2012 Masters, Results and Recap: Bubba Watson Basks In The Glow Of Victory

When the smoke cleared from a memorable 76th Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course on Sunday evening, Bubba Watson was the lone man standing with his arms raised triumphantly.

For a full look at the leader board, click here.

Watson looked like a long shot throughout much of the day, seemingly a couple strokes behind the whole weekend. However, he ran off four consecutive birdies on the back nine to force a playoff and after a brutal tee shot on the third playoff hole, made one of the most incredible shots in Masters history.

From deep in the woods, Watson cut the ball around trees and landed it within 15 feet of the hole, two-putting to victory from there.

Louis Oosthuizen played remarkably, but just couldn't make a few key putts down the stretch to seal the deal. His double eagle on the second hole was historic (only the fourth one ever at Augusta and first on the second) and put him in the lead virtually the whole day.

On the local side of things, Sean O'Hair finished +3 for the tournament with a disastrous 77 on Sunday. Jim Furyk, the West Chester, PA native, ended his weekend at -3 to take 11th place.

However, it was Watson who took the glory to claim his first green jacket.

For more on the 2012 Masters Tournament, be sure to check out our StoryStream and SB Nation Philly for all the latest news and notes.

Masters 2012 Purse: Bubba Watson Is Wearing A Green Jacket And Carrying A Lot Of Greenbacks

Bubba Watson earned his first major championship crown on Sunday, as he defeated South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen in a two-hole, sudden death playoff at Augusta National Golf Club. The Georgia Bulldog alum, hit a remarkable approach shot on the final hole to help earn the green jacket.

With the green jacket, however, comes a lot of money and Watson won that too. Over at SBNation.com, there's an unofficial list of the prize purse from the Masters, and Watson earned about $1.5 million for his 10-under par, four-day total.

Second place Oosthuizen cashed in for about $850,000, while Phil Mickelson split a four-way tie for third-place for about $285K.

For a full Masters leaderboard, click here.

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2012 Masters Winner: Bubba Watson Wins Masters After 2-Hole Playoff Against Louis Oosthuizen

Bubba Watson won the 2012 Masters Tournament on Sunday after he defeated Louis Oosthuizen in a two-hole playoff (holes 18 and 10).

Both Watson and Oosthuizen were playing each other throughout the final round on Sunday and finished 10-under-par which triggered the sudden death playoff. Watson and Oosthuizen both shot par on 18. Watson was able to get another par on 10 after a seeming disaster when his shot went into the woods. His shot out of the pine straw onto the green stunned the crowd and perhaps his opponent. Oosthuizen lipped out on another put when he made the green and settled for a bogey. Watson made par on his short put to take the victory.

Two players with West Chester ties also played in this year's Masters. West Chester native Jim Furyk finished at 3-under-par while West Chester resident Sean O'Hair finished at 3-over-par.

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2012 Masters Leaderboard: Jim Furyk Finishes Tournament 3-Under, Sean O'Hair Finishes 3-Over

West Chester native Jim Furyk finished the 2012 Masters Tournament at 3-under-par while West Chester resident Sean O'Hair finished his tournament at 3-over-par.

Furyk shot a 2-under-par 70 in his final round. O'Hair had three double bogeys during a 5-over-par 77 Sunday round.

Furyk bookended his Masters with 70 rounds on Thursday and Sunday. He shot 73 on Friday and 72 on Saturday. O'Hair shot a 73 on Thursday before rounds of 70 and 71 on Friday and Saturday.

Furyk had a solid tournament (currently 12th) but won't top his best Masters finish of 4th (1998, 2003). O'Hair's best finish at the Masters was in 2010 when he was tied for 10th. He is currently tied for 33rd on Sunday.

Louis Oosthuizen is the current leader (on the 13th hole) at 9-under-par overall. Six players, including Phil Mickelson, are within three shots of the lead.

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Masters Golf Tournament 2012 Leaderboard: Louis Oosthuizen's Double Eagle Helps Snag Lead

For those to have a chance at earning a green jacket on Sunday, one must start their final round at Augusta National Golf Club strong. That's just what South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen has done, using a double eagle on the par-5, Hole No. 2 to take a two stroke lead on Phil Mickelson and Peter Hanson.

Oosthuizen's improbable feat pushed his score from 7-under par to 10-under in just one swing, and now Mickelson and third-round leader Hanson are playing catch up. There's still a lot of holes to play, as Oosthuizen is thru three holes, and Mickelson and Hanson are thru two.

