The Masters: Charley Hoffman leads after opening 65 -
- (April 07 2017)
Charley Hoffman produced a sensational 65 to lead the Masters after round one .
Having been level par through seven holes, Hoffman made seven birdies in his closing 11 to burst into a four-shot lead on a day of difficult conditions at Augusta.
The Californian took advantage of the par-five eighth and made a slick downhill putt at the ninth to begin his climb up the leaderboard, and while a chance would disappear at the 10th he made amends with an 11-foot birdie at the famous 12th.
His second to the par-five 13th hole found water to throw a spanner in the works, but Hoffman saved his par before bursting clear of the field with four birdies in succession from the 14th.
Hoffman ended the day four clear of the only other player in the field to break 70, debutant William McGirt.
Winner of the Memorial Tournament last summer to earn his first invite to Augusta National, McGirt made just one bogey in an impressive opening 69 despite playing much of his round in the strongest winds.
Lee Westwood produced arguably the comeback of the day, as having turned in three-over he made five birdies in a row from the 13th before a scrambled par at the last in a two-under round of 70.
Russell Henley posted an under-par round from the first group of the day, and his one-under 71 was matched by three-time winner Phil Mickelson, plus Andy Sullivan, Kevin Chappell, Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jason Dufner and Sergio Garcia, the latter having produced a blemish-free scorecard.
Belgium's Thomas Pieters had stormed into an early lead at five-under through 10 on his Augusta debut, but fell foul of Amen Corner as he made bogey at the 11th followed by a double at the 12th, his tee-shot coming up short and finding the water hazard.
Pieters ended the day at level-par along with the likes of Soren Kjeldsen and Paul Casey, both of whom finished inside the top 10 last year, and they were joined in the evening by a resurgent Rory McIlroy.
The four-time major champion bogeyed two of the first three holes and was three-over at the turn, but a par save at the 10th followed by two more at holes 11 and 12 reignited his challenge.
McIlroy, bidding to complete a career grand slam, made birdie at the par-five 13th when his second shot fortuitously came to rest on the bank, before adding two more at holes 15 and 16, the latter after his tee-shot almost landed in the hole.
A chance went begging at the 17th, but McIlroy made one more up and down for a closing par and a round of 72, which appeared most unlikely midway through the afternoon.
But day one at the Masters belonged to Hoffman, who has played well in his three previous Masters starts but never to the standards produced on Thursday, in what was surely one of the great opening rounds in major championship history.