Adam Scott has rebounded brilliantly from a bout of coronavirus to lead the Australian assault at the Masters.
Key points:
- English golfer Paul Casey leads the Masters after an 7-under opening round of 65 at Augusta
- Three players are two shots back, and another eight are on 4-under, including defending champion Tiger Woods and Australia’s Adam Scott
- Not all golfers were able to finish, as darkness fell with 43 players still out on the course
The 2013 champion was 4-under through 10 holes, trailing clubhouse leader Paul Casey by three shots, when the opening round was suspended due to darkness at Augusta National.
Fellow Australians Marc Leishman and Jason Day overcame rough starts in wet conditions to card 2-under 70s to also be well in the mix.
Played in November for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening round was delayed by thunderstorms for almost three hours not long after it began on Thursday.
Diagnosed with COVID-19 last month, Scott was sitting in a tie for fifth spot after reeling off four birdies in a flawless front-nine 32.
Leishman and Day were sharing 21st position, five shots back of Casey, who notched a sizzling 7-under 65.
But it could have been worse as things looked bleak for Leishman and Day early on.
In one of the first groups to hit the course, Leishman had missed the 10th green in regulation before the horn blew to stop play, the first time an opening Masters round has utilised both the first and 10th tees due to daylight concerns.
When play resumed, the Victorian was unable to get up and down for par and stayed 1-over until a brilliant approach to the par-five 13th from the pine straw set up an eagle putt from 3 metres that he duly buried.
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A further two birdies on his round were countered by just one more bogey on the 17th hole, a welcome sign after six months of struggling with his game.
“I could have shot a really low score today so it’s a little frustrating to miss some chances but, given where I’ve been leading into the tournament, I’ll take the 70 and move on,” Leishman said.
“Hopefully I can keep hitting it this well.
Day opened with two bogeys in his first seven holes to look out of contention before a run of five birdies in his next seven had the former world number one rocket up the leaderboard.
But just as he was looking ominous, he dumped his approach shot on the par-5 15th into the water and took bogey.
He almost found the water on the par-3 16th, too, but saved par before also signing for a 70 on his 33rd birthday.
Cameron Smith was even par through 10 holes at the close of play.
Amateur Lukas Michel settled for a 4-over 76 in his Masters debut, the highlight coming with a chip-in birdie on the iconic par-three 12th from a putrid lie off the green.
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Casey finds energy, early lead at Augusta
No spectators, no roars.
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But Casey still had no problem finding enough energy from the sheer mystique of the Masters on Thursday.
His 65 matched his lowest score at Augusta National and gave him a two-shot lead among those fortunate enough to get in 18 holes before it was too dark to continue.
“So many people like myself are just excited to play this,” Casey said. “This is a treat. It always has been and always will be a real treat.”
The autumn Masters brought a different course, some of that courtesy of the weather.
The downpour that began about 30 minutes after Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player hit their ceremonial tee shots, coupled with a November tournament with some Bermuda grass that still hasn’t gone dormant, left Augusta National soft and vulnerable to low scores.
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Defending champion Tiger Woods even got into the act. A notorious slow starter despite his five green jackets, he played his first bogey-free round at any major in 11 years and matched his low start at the Masters with a 68.
“I put a lot of it together today,” Woods said, his only regret not making a few more putts.
He finished with eight pars.
Two groups ahead of Woods was Bryson DeChambeau, who smashed shots into trees and one into the azalea bushes behind the 13th green.
He was lucky to find it because his provisional shot went into the creek. He still made double bogey, though he managed to scratch out a 70.
So much action, typical of the Masters, and so little volume. And it was worth the wait caused by COVID-19.
“I was vocal earlier in the year about not enjoying golf in a pandemic,” Casey said. “I didn’t know how the fan-less experience would be and so far, I’ve not enjoyed it.
The excitement for Casey began on the fearsome 10th hole when he hit his approach to a front pin about five feet away for birdie. He had eagle chances on both par fives on the back nine and settled for birdies. He took on a left pin at the par-five second with a six-iron and watched the ball plop six feet away for eagle.
“You can’t hit that shot in April,” he said. “It pitched and stopped instantly, and that shot in April would have one-hopped over into the patrons.”
Webb Simpson shot 67, including an eagle on the second (his 11th). He was joined by Xander Schauffele, a runner-up to Woods last year, who had seven birdies in his round of 67.
Lee Westwood shot 31 on the front and limited the damage on the back for a 68, joining the group that included Woods, former Masters champion Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama and Louis Oosthuizen.
World number one Dustin Johnson was among the 43 players who will have to return on Friday morning to finish. He opened with an eagle on number two and was 3-under at the turn. Justin Thomas started with three straight birdies and was at 5-under through 10 holes.
Rory McIlroy also played in the afternoon, made bogey on his first hole and was struggling to make birdies. He was even par at the turn, which felt worse on a day like this.
The delay was the last thing the Masters needed with limited daylight hours leading to the two-tee start. Every minute counts, and it was doubtful 36 holes could be completed by Friday.
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The loudest cheer — applause, certainly not a roar — came for Nicklaus and Player hitting tee shots so early that they couldn’t see where they landed.
Five groups got through one hole before the siren sounded to stop play for 2 hours, 45 minutes. And then players began to light up the course as the clouds moved to the east and those famous shadows from Georgia pines stretched across the fairways.
It looked just like the Masters, minus the spring blooms, even if it didn’t sound like it.
AAP/AP