Meanwhile, Westchester, Pa. native Jim Furyk has complete his first nine holes in the final round at one-over par. Furyk is currently even for the championship.

For a full rundown of the leaderboard, click here.

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Masters 2012 Tee Times And Pairings: Phil Mickelson, Peter Hanson Last Group In Tight Sunday Field

After three days of amazing golf, the 2012 Masters comes to a conclusion Sunday and there's no reason to believe that at Augusta National Golf Club there will not be roars finding its way onto the course. One of the reasons is because fan favorite Phil Mickelson will be teeing off in the final group with championship leader, Sweden's Peter Hanson, who on Saturday carded a 7-under par, 65, to take a one stroke lead (8-under par overall) over Lefty.

The pair will tee off 2:40 p.m. ET and will follow South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson, who each will begin at 2:30 p.m. Behind those four players are five more who're within five shots of the lead, a margin that isn't too much to make a charge at.

Meanwhile, Westchester, PA resident, Sean O'Hair is currently at 2-under par, seven strokes off the lead, and will tee off at 1:40, while Westchester native, Jim Furyk, is at 1-under par, eight strokes back, and will begin at 12:50 p.m.

For a full rundown of the leaderboard, click here. Meanwhile, all the tee times and pairings can be found here.

Masters Golf Tournament 2012: Peter Hanson, Phil Mickelson Finish Round 3 A Top Leaderboard

Sunday's final pairing at Augusta National Golf Club will not be Tiger Woods against Rory McIlroy, but it will feature Phil Mickelson. The one they call "lefty" carded a 6-under par, 66, Saturday, and to move to 7-under par overall, which was good enough to place him in the final tee time with round-three leader Peter Hanson (8-under par). The pair were the two biggest movers on day three, and will be rewarded with a solid shot to win the coveted green jacket.

Though, Mickelson's back-nine finish of 6-under was impressive, the overall play of Hanson, 7-under on the day, was maybe the biggest story of the day. Hanson will start the final round one shot ahead of Mickelson and two better than South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen. Bubba Watson will be three strokes back of Hanson, while Matt Kuchar is four behind.

Northern Ireland's Padraig Harrington, Hunter Mahan, Sweden's Henrik Stenson and England's Lee Westwood will all be five strokes worse than the leader.

For those looking for any Woods magic on Sunday, well, its probably not going to happen has he's at 3-over par. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlory is 1-over par.

For a complete Masters leaderboard, click here.

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Masters Golf Tournament 2012 Leaderboard: Peter Hanson, Phil Mickelson Make Charges To Top Of Leaderboard

The roars have been echoing through Augusta National Golf Club Saturday, as players have been making moves to the top of the Masters leaderboard. The most popular was Phil Mickelson, who carded a 6-under par, 66, to climb within one stroke of clubhouse leader, Sweden's Peter Hanson (9-under par). Mickelson made four birdies and eagled the par-5, No. 13 to finish the back nine 6-under par, while Hanson shot an astonishing 7-under, 65, to setup what could be an incredible Sunday.

For the local golfers --- Westcher, PA native Jim Furyk and resident Sean O'Hair -- their front-nine rounds were stellar, as both men were within shot or two of the lead, however, both faltered on the back. O'Hair finished 1-under par on the day and is 2-under par for the championship, while Furyk finished even-par for the day and is 1-under overall.

Day two leaders Fred Couples and Jason Dufner are still on the course, but both have struggled. Both are 1-over for the day and 4-under for the championship. Also, still on the course is Lee Westwood (-3) and Louis Oosthuizen (-7).

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Masters Golf Tournament 2012 Leaderboard: Sean O'Hair, Jim Furyk Post Solid Front 9 Scores

The leaders at Augusta National Golf Club have yet to tee off for Saturday's third round, but two local players Jim Furyk and Sean O'Hair are busy making a methodical climb up the Masters leaderboard. Both Furyk, a Westchester, Pa native, and O'Hair, a Westchester resident, have completed their nine holes and are in red numbers and just a few shots back of the leaders, Fred Couple and Jason Dufner.

Currently, Furyk is 3-under par for the day and is 3-under for the championship, just two shots back from the leaders, while O'Hair is 3-under for the day and 4-under overall. Both players have played nines holes and are making the turn to the back nine.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has finished his third round at even-par for the day, and is 3-over par for the tournament. At one point, Woods was 2-under par for the day, however, made bogies at Holes No. 6 and 9 to fall back to even-par. From there, Woods could get anything going on the back.

