Welcome back to another edition of Snagged Sports, where we ✨snag✨ all of the best stories in sports and serve them up on a screen near you. In today's edition, day 1 of the Masters did not disappoint, a very premature retirement speech, and Friday's play of the day. Let's get into it.

Main Character: The Masters, Day 1 

Hello friends, and welcome to the recap of Day 1 of the 2023 Masters Tournament.

The sports world has fully directed itself to Augusta National, and for good reason. With rain expected in the forecast the rest of the week, players made it their mission to go as low as possible, and for some, mission accomplished. For others, they will have to brave the elements the rest of the way to make the cut, and ultimately, try to win that coveted green jacket.

The 65 Club

(-7) Jon Rahm. Rahm surprised everyone and opened his round on the first hole with a 4-putt double bogey. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was getting used to the greens, but whatever it was, he fixed it. The Spaniard finished the rest of the 17 holes at 9 under par. There seemed to be no weakness in his game the rest of the round, and if he keeps it up, he will be well on his way to contention come Sunday.

(-7) Viktor Hovland. The former U.S. Amateur champ has had all the hype, but limited success thus far in his PGA Tour career. His response in this year's first major tourney? A spot at the top of the leaderboard after day 1. Hovland had a pair of incredible par saves on holes 4 and 10 that lead to his opening round bogey-free score, and is looking to continue to impress with all eyes on him entering Friday.

(-7) Brooks Koepka. Note to self: a healthy Brooks is a dominant Brooks. There was doubt for many of the LIV guys coming in with concerns of limited playing time and less rigorous competition, but Koepka quickly shut the door on any doubt after his near-perfect first round. He finished the last 4 holes at 3 under with the sole par scrapping the edge of the hole on Koepka's birdie putt on the par 3 16th. As to how he's feeling heading into Friday's round, this tweet says it all.

Surprise, Surprise

(-4) Sam Bennett. The U.S. Amateur winner was paired with defending champion Scottie Scheffler and multiple time 2023 winner Max Homa. No pressure right? Well, it didn't seem to effect him much as the kid from Aggieland opened his day birdie, eagle, to jump to a quick 3 under par. He would hold there the rest of the day and even add another birdie to the card to finish his round with a bogey-free 68.

He is currently tied with 7 others for 6th and holds a 7 shot advantage for the low-amateur award. Heck, this kid could make the cut and compete for the jacket if he keeps playing like this!

(-5) Jason Day. Many have been vocal in their support for Day's comeback tour, but for him to come out here and actually post a more-than-solid score is something he's probably been dreaming of for years now. Day, who finished Thursday tied for 4th, carded a bogey-free 67. He got hot down the stretch, birdieing 3 of his last 6 holes. 

(-1) Phil Mickelson. Phil the thrill was out in full effect as he finished with a surprising 71 to end the day under par. 

Mickelson, who has been at the center of the LIV/PGA drama, proved today that he can just let golf be golf this week, and simply enjoy one of the best weeks in the sport. Another performance like the one he had today, and Phil could find himself playing Augusta this weekend.

Day 2 Expectations

With the weather likely getting in the way of low rounds the rest of the tournament, expect to see the leaders battle for positioning in today's rounds as they head into the weekend. Staying calm, cool and collected for this group of leaders shouldn't be hard, but add in some less-than-desired weather, and we'll really get to see what these golfers are made of.

 You May Not Have Seen THIS 👀

Tyreek Hill stated on Sports Radio 810 WHB that he plans to retire after his contract ends in 2025. The Miami Dolphins speedster claimed this seemingly out of no where.

In his 2022-2023 NFL campaign, Hill had 119 receptions and 1,710 yards with 7 touchdowns. He was named to his fourth All-Pro team and selected for his seventh Pro Bowl. As for what he plans to do after football: enter the gaming space.

Props to him for recognizing this so early, and I'm sure NFL teams will be counting down the days when they will no longer have to deal with this man any more.

