‘A lot of firsts today’

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The rain was falling softly in the semi-darkness as Tiger Woods stood on the practice putting green awaiting his 7:55 a.m. tee time, while legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were on the nearby first tee preparing to hit their ceremonial first tee shots.

Woods sensed something flying over his head. He looked up.

“There was a drone flying over the putting green,” he said after shooting a 4-under 68 in which he didn’t make a bogey, his first bogey-free round here since 2008. “Down one today you could hear the drone over there. You don’t hear drones here.”

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Paul Casey shot a 7-under 65 to take the early lead, although half the field didn’t finish. At 5 under through 10 holes, Justin Thomas had the best round going among the late starters.

“I've got a lot of golf left,” said Thomas, whose best finish in four Masters starts was his T12 last year. “Just go home and get some rest. It's a long day tomorrow.”

The rain-delayed first round was suspended for darkness with 44 players, roughly half the field, still out on the course at 5:30 p.m. They’ll restart at 7:30 a.m., with round two set to begin at 9:35 a.m. Friday, if all goes according to plan. The way things have gone, that’s a big if.

Indeed, Thursday was an odd one.

Bryson DeChambeau, the most talked about player in golf, double-bogeyed the short par-5 13th hole, the most vulnerable hole on the course, and shot 70, the same score as Larry Mize, 62.

Woods began his round at the 10th hole at 10:55. He’d never started a Masters on 10, but then there’s never been a November Masters, with daylight a precious commodity.

Another difference: no blooming azaleas, or much of anything else. It’s just too late in the year. The course does, however, have more Bermuda grass in it than normal, causing the ball to react differently. And it was humid Thursday, like East Lake in September, Casey said. Tony Finau, one of his playing partners, spun his approach shot into the bunker at the first hole.

“On a good-looking wedge shot,” Casey said.

Woods said putts just weren’t breaking. Casey said the greens were softer than ever.

“There was a shot I hit on number two, a 6-iron to that left hand pin that you can't hit that shot in April,” said Casey, who eagled the hole. “It was just left of the flag. It pitched and stopped instantly, and that shot in April would have one hopped over into the patrons, and probably would have walked off with a 5 instead of a 3.”

A first-time Masters participant this week could return in April only to find a totally transformed, much firmer and faster course.

“They are going to have a rude awakening,” Casey said with a laugh.

Still, he added, there remained something special about just being here, even with the quirks.

Woods agreed.

“There's no patrons, no roars,” he said. “Yes, as the camera guys would say, ‘Where did the ball end up? Because we just don't know.’ That's very different. A lot of firsts today. That's kind of the way this entire year has been. The fact that we're able to compete for a Masters this year, considering all that's been going on, it's a great opportunity for all of us.”