So far, the only player making charge up the leaderboard is England's Justin Rose, who's 3-under for the day and championship.

For a complete look at a Masters leaderboard, click here.

2012 Masters: TV Coverage, How To Watch Online And More

Fred Couples was masterful on Friday at the 2012 Masters and will look to repeat the feat when the tournament resumes with round three on Saturday.

Couples, 52, shot the low round of Friday with a 67 to surge into a tie with Jason Dufner atop the leaderboard at 5-under. The duo is trailed by a pack of golfers, with Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson all among those tied in third place at 4-under.

West Chester, PA native Jim Furyk finished day two at 1-over and current West Chester resident Sean O'Hair is 1-under. Tiger Woods, the favorite coming into the tournament according to the odds makers, is at 3-over after a frustrating 75 on Friday.

TV Coverage: ESPN and ESPN3 will televise the coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

Online Streaming: Masters.com has coverage beginning at 9:45 a.m. ET centered around Amen Corner and two featured groups.

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Masters 2012 Tee Times And Pairings For Round 3

The 2012 Masters is half way over and the cuts have been made as the third round begins Saturday morning in Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Fred Couples and Jason Dufner lead the field at 5-under par after the first two rounds. Phil Mickelson isn't far behind at 2-under par and Tiger Woods struggled in the second round falling from even down to 3-over par.

SB Nation's Golf Hub released the pairings and the tee times to keep an eye on on Saturday:

10:45 a.m.: Charl Schwartzel, Tiger Woods
1:15 p.m.: Sean O'Hair, Jonathan Byrd
1:35 p.m.: Peter Hanson, Aaron Baddeley
1:45 p.m.: Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson
1:55 p.m.: Ben Crane, Charles Howell III
2:15 p.m.: Bubba Watson, Paul Lawrie
2:25 p.m.: Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy
2:35 p.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood
2:45 p.m.: Jason Dufner, Fred Couples

You can view the Masters leaderboard here.

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2012 Masters Cut Line: Steve Stricker, Keegan Bradley Make Cut; Kyle Stanley, Tom Watson Do Not

After two rounds of play in the annual Masters tournament held in the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the cut line for weekend play has been set at 5-over par, which cuts out about a third of the competition. Anybody who finished the second round higher than 5-over par will not be continuing on in the Masters through the weekend.

Some players that made the cut are Steve Stricker (+5) and Keegan Bradley (+4). Tiger Woods made the cut and is sitting at 3-over par after starting the day off with two birdies and then bogeying five of the final 16 holes. All three have their work cut out for them to catch up with leaders Jason Dufner and Fred Couples, who are currently sitting at 5-under par.

Some notable players to not make the cut are:

John Senden +6
Paul Casey +7
Harrison Frazar +7
Kyle Stanley +7
Tom Watson +7
Bernhard Langer +8
Chez Reavie +9
Ryo Ishikawa +9
Johnson Wagner +9
Alvaro Quiros +11

You can view the live Masters leaderboard here.

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2012 Masters Leaderboard: Fred Couples, Jason Dufner Share Lead On Friday

52 year old Fred Couples is in the clubhouse with a share of the lead on Friday at the Masters. After shooting even par on day one, Couples turned in a masterful round on Friday with a 5 under 67 to put himself atop the leaderboard.

He’s joined by American Jason Dufner, who has put together back to back solid rounds (-3 yesterday and -2 today). Lee Westwood, who finished yesterday as the leader, fell to third (-4) after shooting even par today.

A few notable names made big charges as Sergio Garcia & Phil Mickelson both shot 4 under 68s. Garcia jumped up 26 spots to third while Phil sits tied for 12th at -2 for the tournament.

Rory McIlroy built on the strong finish he turned in yesterday with a 3 under 69 today. He sits just a shot off the lead heading into the weekend. Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watso are also tied for tied for third, one shot back.

The tournament favorite, at least as far as the oddsmakers were concerned, Tiger Woods has not fared quite as well so far as he’s +2 through 11 holes. The projected cut is after +5 so he’s probably safe there, but Tiger will need a strong finish if he’s going to be in a position to make any kind of charge over the weekend.

For a complete 2012 Masters leaderboard, click here.

