Masters Day 1 Wrap-Up

Great job by Eric and Matthew on yesterday's coverage.

The old course at Augusta National played easier than usual on Thursday, and as a result we saw one of the most entertaining first rounds I can remember.  There was something for everyone -- the 53-year-old Fred Couples shot a four-under par 68, while 14-year-old Tianlang Guan shot a brilliant 73.  Some popular guys who have never won a major -- Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Ricky Fowler and Matt Kuchar -- were at or near the top of the leaderboard, but heavy hitters like Tiger Woods (-2), Phil Mickelson (-1), and Rory McIlroy (Even) were still in contention.  Bubba Watson (+3), whose game may never recover from his victory in this tournament last year, was one of the few stars who really ruined his chances on Day One.

Rains and wind were supposed to sweep through Augusta last night, so the course may play differently today.  But for now, the first major of the year appears to be wide open:

T1.  M. Leishman (AUS):  -6 (66)
T1.  S. Garcia (ESP):  -6 (66)

3.  D. Johnson:  -5 (67)

T4.  D. Lynn (ENG):  -4 (68)
T4.  R. Fowler:  -4 (68)
T4.  G. Fernandez-Castano (ESP):  -4 (68)
T4.  T. Immelman (RSA):  -4 (68)
T4.  F. Couples:  -4 (68)
T4.  M. Kuchar:  -4 (68)

T10.  J. Furyk:  -3 (69)
T10.  Z. Johnson:  -3 (69)
T10.  A. Scott (AUS):  -3 (69)