lynch
While these four are sitting pretty right now, nobody can afford to relax. In our Masters Challenge, the cut line is the ultimate danger. If any golfer fails to make the cut on Friday evening, a 10-shot penalty is instantly added to the entrant's total score for each missed cut.
With players like Rahm and DeChambeau hovering dangerously close to an early exit, one bad hole on Friday could easily wipe out our current leaders and blow the competition wide open for the chasing pack!
A huge thank you once again to everyone who entered the competition and supported the club. Enjoy the drama of the second round, and stay tuned to our social media channels to see who survives the cut! Support the Blues! 💙
Please see below for the full set of Day 1 scores.
With players like Rahm and DeChambeau hovering dangerously close to an early exit, one bad hole on Friday could easily wipe out our current leaders and blow the competition wide open for the chasing pack!
A huge thank you once again to everyone who entered the competition and supported the club. Enjoy the drama of the second round, and stay tuned to our social media channels to see who survives the cut! Support the Blues! 💙
Please see below for the full set of Day 1 scores.
