Louisville's Justin Thomas Shoots Even Par in Masters First Round

The St. Xavier High School graduate is five shots off the lead after Day 1 at Augusta National.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 1:56am

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a golfer's swing broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color, conceptually representing the competitive action of the Masters golf tournament.A cubist interpretation of a golfer's swing captures the dynamic motion and energy of the Masters Tournament.Louisville Today

Justin Thomas, a Louisville native and St. Xavier High School graduate, fired an even-par 72 in the first round of the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Thomas finds himself tied for 17th place, five shots behind leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns.

Why it matters

Thomas is one of the top American golfers and a former major champion, so his performance at the prestigious Masters is closely watched by golf fans in his hometown of Louisville and across the country.

The details

Thomas' round included birdies on holes 2 and 4, as well as bogeys on holes 11 and 13. He will need to finish in the top 50 or tied for 50th to make the cut and play into the weekend. Thomas' best finish at Augusta National was a fourth-place result in 2020, but he has also missed the cut in two of the last three years.

  • The first round of the 2026 Masters Tournament was played on April 10, 2026.
  • Thomas tees off for the second round at 10:07 a.m. on Friday, April 11, 2026.

The players

Justin Thomas

A professional golfer from Louisville, Kentucky and a graduate of St. Xavier High School. Thomas is a former major champion and one of the top American golfers on the PGA Tour.

Rory McIlroy

A professional golfer from Northern Ireland and one of the top-ranked players in the world. McIlroy is currently tied for the lead after the first round of the 2026 Masters.

Sam Burns

An American professional golfer who is also tied for the lead after the first round of the 2026 Masters Tournament.

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What’s next

Thomas will need to shoot a strong second round on Friday to make the cut and play into the weekend at the Masters.

The takeaway

Justin Thomas' even-par opening round at the Masters puts him in contention, but he will need to make up ground on the leaders over the next three days to have a chance at winning his first green jacket.