2020 Masters: Tiger Woods is 3 strokes away from Paul Casey & # 039; s Lead

AUGUSTA, Georgia – Leisurely playing his 87th round at the Masters, Tiger Woods stalked Augusta National Golf Club Thursday with the aplomb of someone strolling through his living room in search of his favorite armchair , footstool and coaster, to the cool drink in his hand. Shot by shot, the path was so familiar he could have walked it in the dark.

As Woods has won the tournament five times and has been a Masters game for the past 25 years, it is possible that he may have played the course in those conditions. And probably still broken par.

Woods, the reigning champion, was not the leader after Thursday's first round, which was delayed by a nearly three-hour thunderstorm that left dozens of golfers unable to complete their sessions. With a four-under-par 68, Woods was tied for fourth and quietly three strokes behind leader, Paul Casey.

But Woods' round of command was the loudest statement of the day. It was an up and down year for Woods, but to this day he was composed and hardly ever out of position on the diabolical Augusta National layout. It almost seemed like he was on cruise control, like he could roll out to a 68.

"I did everything right today," said Woods, reluctant to congratulate himself, after his round.

Every other seasoned participant in the field knows the history of the Masters when Woods has a good opening round. It's not true that every time he shot 70 or better in the first round, he has won. However, it has happened four times. He has fought seriously on the other three times that he was two or more undersized after day one, finishing fourth twice and sixth once.

When asked if he was surprised at how well he performed given his uneven performance for most of this season, Woods shrugged.

"Understanding how to play on this golf course is only a big part of playing well here," he said. "It is so well known."

He knows the area; he could also find the television remote in the dark of his living room.

Woods' steady play was a stark contrast to almost everything else that happened during the first Masters round ever contested in November due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nothing else seemed common, with the typically treacherous shades of green, wet and sluggish, the spring flower colors missing and the galleries absent.

"There were a lot of differences these days," Woods said. “A drone flew over the green. You don't hear drones here. There were no customers, no roars. Lots of firsts today. That's the way it has been all year.

Many players had the same feeling of being in a recognizable but changed place. Xander Schauffele shot a brilliant 67 to end the day in a second place draw with Webb Simpson, but he didn't seem sure what to make of his round.

"Much of it felt, in fairness, wrong". Schauffele said. "The greens are really soft so there's not much to fear. It was really weird. You'd break less on putts and hit harder, which you never do here."

Casey, who Finished five times in the top 10 in 13 previous Masters appearances, an eagle on the second hole made an approach shot that he expected to finish over the green.

"I have 6 iron against a left pin No. 2 hit, and you can't hit that shot in April, "said Casey." Today just threw it and it stopped right away. It would have jumped to customers in April. I'll probably make five, not three.

But when it comes to entertaining, unforeseen moments in this first round of the Masters, it would be hard to beat the sight of seven golfers, caddies and officers high in the chest. azaleas in search of Bryson DeChambeau's wayward ball

After starting his round on the 10th hole, DeChambeau hit his tee shot at No. 13 into the trees and attempted a delicate recovery. Instead, he hooked his ball badly and ended up buried in the bushes behind the green. Then, in case he didn't find that ball, DeChambeau hit a preliminary shot that landed in Rae's Creek, short of the green.

"I was really concerned about finding that ball," said DeChambeau, who is the round as the tournament favorite. "I would have made a bad number if I hadn't found it."

After finding the ball, he declared it unplayable and had to fall on a steep slope. He then threw a dicey chip and ended up making a double bogey. DeChambeau drove an impressive rally to finish his round with two under par and stay in the title hunt. But his explosive rides, expected to overwhelm Augusta National, ended up only playing a role in a few holes. Nor did he use the 48-inch driver – the longest allowed – with which he had experimented.

"I didn't drive great," said DeChambeau. & # 39; You know, this place can bite you if you make mistakes. But I am very happy with the patience I have shown today. "