You may’t win the Masters on Thursday, however you’ll be able to lose it, because the adage goes. Tiger Woods did not lose it.

After heavy storms in a single day delayed the Masters’ begin by two-and-a-half hours Thursday morning, Woods teed off at 3:54 p.m. ET and stood 1 underneath by means of 13 holes as play was suspended attributable to darkness, an encouraging begin as he seeks his sixth inexperienced jacket – and a report twenty fourth consecutive Masters made reduce.

The primary spherical will resume at 7:50 a.m. ET Friday, with the second spherical starting at 8 a.m.

Woods began quick with a birdie on the par-4 opening gap, his first Masters-opening birdie since 1999, and he remained regular because the circumstances dried out Thursday afternoon. Woods, 48, made bogey on the par-3 fourth however responded with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 eighth, handing over 1-under 35. He made three straight artful up-and-down pars on Nos. 10-12, then escaped the bushes en path to par on the par-5 thirteenth, his closing gap of the day.

“The wind was far and wide,” Woods mentioned Thursday night. “It was one of the crucial tough days that I’ve ever been part of. It was exhausting to get a beat not solely on what path it was going, however the depth, and it stored switching far and wide, and then you definately needed to – the timing was affecting putts on the greens. It was a really troublesome day.”

Woods was tied for seventeenth, six again of chief Bryson DeChambeau, as play was halted for the night. DeChambeau posted 7-under 65 earlier within the day, one away from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler’s 6-under 66.

Woods entered the week on a streak of 23 consecutive made cuts on the Masters, sharing the all-time report with Fred {Couples} and Gary Participant. He’ll have an opportunity Friday to carry that report alone, however anticipated windy circumstances (as much as 34 mph) ought to supply a problem for Woods and the sphere at massive.

Woods will full the final 5 holes of his opening spherical Friday morning, take a brief break and rapidly flip to the second spherical.

“It was good to complete up 13,” Woods mentioned. “We’ll heat up and simply sort of head down there and begin our spherical, and I feel the movement can be just about nearly like between 20 and half-hour in between rounds, so it will be a pure movement from the end of the primary spherical and continuation of the second.

“The physique is okay. We have some work to do but tonight.”

After present process ankle surgical procedure following a WD throughout the third spherical of final 12 months’s Masters, Woods returned to TOUR competitors at The Genesis Invitational in February, the place he opened in 1-over 72 however withdrew throughout the second spherical attributable to flu-like signs. The Masters is Woods’ first begin since withdrawing at The Genesis, and he mentioned Tuesday that he nonetheless believes he can contend and win. That’s why he’s right here, in spite of everything.

“If all the pieces comes collectively, I feel I can get another,” mentioned the five-time Masters winner on Tuesday.

His play thus far validates that perception.

Learn beneath for a hole-by-hole have a look at Woods’ opening spherical at Augusta Nationwide.

Gap 13 (par 5, 545 yards): Woods performs a fade off the tee however overcooks it, because the ball sails into the gathering of pine straw amidst a dense tree line proper of the green. It means he cannot go for the inexperienced, and he escapes the bushes with a low punch shot that reaches the primary reduce simply in need of the green, leaving a 191-yard strategy for his third shot.

Confronted with a dangling lie and Rae’s Creek intently guarding the inexperienced, Woods strikes a crisp iron shot that lands hole-high and stops on a dime, leaving an affordable look from roughly 20 ft. The horn blows for darkness, permitting gamers to complete their present gap in the event that they select, as Woods walks to the inexperienced.

Woods opts to finish the outlet; his right-to-left breaking birdie strive pulls up a pair ft quick. He makes his par to stay in pink figures in a single day. All in all, a promising begin for the five-time Masters winner. It will likely be a marathon Friday as he eyes a report twenty fourth consecutive made reduce at Augusta Nationwide.

Gap 12 (par 3, 150 yards): Because the twilight begins and the wind continues to gust, Woods pulls 7-iron and flies it over the inexperienced, a development that has emerged together with his mid-irons on this Thursday. The ball settles within the pine straw roughly 30 ft previous the outlet, however as soon as once more he shows a chic quick sport with a softly performed bump-and-run that trundles to six ft.

Woods drains the par putt, his third straight artful par save as darkness approaches at Augusta Nationwide. He’ll head to the par-5 thirteenth tee.

Gap 11 (par 4, 520 yards): Woods has performed this gap a cumulative 17 over throughout his profession, however he has no such hassle on the tee shot Thursday, striping it down the green’s left aspect as he begins Augusta Nationwide’s famed Amen Nook. Confronted with a prolonged second shot from 209 yards, he strikes it properly with a protracted iron however the ball maybe catches a gust of wind; it lands within the entrance fairway and settles some 80 ft in need of the outlet.

Woods’ magnificent quick sport is on show as soon as once more, as he executes a excessive flop shot that lands softly and releases to tap-in vary. He saves par, his second straight spectacular up-and-down to start the again 9. Darkness will strategy quickly; it seems he would possibly solely full another gap Thursday. Onward to the famed par-3 twelfth throughout Rae’s Creek.

