This Masters rookie seized the lead. What happened next hurt to watch

AUGUSTA, Ga. — I do know what you have been pondering: That Nicolai Hojgaard freaked out. That he noticed his identify atop the tall, white leaderboard as he walked from the tenth inexperienced to the eleventh tee, alone in first place on the Masters, his first Masters, seven below par and away from the sector by means of 46 holes. And for these sitting round at dwelling, you’d be high quality making the belief. 

However the very best sports activities psychologists on the earth encourage golfers to not take a look at leaderboards at Augusta National. Not but, at the least, whereas a lot of the match nonetheless hangs within the steadiness. Hojgaard had no concept the place he stood, even when all of us at dwelling did. It’s a fallacy of golf tournaments. The followers at dwelling are all-knowing. The rivals themselves usually are not.

However think about Jim Nantz is telling your story. You’ve imagined this since center faculty. You’re nonetheless simply 23, a rising star from Denmark, and the printed is sharing footage of you and your twin brother. Google continues to be tabulating the info however about 5 instances as many individuals are looking for “Nicolai Hojgaard” Saturday afternoon than have ever earlier than. That’s what occurs on the Masters: it’s larger than every thing within the sport. Even should you don’t know your particular place nor your TV protection as you trek up the hill to the eleventh tee field, the load of merely being close to the lead can get to you.

So it is sensible, shortly after 5 p.m. native time, that Hojgaard misses his first tee shot because the solo chief of the Masters. The eleventh gap is the second-hardest gap on the course, and he pushes his drive out to the suitable. He has to chop his first strategy because the solo chief of the Masters round a tree, within the path of a pond, and out to the suitable. He cuts it an excessive amount of. He pitches on too far. He two-putts for bogey. It occurs.

Up subsequent is the scariest par-3 on the earth, one he’s performed lower than 10 instances in his life. Zero of these instances have come as a co-leader of the Masters. The worst place for a tee shot to land on Augusta’s twelfth is clearly the water, however the subsequent worst place is touchdown in pine straw lengthy of the inexperienced, the place it settles on a downslope. One other simple bogey. 

On 13, Nicolai hits an strategy from the middle of the golf green that’s struck properly however simply not properly sufficient. It goes straight however lands in a very painful manner — by bouncing on either side of the Rae’s Creek tributary like a pinball earlier than plopping into the drink. He grunts aloud on the outcome. One other bogey en route. 

“From 13 onwards, it occurred just a little bit quick,” Nicolai will say later. It appears to be like quick. Scottie Scheffler has an eagle putt and he’s ready so that you can play your fourth. You chunk the wedge in need of the opening and you must rush throughout the bridge simply to maintain tempo. Scottie makes it, after all. You had him by two half-hour in the past. Now he’s obtained you by two.

A split-second after Hojgaard’s subsequent swing, he’s yelling at it. That’s by no means good. 

“SOFT!”

However there aren’t any mushy bounces out right here on the firmest Augusta Nationwide we’ve seen in years, a long time, perhaps ever. It bounds into the pine straw. His stinger from there really rolls onto the inexperienced — the inexperienced! — however the 14th inexperienced is not any enjoyable. It have to be the craziest inexperienced on the property. The inexperienced you deliver your pals to see on their first journey to the Masters. Hojgaard’s shot rolls again off the inexperienced, because of a false entrance. He pitches over the inexperienced together with his third, hangs his head, walks round with this putter and makes one other bogey. That’s 4 in a row. 

“If I knew the method [to fix it], I most likely would have finished it on the market,” he’ll say after the spherical. However that’s what this week is like for everybody. One lengthy, countless state of discomfort. Confusion. However as troublesome as this course has been, what’s pretty about its again 9 is it takes and it provides. It asks and it presents. There may be all the time the fifteenth, a par-5, presenting hope for a reclamation birdie. And from 262 yards within the heart of the golf green, Hojgaard grabs the lumber…

… and he’s yelling at it once more. As a result of he can hear the spin he’s placed on the ball. The pin is left, calling for a draw, so listening to the spin whistling like loopy means he’s pale it. And exhausting. 

“GO,” he shouts, pacing after it. 

“GO.”

For the second time within the final half-hour, his ball kicks off the grassy financial institution and into the water. The breaks of the sport. Hojgaard’s fourth lands 30 ft in need of the opening however kicks ahead. He requires it to chunk, nevertheless it’s already bit off all it could chew, and trickles off the again. Up and down for bogey. That’s 5 straight squares on the scorecard.

What does a Masters rookie do when he’s gone from solo chief to tied for tenth in a span of 80 minutes? He pushes ahead, retains Scheffler’s scorecard and tries to remain out of his manner. The World No. 1 birdies 15 and 17 and now leads alone, identical to Hojgaard did eight holes in the past. Hojgaard is 5 photographs again and on Sunday might be three teams again.

Saturday night at Augusta Nationwide is a stunning sight, partially due to the solar pouring by means of the pines but additionally as a result of the boys have performed fairly rapidly. A lot faster than Friday afternoon in the wind. The sector polishes off its third spherical with loads of daylight left, which for golfers of all ability ranges means extra time for extra swings. The follow vary at Augusta Nationwide turns into incredible people-watching. There’s Brooks Koepka together with his caddie and his coach, Pete Cowen, nonetheless grinding 90 minutes after Mr. Main carded a 76.

There’s Cam Davis, losing away the minutes earlier than mattress, a late tee time awaiting him Sunday. There’s Max Homa, excitedly breaking down his spherical to his coach, pointing at his chest. The floodlights click on on at 7:30. Scottie Scheffler’s dad paces across the again of the vary, ready to observe his son. Collin Morikawa flushes wedge after wedge, his swing wanting softer than regular within the fading gentle. Bryson DeChambeau is looking for a ruler. Sure, a ruler. It’s supposed to assist him together with his placing. These guys do that to allow them to sleep at night time. 

However on this broad open vary there isn’t any Hojgaard. No man in a white jumpsuit caddying for Hojgaard. No doting coach ready with a bag of balls to determine it out. And perhaps that’s what’s greatest. Solely Nico is aware of what’s greatest. Tomorrow’s a brand new day.