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2012 Masters Leaderboard: Jim Furyk Finishes Round Two At 1-Over

Jim Furyk took a step back during the second round of the 2012 Masters Tournament from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

After shooting a 2-under-par, 70 on day one, the West Chester native shot a 1-over-par, 73. Nevertheless, Furyk's 1-under-par overall score has him sitting in a tie for 18th place in the tournament. Furyk did have birdies on 2, 3, 10 and 15 today after only having two birdies on Thursday. He birdied on 2 for the second straight day. Furyk's bogies came on 1, 7, 9, 14 and 17 after no bogies on day one. Furyk is also tied with West Chester resident, Sean O'Hair after two rounds.

The shock of the tournament is so far is seeing 52-year-old Fred Couples tied for the lead after a 5-under-par (67) outing on Friday. Couples is also 5-under for the tournament. Couples is ahead of other notables such as Tiger Woods (1-over after nine holes on Friday), Rory McIlroy (4-under after Friday's round) and last year's champion Charl Schwartzel (1-over after ten holes).

For a complete 2012 Masters leaderboard, click here.

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Masters Leaderboard: Sean O'Hair Finishes Day Two 1-Under

Sean O'Hair mounted a slight charge at the Masters on Friday, finishing his second round with a 2-under par 70. Now 1-under for the tournament, O'Hair entered the clubhouse four shots behind leaders Lee Westwood and Peter Hanson with plenty of golfers still on the course.

O'Hair, who resides in West Chester, PA, finished with one birdie on the front nine at the par-three sixth hole to make the turn at 1-under for the day, then accumulated three birdies against two bogeys on the back nine. He reached 2-under before dropping a shot on the final hole.

Other notables include Rory McIlroy, who birdied two of the first four holes en route to moving to 4-under for the tournament after seven holes, and Tiger Woods, who doesn't tee off until 1:42 p.m. ET.

For a complete 2012 Masters leaderboad, click here.

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Masters Golf Tournament Leaderboard 2012: Sean O'Hair Makes Small, Round-2 Charge On Front 9

Sean O'Hair, a West Chester, PA resident, began his Friday's second round at Augusta National Golf Club needing to make a charge at the top of the leaderboard. So far, O'Hair, who began the day two 1-over par, is now 1-under after nine holes and in a tie for 15th place. If his score holds, O'Hair would be just four shots behind leader Lee Westwood (-5).

Overall, not many low scores are being posted among the early-morning tee times. The only one making a small move is England's Ian Poulter who's 2-under par for the day and for the championship.

Most of the 92 golfers are on the course, however, here's a few more notable tee times remaining:

1:31 p.m.: Charl Schwartzel (E), Keegan Bradley (-1), Kelly Kraft (+2)
1:42 p.m.: Tiger Woods (E), Miguel Angel Jimenez (-3), Sang-Moon Bae (+3)

For a complete list of the tee times and pairings, visit Masters.com.

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2012 Masters: TV Coverage, How To Watch Round 2 Online And More

Day two of the 2012 Masters is currently underway, however, if you're jonesing to watch more golf you'll need to wait to 10:45 a.m. ET. That's when Masters.com begins its online coverage of Amen Corner, and by then West Chester, PA resident Sean O'Hair will be showcased. Also, around that time, Wester Chester, PA native Jim Furyk will be making the turn and ready to enter that three-hole span of No. 11, 12 and 13.

Meanwhile, ESPN doesn't pick-up coverage of the event until 3 p.m. ET, so if you want to catch images of Augusta National Golf Club before that, here's where you can find it:

10:45 a.m.: Coverage begins on Masters.com.
11:45 a.m.: Coverage begins on Masters.com on holes No. 15 and 16.
12:00 p.m.: Coverage begins on Masters.com of top-two featured groups
3:00 p.m.: ESPN coverage begins

If you have DirectTV and want to watch its special Masters section, that can be found on Channels 701-707.For a full leaderboard, click here.

For more on the Masters 2012 Tournament, visit our StoryStream.

Masters 2012 Tee Times And Pairings: Sean O'Hair On The Course, Jim Furyk Off Early Too

Round two of the 2012 Masters is currently in progress Friday, as the first few pairings of players teed off around 8:30 a.m. ET at August National Golf Club. The conclusion of round one featured England's Lee Westwood in the lead at 5-under par, with West Chester, Pa native, Jim Furyk, just two shots off his pace at 2-under par and current West Chester resident, Sean O'Hair, ending the day at 1-over par (73).