🤍 Wholesome Content 🤍

As you read earlier, Sam Bennett has put the golf world on notice with his incredible Day 1 performance at the Masters. Take a deep dive into his story, how he got here, and why he plays the game he loves.

💰 Mr. Cover's Corner 💰

Thursday's Results

✅ Bruins -150 vs. Maple Leafs

✅ NJ Devils -1.5 (-150) vs. Columbus 

✅ Buffalo vs. Detroit over 6.5

😪 VOID Will Zalatoris to win +3300/top 5 +600/top 10 +250

❌ Sam Burns first round leader +3000

About last night...

Absolutely on fire. Call the fire department. The Devils SMASHED the Blue Jackets. Buffalo and Detroit went over in the second period. Two easy picks, right off the bat. The parlay even hit! I am the Prince of Puck. The B’s gave me a bit of a scare, but I knew they were going to come through.

Willy Z's withdraw hurt me; hope to see him later this season in some major action. Sam Burns looked like 2004 Tiger on the front 9 and I thought the R1 leader was a lock, but that’s why they play 18 and not 9. Burns struggled to get any sort of real momentum on the back 9 and dropped to -4 to finish his round, 3 shots behind the co-leaders.

⚾️ MLB: Guardians Pitcher Aaron Civale over 5.5 K’s (+105)

I am without hockey, what do you expect? I have made a lot of jokes about “my worst bet ever”, but betting over 4.5 SO on Aaron Civale in Game 7 of the NLDS is the one that sticks out. He pitched a whopping 26 pitches to about 5 batters and did not make it through the first inning.

This is my redemption story. Civale has averaged 6.38 strikeouts per 9 innings in his last 5 years. This is a personal pick, but luckily for me, also has the data to back it up. Civale should get there, and if you can find over 4.5, then more power to ya.

🏀 NBA: Chicago 1Q +2.5 vs. Dallas

I am guessing on this number because the first quarter line isn’t out yet, but the full game line is at 8.5, so I did the math. The Bulls are 5th in the league ATS in the first quarter (43-35) and the Mavs are third worst in the league (32-47). The Mavs are known for getting off to a rough start, and I see that trend continuing here thanks to Jason Kidd.

🏒 NHL: Carolina ML @ Buffalo & Carolina regulation win

No NHL games on Friday so this is a look ahead line. I love Carolina here as they won two of the first three matchups and are absolutely buzzing right now. I see this matchup close as Carolina is the better team, but on the other hand, Buffalo is desperate. I think it will be close, but I see Carolina winning. Don’t be afraid to sprinkle some on it being a regulation time win, which should be plus money.

As per usual, do you what you must with this valuable information.

💡 Feature Friday 💡

The Town Crier is the go-to source for news in the way that Ted Lasso is the go-to source for Apple TV's attempt for popularity. A satire for all, read about everything from politics to pop culture for a quick and concise morning read.

It's the world as Town Crier sees it...see for yourself.

🐣 Tweet of the Day 🐣

Apologies for the low-res screen shot, Twitter be Twittering...

San Francisco Giants affiliate pitcher Kade McClure brought the heat with his take on Fernando Tatis Jr's homer he hit off of McClure during one of his rehab starts. To be fair, nothing he said was technically wrong.

☝️ Snagged's Top Play ☝️

What a snag (nice) by the Padres' newest multi-million dollar man. I guess that's why he gets paid the big bucks.

Quick Hits 🥊

• Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will serve military duties this offseason which is mandatory for all Finnish male citizens.

• LSU's women's basketball team announced it will accept the invitation to go the White House after Reese's comments stated otherwise.

• Collin Morikawa cleared the air after it appeared he cheated on the green one point during his opening round at the Masters.

• An absolute scene occurred in Florida as an all-out brawl broke out in the middle of the game.

• Lebron James puts blame on the NBA's scheduling after Lakers' loss to the Clippers for 11th time in a row.

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