AUGUSTA, Ga. – A brief look Thursday at the opening round of the Masters:
LEADER: Jordan Spieth birdied five consecutive holes beginning at the 13th on the way to a 6-under 66.
CHASING: Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar are two strokes behind after shooting 68s, while the group at 69 includes Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson.
TOUGH GUY: Finau turned in a dazzling round 24 hours after dislocating his left ankle while celebrating a hole-in-one during the Par-3 Contest.
TOUGH HOLE: Defending champion Sergio Garcia shot himself out of tournament at the 15th hole, where he dumped five consecutive balls into the water. He finished with a 13, equaling the record for the highest score ever on a Masters hole.
TIGER WATCH: Tiger Woods returned to the Masters for the first time since 2015 and shot a 73, leaving him seven shots off the lead.
GRAND SLAM: McIlroy posted his second-best score in the opening round in 10 Masters appearances. He opened with a 65 in 2011 but threw away a comfortable lead that year with a final-round 80. McIlroy needs only a victory at Augusta National to become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam.
KEY STATISTIC: Spieth took only 10 putts on the back nine.
NOTEWORTHY: Spieth has played 17 rounds in his Masters career. This was the sixth time he’s shot in the 60s.
QUOTEWORTHY: “I know as well as anybody that anything can happen at Augusta National.” – Spieth, whose bid for a second consecutive green jacket in 2016 ended with a Sunday collapse on the back side.
TELEVISION: 1-5:30 p.m. Friday, ESPN.
Associated Press
