After entering the tournament as the overall favorite after winning three times on tour this season, Tiger Woods got off to a favorable start at Augusta National, shooting a two-under 70 on Thursday to sit four strokes behind first round leaders Sergio Garcia and Australian Marc Leishman, who both shot a six-under 66 to take the early lead at the Masters.
Garcia had his best career performance at Augusta, tying his best score the course has putting up his first bogey-free round for the first time since the 2002 season and positions himself to possibly win his first major. Garcia has not always been at his best at Augusta, finishing in the top 10 just twice in 14 tournaments at the major and he is one shot ahead of Dustin Johnson, who shot 67. Woods is four back and tied for 13th with a number of players, including David Toms and Lee Westwood.
Jim Furyk and Adam Scott are one shot ahead at three under and are tied up with Zach Johnson, who is behind Matt Kuchar, Fred Couples and Rickie Fowler at four under. David Lynn had an excellent day on the course and is also four back, one stroke behind Dustin Johnson. Jamie Donaldson wowed the crowd during the day with a hole in one on the sixth hole, becoming the first player to hit one since 2004 when Chris DiMarco did it.
Woods left a few shots on the course during the day, including a bogey on 14 and he also had 30 putts, which was more than he had been averaging on tour this season. Woods rose back to the number one ranking two weeks ago after winning at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and he was solid on his tee shots, making 13 of 18 greens.
John Merrick will start things off early in the first group on Friday for round two, while Ernie Els and Steve Stricker will go before nine. Phil Mickelson tees off just before Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley, while Bubba Watson, who is the defending champ and is three over par, will go just before Tiger Woods and Luke Donald in the afternoon. Rickie Fowler will be part of the last round at 1:52 pm.
Some notable tee times include:
8:55 a.m.: Ernie Els, Steve Stricker, Nick Watney
10:23 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer
10:34 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Fredrik Jacobson
12:46 p.m.: Charl Schwartzel, Webb Simpson, Peter Hanson
1:30 p.m.: Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Steven Fox
1:41 p.m.: Tiger Woods, Luke Donald, Scott Piercy
1:52 p.m.: Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Padraig Harrington