Meanwhile, Tigers Woods ended the first round of the four-round event at even-par, Phil Mickelson carded a 2-over par, 74, and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy posted a 1-under par, 71.

All these players' tee times are around the mid-morning or early afternoon. Here's notable tee times and pairs for round two:

8:34 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen (-4), Mark Wilson (+4), Graeme McDowell (+3)
9:40 a.m.: Vijay Singh (-2), Lee Westwood (-5), Jim Furyk (-2)
10:35 a.m.: Angel Cabrera (-1), Rory McIlory (-1), Bubba Watson (-3)
10:46 a.m.: Phil Mickelson (+2), Hunter Mahan (E), Peter Hanson (-4)
1:31 p.m.: Charl Schwartzel (E), Keegan Bradley (-1), Kelly Kraft (+2)
1:42 p.m.: Tiger Woods (E), Miguel Angel Jimenez (-3), Sang-Moon Bae (+3)

For a complete list of the tee times and pairings, visit Masters.com.

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Masters Leaderboard 2012: Tiger Woods Begins Friday At Even Par

Tiger Woods had an up and down start to his 2012 Masters and finished day one at even par tied for 29th. He was critical of his performance afterward.

"I hit some of the worst golf swings I've ever hit today, and that's all right," said Tiger. "I just hung in there and grinded my way around the golf course and stayed very patient, stayed in the moment. Unfortunately that was about as good as I got right there. I could have shot one, maybe two better, but that was‑‑ I got a lot out of that round."

Things could have ended much worse after Tiger hit into the Woods and had to take a drop on 18. But he was able to limit the damage to a bogey.

"Yeah, it was another bad tee shot left, and I got it to‑‑ it was a tricky little drop there, and I somehow got a swing at it, and then from there the pitch was not easy. I didn't have a good enough lie to go up top, so I had to take it down, had to burn it into the hill, and it came out perfect."

Overall though, Woods says he just never right from the start but he's looking forward to today.

"I didn't warm up well. I hit a few loose ones, but I said just stay committed. Whatever happens, just stay committed on each and every shot. I did that. I really stayed committed to what I was doing. I made some bad swings. That's fine. My commitment to each and every shot, what I was doing, my alignment, my setup, everything was something that I'm excited about and I can take some positives going into tomorrow about that. Granted, it might be late tomorrow, but at least I have something to build on."

Tiger will get the second round underway today at 1:42pm in the second to last pairing.

Masters Leaderboard 2012: Lee Westwood Leads As Play Begins Friday

Lee Westwood leads the pack as play gets underway Friday at Augusta. The Englishman shot a 67 in round one, which he said afterward was tied for his best ever round in the Masters.

"Yeah, ties my low round around this golf course," said Westwood. " I played well. There was no weakness out there today in my game. I hit it close, hit a lot of fairways and rolled in some nice putts."

The damp conditions slowed down the greens and set the course up for scoring. In fact 28 golfers finished under par on the day.

"Yeah, when this golf course is soft, it obviously gives you a bit more of a chance," Westwood explained. "There was not a lot of wind most of the day, then the last two or three holes it picked up. 17, it blew a bit and 18 was blowing quite strong with the storm coming around. But I think they were slightly worried about the scoring getting out of control, so they tucked a lot of the flags away. I thought there were some tough flags out there. And obviously if it's soft, then it plays a bit longer tee to green. So there were a few longer irons to be hit in there."

Rory McIlroy had a rough to start to his first round, but rallied to birdie 17 & 18 and finish 1 under for the day.

"It wasn't the start that I would have liked to have got off to," McIlroy told reporters. " But I steadied the ship and made three birdies on the front nine to turn under par. Making two birdies coming in there was nice to finish under par for the day. It only leaves me four off the lead, and still with 54 holes to play, that's nothing."

Phil Mickelson didn't have the first round he was hoping for. He made the turn at 1 over, but then triple bogeyed 10 to go 4 over. He would rally to birdie 15 & 18 to finish at just +2 on the day. Phil says he's happy to have not played himself out of it after the disaster at 10.

"I missed the ball in the wrong spots and my short game didn't save me. I let three or four shots go. I hit a horrific drive on 10 and made a triple but I'm only 2 over. This is pretty good news because if I can get hot tomorrow, and I know I'm playing well enough to shoot 6 or 7 under, if I can go do that I'll be right in it for the weekend. Fortunately I didn't shoot my way out of it after not really playing well or smart."

