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Bryson DeChambeau had a tumultuous first round of the Masters.
DeChambeau, 32, who shot 4 over par on the day, hit a patron with a tee shot on the sixth hole before later struggling to get out of a bunker on the 11th hole, hitting out of the sand three times before escaping the trap.
On the 180-yard par 3, DeChambeau pulled his tee shot left and hit a patron in the leg. The ball bounced back towards the hole and ended up settling the green.
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Bryson DeChambeau watches his tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., April 9, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
DeChambeau covered his mouth with his hand when he saw the ball hit the patron. Walking toward the green, he found the patron, handed him a golf ball, and shook his hand.
DeChambeau, who was even par at the time, made an excellent recovery, chipped the ball to three feet from the hole despite being 24 yards out and eventually saved par by making the ensuing putt.
The Clovis, Calif., native remained at even par until the 11th hole, when he struggled to escape a greenside bunker.
DeChambeau’s second shot was from the fairway, hitting a green flanked by a pond and a bunker. DeChambeau stayed well away from the pond and his ball ended up rolling into the bunker.
KEVIN HART CADDIES TO BRYSON DECHAMBEAU IN AUGUSTA NATIONAL DEBUT, DELIVERS HILARIOUS PAR 3 COMPETITION MOMENTS
Bryson DeChambeau hits from the bunker on the 11th hole during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., April 9, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
The LIV Golf star hit his first bunker shot just three yards and didn’t even approach the lip of the bunker. His second bunker shot went nowhere and he seemed to miss the ball completely.
DeChambeau finally escaped the bunker on his third attempt, hitting the ball just over the edge of the sand trap before letting it roll about 15 feet away. He ended up two-putting for triple bogey, bringing him to three over par for the day.
His struggles continued on the 16th hole when he three-putted for bogey to take him to four over par on the day. DeChambeau erased the stroke with a birdie on the 17th hole after a nice iron shot from the rough left him eight feet from the hole.
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Bryson DeChambeau hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 9, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
However, DeChambeau bogeyed the 18th hole and finished with a 4-over 76 for the day.
For DeChambeau, his start at the Masters was similar to last year, when he shot an opening-round 73. DeChambeau rallied in the second and third rounds, and he entered the final round tied for last with Rory McIlroy before shooting a 75 on Sunday to finish in a tie for fifth.
DeChambeau will try to turn things around on Friday when he starts at 1:20 p.m. ET.
