Keep that card: Danny Willett. While the golfing world's eyes were on another former champion making a marvelous return to Augusta, Willett did his own "remember me?" routine. The 2016 Masters champ has four missed cuts in five return trips since donning the green jacket but Thursday shook off an early bogey to shoot 3-under-par 69.
Toss that card: Matthew Wolff. Since bursting onto the PGA Tour scene with a win at the inaugural 3M Open in 2019, Wolff continues to have it in reverse. Thursday, that meant 4 over through three holes en route to an 81. The poor display included Wolff snapping his iron after a tee shot into the bunker on No. 4.
A hair-raising 18 holes
Cameron Smith's signature mullet is flappable. His game? Not so much.
The 28-year-old Australian's opening round at the Masters started and ended with double bogeys. In between came eight birdies and ultimately a 4-under 68 that vaulted him to the upper reaches of the leaderboard.
"I love this place," Smith said. "I think my short game has definitely got me out of a lot of bad spots around here, but at the end of the day I think you just need to give yourself opportunities. You need to hit your irons close, and you need to be really good with the putter."
For starters ...
Two-time Masters champion Tom Watson became the 11th honorary starter since the tradition began in 1962 when he joined mainstays Jack Nicklaus (six green jackets) and Gary Player (three) at the first tee on Thursday morning.
"I look at these old goats right here, I can't carry their shoes," Watson said. "I don't kind of belong in the same realm as these two players here."
Welcome, J.J.
No one was less prepared for Augusta National than J.J. Spaun. He wasn't about to complain.