Round two begins this morning at 7:50am when the pairing of Scott Verplank, Sean O'Hair and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano tee off.

For more on the Masters Tournament, be sure to check out our StoryStream and SB Nation Philly for all the latest news and updates. Follow the leaderboard here.

2012 Masters Leaderboard: Lee Westwood Finishes Day 1 On Top At 5 Under

A damp and rainy day one is done at the 2012 Masters and Englishman Lee Westwood is your leader in the clubhouse after shooting a terrific 5 under 67.

2012 Masters Leaderboard: Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood Lead At -4

South African Louis Oosthuizen is the leader in the clubhouse at 2012 Masters after shooting a four under 68 in his opening round. Lee Westwood is hot on his heels also at 4 under through 14 holes.

Paul Lawrie, Miguel Angel Jimenez & Francesco Molinari are all finished for the day at 3 under and currently sit in second place.

Tiger Woods and defending champion Charl Schwartzel both finished at even par for the day, tied for 29th. Rory McIlroy has struggled through 12 holes at even par, but not as bad as Phil Mickelson who is at +4 through 12. Phil’s short game has been strong today, but his terrible tee shots have been his undoing so far.

American Patrick Cantlay is the top amateur on the day at 1 under. The sophomore from UCLA says that his experiences playing in the US Open and a few other PGA Tour events has helped steel his nerves at Augusta.

“I feel really comfortable playing in pro events. I don’t feel quite as in awe of everyone as I did when I showed up at the US Open and I’m definitely drawing on those experiences to help me this week and going forward.”

For more on the Masters Tournament, be sure to check out our StoryStream and SB Nation Philly for all the latest news and updates. Follow the leaderboard here.

For more on the Masters Tournament, be sure to check out our StoryStream and SB Nation Philly for all the latest news and updates. Follow the leaderboard here.

2012 Masters Leaderboard: Tiger Woods Finishes At Even Par

Tiger Woods finished his first day at the Masters at even par, three shots off the leaders. There was really never a point where Tiger seemed comfortable out there and seemed to fighting Augusta all day.

“I just wanted to keep grinding,” Woods told ESPN, “I hit some of the worst golf shots I’ve ever hit today, but its alright. I just stayed very patient and in the moment. Fortunately that’s about as good as I’ve got there. I could have shot one, maybe two better but I got a lot out of that round.”

Tiger’s tee shot on 18 put him in the woods and he needed to take a penalty stroke and a drop to get out. However, he was able to sacrifice a bogey from the hole.

“It was another bad tee shot left and it was a tricky little drop there,” Woods lamented. "Somehow I got agood swing out of it. From there, the pitch was not easy. I didn’t have a good enough lie to go up top, so I had to take it down and burn it into the hill and it came out perfect. "

The leaders in the clubhouse at -3 so far are Paul Lawrie, Miguel Angel Jimenez & Francesco Molinari.

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2012 Masters Leaderboard: Sean O'Hair Makes The Turn At Even Par

Sean O'Hair finished his front nine at even par and is tied for 21st after half a day of action at the 2012 Masters.

O'Hair, who lives in West Chester, PA, put together a solid front nine, birdieing the par five second hole and stringing together seven pars before finishing his front nine with a bogey.

Henrik Stenson started on a tear and leads midway through Thursday's action at 6-under through 11 holes. Other notables include Tiger Woods, who had three birdies and a bogey on his first 10 holes to reach 2-under, and Rory McIlroy, who tees of at 1:42 p.m. ET.

For a complete 2012 Masters leaderboad, click here.

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2012 Masters: TV Coverage, How To Watch Online And More

Intrigue is soaring for the 2012 Masters, with Tiger Woods on the comeback trail, Rory McIlroy looking to put 2011's regrettable final round behind him, and Charl Schwartzel aiming to prove last year's victory was no fluke.

Opening round play has already begun Thursday morning, and if you're at the office or away from your television, you can still watch every shot online live by following this link to CBS Sports' coverage.

It won't be until 3:00 p.m. EST that opening round play will be seen on TV, but be sure to check out ESPN for four and a half hours of live, action-packed coverage of the event. At that time, you can also begin following along at WatchESPN.com.

Notable tee times including Woods (10:35 a.m. EST) and Phil Mickelson (1:53 p.m. EST).

