Bryson DeChambeau sets testing target as Scottie Scheffler leads chase at The Masters

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Bryson DeChambeau surpassed his own record by two shots while Scottie Scheffler showed great potential in his second attempt at securing a Masters championship.

Roughly 3.5 years after stating that he could complete Augusta National in only 67 shots because of his impressive hitting skills, DeChambeau had a successful start to his day by scoring seven under par 65 while facing strong winds and a lengthy weather delay.

However, the lead was only enough for a temporary advantage over Scheffler. The top-ranked player and 2022 winner achieved a score of 66 without any bogeys, putting McIlroy, who was playing alongside, behind in the competition.

McIlroy has made nine previous attempts to win the Masters and achieve a career grand slam. In his most recent attempt, he scored four birdies and three bogeys for a total score of 71. Meanwhile, the current champion, Jon Rahm, had difficulties in his round and bogeyed the last two holes resulting in a score of 73.

Ex-champion Danny Willett achieved an excellent score of 68 in his first competition after having surgery on his shoulder in September. The 36-year-old made a last-minute decision on Sunday to participate in the first grand event of the year.

On the golf course, DeChambeau impressively scored birdies on his initial three holes. He cleverly recovered from his single misstep on the ninth hole and went on to score 31 points in the latter half of the course. This outstanding finish included successful birdie shots on the 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 17th hole.

After his victorious 2020 US Open win, the 30-year-old seemed to have let his confidence get the best of him. He publicized his goal to achieve a par-67 score, but unfortunately fell short with a best score of 69. As a result, he was subject to ridicule and finished a hefty 18 shots behind the current LIV Golf player and winner of the tournament, Dustin Johnson.

In reference to comment 67, DeChambeau confessed to making mistakes, stating that he is not flawless. It's common for individuals to make mistakes.

"Making mistakes is a part of the learning process, and I definitely learned from that one."

When questioned about the validity of his remark in light of his performance today, DeChambeau refused to fall for the trap.

"He's trying to make me repeat myself, isn't he?" he said with a grin. I'd rather not discuss that.

Certainly, if you decide to view the math from that angle, it is an option available to you. Personally, I once held this perspective but it ultimately resulted in negative consequences and repercussions. It caused a great deal of tension and difficulty in certain areas.

"Listen, I want to reiterate that I had a fantastic round today with a score of 65, which happens to be one of my top performances in a while. However, let's not forget that there are still three more days of golf left to play, and I remain focused on that reality."

After struggling to stay under par in the final stretch, McIlroy will surely feel relieved that there are still 54 holes remaining. It's worth noting that the four-time major winner received both criticism and motivation from Jack Nicklaus earlier in the tournament.

According to Nicklaus, McIlroy is likely to win the Masters at some point in his career, which will mark his completion of the career grand slam. However, Nicklaus also put forth his own view regarding why McIlroy has been unable to clinch a major tournament since the US PGA in 2014.

Nicklaus shared his lone complaint regarding Rory during an interview with Golf Channel. He emphasized the importance of focusing with absolute dedication and not getting distracted at any point.

Rory seems to have a tendency to make some mistakes during the tournament. He often ends up with a double bogey or even a triple bogey unexpectedly.

I am uncertain of the method or reason behind his actions, yet they occur nonetheless. I have a desire for them to cease occurring.