A year after claiming he was not good enough to win a major and needed to “play for second or third place”, Sergio Garcia claimed a share of the lead on the opening day of the 77th Masters.
Garcia carded six birdies and no bogeys in a flawless 66 at Augusta National, joining Australia’s Marc Leishman at the top of the leaderboard on six under par.
American Dustin Johnson bogeyed the 17th to finish a shot behind on five under, while world number one Tiger Woods, seeking a fifth Green Jacket, carded a two-under-par 70 the same opening score which led to his victories in 1997, 2001 and 2002.
But Rory McIlroy could only manage a level-par 72 after five birdies and five bogeys, causing the 23-year-old Northern Irishman to complain once again this season of the need to eliminate “silly mistakes” from his game.
Sandy Lyle was the best Scot, with a one-over-par 73, but Paul Lawrie and Martin Laird laboured with 76s.
It is the first time the 33-year-old Garcia has led a major since the 2007 Open, when he was out in front for three days but was caught on the fourth and eventually lost out in a play-off to Padraig Harrington at Carnoustie.
Garcia finished second in the US PGA Championship as a 19-year-old back in 1999 and has had 15 top-10 finishes in 57 major appearances, but after coming 12th here last year said: “I’m not good enough. In 13 years I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to play for second or third place.’
“If I felt like I could win I would do it. Unfortunately at the moment, unless I get really lucky I can’t really play much better than I played this week.”
But after Thursday’s opening round at Augusta Garcia said: “It was one of those moments where you are a little frustrated. It probably came out wrong the way I said it. It doesn’t change that every week I tee it up and try to play my best golf and give myself a chance to win.”
Garcia was five under after 10 holes and added: “The first 10 holes was amazing. I felt so good and hit so many great shots. Even though I was hitting four, five or six-iron into the greens, it felt like I was 10-15ft away all the time, and it’s hard to do that on this course.”
England’s David Lynn, who described simply qualifying for the Masters as a dream come true, was in a six-strong group on four under, alongside Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, 2008 champion Trevor Immelman and 53-year-old 1992 winner Fred Couples.
Playing only the third major of his career after securing his place by finishing second at the US PGA Championship last year, Lynn has won just once in almost 400 European Tour starts but outscored the likes of Justin Rose and Lee Westwood (both 70), Luke Donald and 2011 winner Charl Schwartzel (both 71) and defending champion Bubba Watson (75), while Ian Poulter fared even worse with a 76.
Out in the third group at 8:22am local time, Lynn went to the turn in 33 and was two clear of the field when he birdied the 15th, but bogeyed the 17th and needed to hole from 12ft for par on the last.
“I was on the ninth and my caddie said ‘You’re leading the Masters.’ He just looked at me and smiled,” a delighted Lynn said. “I said ‘I’d rather be leading it Sunday afternoon’ but it’s obviously not a bad thing to see your name up there and something you could always look back on.
“It’s taken me a golfing lifetime to get here. You do feel like you know the place, because you see it that many times on TV. It’s fantastic.
“When I am on my game I know I can compete at this level and Kiawah Island (for the US PGA) confirmed it to me. It gave me a bit of extra belief.
“I’m not going to sit here and say I’m going to be there Sunday night, but deep down I know that I’ve got performances in me that could put me there.”
Westwood has already been there with finishes of second, 11th and third in the last three years, but had to recover from a double-bogey six on the first today.
“It was a good start well, not literally, but it’s a good first round,” the 39-year-old said, who had responded angrily to suggestions from Colin Montgomerie that time was running out for him to win a major.
“It wasn’t the ideal start, but I’ve started majors with a double bogey before – the US Open last year sprang to mind and I fought my way back to have a chance.”
Rose was three shots better off than Westwood over the opening two holes after two birdies, but was unable to capitalise on such a bright start.
“I’ve led three times after the first round, which has come to no avail,” Rose said. “You can never win it on day one, you can only lose it.
“I didn’t really make anything until the 18th, when I knocked in a nice 15-foot putt for par, which makes lunch taste good, really.”
Donald discovered he had cracked the face of his driver on the 14th hole in his 71, but Poulter made no excuses for hitting only four fairways in regulation on a day he described as “horrific”.