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Masters 2012: Rory McIlroy Says He "Learned A Lot" From Meltdown

One year ago, then 21 year old Rory McIlroy held a four shot lead with just 9 holes to go at Augusta. He was poised to become the youngest Masters champion since Tiger Woods before it all went horribly wrong. McIlroy suffered through one of the most infamous meltdowns in Masters history as choked away the lead and finished with an 80 on the day.

To his credit though, McIlroy saw that terrible day as a learning experience.

"I learned a lot," he told reporters this week. " I think one of the things I learned was that as a person and as a golfer, I wasn't ready to win the Masters; wasn't ready to win a major. I really needed to think about what I needed to do to improve mentally and in different aspects of my game to get better. I felt like I did that."

McIlroy says the experience of what happened at Augusta is a large part of what propelled him to his first major win at the US Open not long after.

"So the big thing for me is it was a huge learning curve, learning experience, and, you know, I took a lot from it and was able to put some of the things I learned into practice very quickly, and that's what resulted in winning the U.S. Open a couple months after."

Much of the narrative this week has been Rory vs Tiger as the two were installed as co-favorites. However, Rory declined to see it that way.

"You have to remember, there's 80‑plus players in this field. It's not just about two guys or three guys or whatever. It's nice to be getting all this praise and everything, but you have to take it with a pinch of salt. I definitely don't have the achievements that Tiger has or nowhere near the level of, yeah, success, that he's had over the last 15 years."

While McIlroy may have been coy about his own chances, Tiger Woods was effusive in his praise of the 22 year old Irishman.

"He has all of the makings of being a great champion for a long period of time," Woods said.

McIlroy tees off at 1:42 pm on Thursday.

2012 Masters Odds: Tiger Woods Remains The Heavy Favorite

Earlier this week When the odds for the 2012 Masters Tournament were put on public display, Tiger Woods was shown to be the overwhelming favorite at (4/1). Not much has changed since Monday, but the betting has shown some people aren't convinced.

According to BOVADA, Woods is still being given his respect, but he has dipped a little on the board. The Arnold Palmer Invitational winner of just over a week ago is now a (9/2) favorite with Rory McIlroy (6/1) and Phil Mickelson (11/1) rounding out the top three. McIlroy is really the only other true favorite in the field.

Sean O'Hair, who resides in West Chester, PA is sitting with odds of (150/1) while Jim Furyk, a native of West Chester is looking at better prospects with (90/1) chances given to him.

Some other interesting bets to ponder are Luke Donald and Bubba Watson. Donald is ranked number one in the world and has (16/1) odds while Watson is a legitimate contender who's been set at (40/1).

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Masters 2012: Tiger Woods Relishes Return To Augusta

Tiger Woods will tee off tomorrow for his 18th career Masters looking for his fifth career win at Augusta. After a rough couple years, Tiger got back on the winning track 10 days ago with a win at Bay Hill, his first victory in 30 months. Woods was asked whether that boosted his confidence that he can make a run at Augusta

"Well, I think it was just a process. I've been putting together two good rounds, eventually three, and now four; so just had to keep sticking with it and getting more experience working with Sean," said Woods. "You know, this year you can see the numbers. End of last year and most of this year, I've been in contention. I'm just continuing the process."

Despite the criticism of Tiger in recent years, its not like he's been out of contention at Augusta. He's posted back to back fourth place finishes, both when he was not really at his best. Tiger attributes his competitiveness at the course to experience.

"I think it's understanding how to play this golf course. This is my 18th year, so I've spent just about half my life playing this tournament. It's understanding how to play this golf course, where to miss it. I've gotten just umpteen amount of advice from guys who have played here way more than I have. That's really helped. Over the years of playing with Raymond and Freddie and Ollie and Nick Price, you name it, right on down the list, of just understanding how to play this golf course."

"Granted, it's changed over the years, but still, you still miss it in the same spots. Just understanding how to do that has really helped me over the years, and I think that's one of the reasons why you see so many guys here. The older players are in contention a lot, but they just know how to play it."

It's interesting to hear Tiger paint himself as the elder statesman, especially given that his co-favorite at Augusta is 22 year old Rory McIlroy. Tiger says he sees a future champion in the young Irishman.

"You know, he has all of the makings of being a great champion for a long period of time. We have seen him obviously what he did last year at the Masters and how he came back at the Open. He led, what, seven out of eight rounds in Major Championships last year, which is pretty impressive, right in a row. So he just needs to get more experienced. That's just from playing. He's put himself there. Seems like every single tournament he plays in, he's in the Top‑10, and that's great to see."

