Gators at The Masters: Day 1

Day one of the 2025 Masters at Augusta National featured notable performances from two Florida Gators, Billy Horschel and amateur Noah Kent.

Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel, a seasoned PGA Tour professional and former Gator, carded a 5-over-par 77 for his opening round, placing T81

An early bogey and a double bogey set the tone, and though Horschel fought back with a birdie at the 7th, he never quite settled into a rhythm. His run at the back nine included three more bogeys and a birdie.

While not the start one would hope for, Horschel still has one round remaining to play before the cut and plenty of experience to draw on at Augusta.

https://twitter.com/GatorsGolf/status/1910056739950452833

Noah Kent

Noah Kent, a current University of Florida Golfer and Naples native, made his masters debut after earning an invitation by finishing runner-up at the 2024 U.S Amateur Championship.

Kent posted a 7-over-par 79, placing him in T90. He came into his first round with a strong start, with two birdies on holes three and four, however it all took a turn after his seventh hole, earning 4 bogeys, 3 double bogeys and only one birdie.

https://twitter.com/GatorsGolf/status/1910438099542564972

Up Next

Although both Gators sit outside the projected cut line of +1, they still have one more day to climb their way to the top.

The leaderboard may be stacked, but the Gator spirit is alive and well as the hunt for a bounce-back on Friday, given that Augusta’s notorious difficulty left several big names over par.