Masters 2020: Tiger Woods starts title defence in style, Paul Casey leads after first-round 65

Reigning Masters champion Tiger Woods carded his first-ever bogey-free opening round at Augusta National, but Englishman Paul Casey leads early.

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 12: Bryson DeChambeau of the United States walks on the second hole during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on November 12, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Defending champion Tiger Woods is right in the hunt at the 84th Masters following a bogey-free opening round at Augusta National.

Despite a weather-delayed start, the 15-time major-winner carded a 4-under 68 – his first clean opening round at the Masters in his illustrious career, and his first bogey-free 18 holes in 106 rounds at major championships – to sit tied for fourth following the completion of the morning groups.

Woods, trying to match Jack Nicklaus with a record six green jackets, birdied the par-5 13th and 15th and the par-3 16th to shoot 3-under on his opening nine – the back nine – before adding just one more birdie on the front.

Woods famously won last year’s Masters title to complete a remarkable return from injury – his first major victory since the 2008 US Open, and the first time he has won a major title when trailing heading into the final round.

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Tiger Woods drove the ball well on Thursday at The Masters. Picture: Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFP

However, it was Englishman Paul Casey who sat atop the leaderboard early doors, shooting a clinical 7-under 65, before Justin Thomas birdied his first three holes to kick off the afternoon groups.

Earlier, US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau struggled initially as Britain’s red-hot Lee Westwood carded an impressive 4-under to be right in the mix.

Westwood, with 12 top-5 major finishes but no wins, reeled off three birdies in four holes starting at the par-5 second then birdied the par-5 eighth and par-4 ninth to make the turn on 5-under, but went cold with a bogey and no birdies thereafter.

Americans Webb Simpson and Xander Schaufelle (both 65) and Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama (66) sit above Westwood, who shares fourth place with Woods, South African Louis Oosthuizen and 2018 champion Patrick Reed.

Lee Westwood carded an opening-round 68 after a hot start. Picture: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Long-driving DeChambeau overwhelmed Winged Foot in September with brute force on the way to his first major title, but accuracy issues eased fears he might humble Augusta National in a similar manner.

He played the back nine in level par after a double-bogey nightmare at the par-5 13th and birdies at the par-5 15th and par-3 16th.

DeChambeau found pine straw off the tee at 13, a tree limiting his line to the green. He blasted into bushes beyond the green, hit a provisional ball into Rae’s Creek, dug out his first shot only to require two chips to reach the green and two putts for double bogey.

Three birdies and one bogey on the front nine put him at 2-under entering the clubhouse, tied for 14th.

It was far from the overpowering day expected from DeChambeau, who decided against using an experimental maximum length 48-inch driver on the rain-soaked course.

Everyone was waiting to see what big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau would do with driver in hand. Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP

DeChambeau, trying to become the first winner of consecutive majors since Jordan Spieth won the Masters and US Open in 2015, bulked up during a three-month Covid-19 layoff.

He has averaged 68 over eight major rounds this year but his only prior round under 70 in three years at Augusta was a 66 in last year’s opening round.

Postponed from April and played without spectators due to the pandemic, the Masters used trios off two tees to maximize reduced autumn daylight.

A thunderstorm delay of nearly three hours hit only 35 minutes into play, ensuring late groups would not finish 18 holes by dark for the first time since the third round in 2006.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, trying to complete a career Grand Slam with a Masters victory, was set for an afternoon start alongside world number one Dustin Johnson, the 2020 PGA Player of the Year and Tour Championship winner.

McIlroy could join Woods, Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen as the only career Slam winners.

Johnson is trying to win his second major title and become the first top-ranked player to win the Masters since Woods in 2002.

Originally published as Masters 2020: Tiger Woods starts title defence in style, Paul Casey leads after first-round 65