Masters 2012 Tee Times And Pairings: Tiger Woods Grouped With Sang-Moon Bae, Miguel Angel Jimenez

The 2012 Masters begins on Thursday morning at 7:50 a.m. ET, when Craig Stadler, Brendan Steele and Tim Clark become the first group to tee off.

Notable names to tee off Thursday include Tiger Woods, who is scheduled to start the first hole at 10:35 a.m. with Sang-Moon Bae and Miguel Angel Jimenez. No. 1-ranked Luke Donald follows Woods on the first tee at 10:46 a.m. and Rory McIlroy begins his tournament at 1:42 p.m. in the same group as Bubba Watson.

Sean O'Hair, who lives in West Chester, PA, is in group 17 and is scheduled to tee off at 10:57 a.m on Thursday. Jim Furyk, who was born in West Chester, tees off alongside Vijay Singh and Lee Westwood at 12:58 p.m.

Find the rest of the pairings and tee times by following this link.

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The Masters 2012 Odds: Is Jason Day The Forgotten Man?

As was the case last year, the big names are all the favorites at the 2012 Masters. Tiger Woods is the favorite at 4/1 followed by Rory McIlroy at 5/1 and Phil Mickelson at 11/1. However, last year, none of that trio finished in the top three. Instead, Charl Schwartzel, Adam Scott & Jason Day occupied the spots.

Day, who is listed at 40/1, says he thinks its good for the game that the hysteria is all about the big three names.

"I think it's good for the game of golf. I think it's going to be great for the Masters this year," said Day. "Obviously with Tiger just winning recently and with how Rory has been playing this year; obviously Phil, as well, he's been playing great. There's been a bunch of guys this year that have really stepped up and played great.

You know, I think there's going to be a lot of hype. I haven't seen‑‑ obviously the tee times are not out yet, but it's going to be pretty exciting this year I think. Hopefully we can have another exciting finish like we did last year. But I kind of like flying under the radar. It's kind of nice. Not many people are paying attention to me, which is nice."

This will be Day's second Masters and he was asked this week if he had any advice for guys making their debut at Augusta this year?

"You can go around to all of the past champions and pick their brains; just what they have done in the past. If you can somehow get a practice round with them, that would be probably the best thing you can do. But if you can't do that, just keep asking questions. Just go through 18 holes.

Like I remember talking to Nick Faldo before I played the Masters last year and asking advice of him and then walking the course with some other players that have played the course before, and just asking where they would hit shots on certain holes, and that certainly helped a lot. And just pretty much enjoy yourself. It's hard not to enjoy yourself when you're here, but just have fun and don't let it get to you if you're playing bad."

Day says the most important thing is to simply savor the chance to play at Augusta.

"There's no other place like it, really isn't. The amount of tournaments I've played around the world, there's just nothing, nothing like it. This is my favorite week of the year every single year. I've only played it twice, and it really is my favorite week of the year. I really do enjoy coming back, and seeing the Members and seeing the Patrons and just playing the course.

I've watched this tournament from a kid until now watching TV; there's just so much history and tradition here, it's a fun place to be at."

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The Masters 2012 Odds: Tiger Woods Leads The Field Once Again

It's finally here: Masters week. The grass is green and the flowers are in full bloom in Augusta, Ga., just in time for the most prestigious tournament of the year.

The buildup will be even bigger than usual with Tiger Woods coming off a brilliant win two weekends ago in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Not surprisingly, he's the odds-on favorite to take home another green jacket.

Woods is a (4/1) favorite, according to Las Vegas Sports Betting.

Rory McIlroy comes in behind Woods in pretty close proximity sporting (11/2) odds with Phil Mickelson rounding out the top three with (11/1) chances.

Hunter Mahan made a nice push after winning the Houston Shell Open over the weekend and now has (28/1) odds.

As for the local guys, Sean O'Hair, who resides in West Chester, Pa., comes in as a serious long shot with (125/1) odds. Jim Furyk, born in West Chester, is looked upon in a better light, coming in at (80/1).

It all starts Thursday morning in earnest for a chance at hollowed glory.

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The Masters 2012 Field Finalized: Jim Furyk, Sean O'Hair Make Invite List

Jim Furyk and Sean O'Hair have been invited to play in the Masters 2012 Tournament on April 5-8.