Spieth recovers to surge into lead on opening day at Augusta

Jordan Spieth made a blazing start to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday. Coming out firing on all cylinders, the 24-year-old American golfer, who won the Masters in 2015, ended the day at -6 under. He finished two strokes ahead of Matt Kuchar, and Tony Finau, a first-timer at the Masters.

“If you get off to a good start you're in control of your own fate versus, you know, needing a little bit of help. So, this tournament often feels like there's six rounds with how the weekend grind is and, well, really any major. So this, I feel like I'm kind of one round down out of six, and so I'm not getting ahead of myself. It's just that it was a really good start,” said Spieth after sitting atop the leaderboard.

Meanwhile, defending champion Sergio Garcia, who put five shots into the water for a 13 on the 15th, equaled the worst score for a hole in the tournament's history and carded a nine-over-par 81.

Tiger Woods of the US plays an approach shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 5, 2018.

Tiger Woods, making his first Masters start since 2015, finished the round at one over. The former world number one reacted after the day’s play. “It felt great to be back out there again. I've only come up here the last couple of years just to have food so it's nice to get out here and play and know that I have this golf course in front of me. It was a day, you know, when the wind was kind of puffing up, changing different directions. I didn't play the par 5s very well today. I played them even par. if I clean up the par 5s then I'm right up that board.”

Chinese Li Haotong is tied for fourth while his young compatriot Lin Yuxin fired an opening round 79.

(CGTN)