South Korea’s Sung-jae Im carded a superb five-under par opening round at the Masters to take a one-shot lead from Australia’s Cameron Smith heading into day two.
Im’s round of 67 featured five birdies - including three in a row to start the round - two bogeys and an eagle on the par-five 13.
Smith, winner of the Players last month, was well-fancied going into the tournament, and would display the good, the bad and the ugly of his game as he started and finished his 68 with double bogeys.
Fortunately there were eight birdies in between for the Australian in an extraordinary round. Smith had put distance between himself and the field as he stood on the 18th tee, but then hit a bad drive, a poor wedge and three-putted to drop two shots.
Scottie Scheffler, the new world No1 after three wins already in 2022, is among four players a further shot back on three-under after he spoiled an otherwise blemish-free round with a bogey on 18, while 2020 champion Dustin Johnson did likewise with one on the penultimate hole.
Former winner Danny Willett is also three-under after making a fine start to his quest for a second green jacket, with Chile’s Joaquim Niemann the other player sharing a tie for third.
It was far less positive from Justin Thomas, second-favourite going into the tournament. His usually stunning approach play deserted him in a round of 76 that leaves him battling just to make the weekend.
Thomas was joined on four over by Bryson DeChambeau and Louis Oosthuizen, while a torrid back nine from Brooks Koepka, which included five bogeys, sees him just one shot better off heading into Friday’s second round.
The story though, as ever, was Tiger Woods. He defied all that he has gone through over the last 14 months to shoot a one-under-par 71 in a typically patient round of golf. The five-time Masters champion declared afterwards: “I am right where I need to be.”