Gap 10 (par 4, 495 yards): Woods positions a fairway metallic safely within the fairway’s proper aspect on the majestic downhill par 4, however he misses the inexperienced proper together with his second shot from 216 yards, leaving a slippery greenside bunker shot.

Ever a short-game magician, Woods has no troubles together with his third shot from the bunker, taking part in a nifty splash shot that lands within the fairway reduce and releases to depart a 4-foot uphill par putt. The patrons roar with deserving approval. He drains the par putt, lifeless middle, to remain in pink figures.

Gap 9 (par 4, 460 yards): Woods is discovering a consolation zone off the tee, striping this drive 312 yards, completely positioned within the fairway’s proper aspect, leaving a very good angle from 169 yards. He selects an 8-iron that tracks towards the outlet, however the ball cannot attain the again tier on which the outlet is positioned; the ball lands on the ridge beween tiers and rolls again onto the inexperienced’s center tier, leaving a 33-foot birdie putt.

Woods’ uphill birdie putt has stable tempo however grinds to a halt 2 ft quick. He cleans up his par to show in 1-under 35, a promising begin to the Masters. He stands T15 on the flip, six again of chief Bryson DeChambeau. He is two inside the present projected reduce line of 1 over.

Woods’ taking part in companion Max Homa turns in 3-under 32. Protected to say the group’s vibes are excessive.

Gap 8 (par 5, 570 yards): Woods blisters driver down the right-center of the green, using a excessive reduce that places him in place to achieve the inexperienced in two. He does simply that with a daring strike from 242 yards, the ball touchdown softly on the inexperienced’s proper collar to depart a 40-foot eagle putt.

Woods leaves his eagle strive 5 ft quick, however the birdie putt slides into the cup’s proper aspect. Along with his second birdie of the day, he is in pink figures as soon as once more.

Gap 7 (par 4, 450 yards): Woods tugs a fairway metallic simply left of the green, the ball settling within the first reduce however requiring a low punch to elude a dense grove of bushes. He performs his 171-yard second shot accordingly, a low bullet that tracks towards the outlet however cannot clear a entrance greenside bunker.

Woods’ bunker shot is a short-game grasp class, the ball touchdown some 10 ft in need of the outlet and releasing superbly, leaving a 2-footer to avoid wasting par. He has no hassle doing so.

Gap 6 (par 3, 192 yards): Woods takes an aggressive line with a mid-iron; the ball tracks towards the outlet’s left aspect and lands roughly 15 ft short-right of the outlet, nevertheless it catches the slope and feeds again onto the inexperienced’s entrance portion, leaving a cross-country birdie strive up a tier from 42 ft.

In what may very well be both a misinterpret or a mis-hit, Woods’ birdie putt misses quick and proper of the outlet, leaving a knee-knocker for par. He has no hassle, although, draining the 5-footer for an adventurous two-putt par.

Gap 5 (par 4, 495 yards): Woods pulls driver on the demanding par 4 and performs a feathery reduce that splits the green’s right-center portion. The five-time Masters winner hoists a mid-iron from 200 yards that lands softly on the inexperienced’s correct stage, providing a mid-range birdie strive.

Woods’ 16-foot birdie strive has a very good line however is not struck exhausting sufficient, settling a pair ft quick. He cleans up his par to stay stage on the spherical.

Gap 4 (par 3, 177 yards): Woods flushes an iron on Augusta Nationwide’s first par 3; much like his third shot on the par-5 second, the ball flies too far, settling within the second reduce simply past the inexperienced. He faces a slippery downhill chip, the inexperienced sloping away, and bumps the ball into the perimeter on a line some 20 ft left of the outlet; the ball releases onto the inexperienced and rolls properly previous, leaving a 25-foot par try from the entrance portion of the inexperienced’s again part.

Woods’ par putt is properly judged, however the right-to-left bender simply misses on the outlet’s proper edge. He faucets in for his first bogey of the week.

Gap 3 (par 4, 350 yards): Woods settles in with the motive force, taking part in a decent reduce that eludes the quick par 4’s myriad fairway bunkers, the ball touring 334 yards down the center. From roughly 70 ft, he performs a bump-and-run second shot into the hill that releases simply previous the outlet, leaving a 12-foot birdie strive.

Woods cannot convert the birdie, as he performs an excessive amount of break on the left-to-right slider; the ball stays out on the left aspect. He faucets in for a cushty par, remaining within the Thursday pink.

Gap 2 (par 5, 585 yards): Woods pulls driver however is sad with the swing instantly; he factors to the left because the ball misses the green on the left aspect. The ball travels 319 yards, nevertheless it settles simply inches from a tree’s thick base, with 237 yards remaining to the outlet. After some evaluation and deliberation, he turns an iron upside-down and makes a left-handed swing, advancing the ball roughly 40 yards again into the green, sufficient to supply a transparent angle for his third shot to the inexperienced.

Woods selects a 6-iron for his third shot from 190 yards; he stripes it however the ball flies too far, settling within the fairway reduce past the inexperienced’s again aspect. He performs a pitch-and-run with a mid-iron for his fourth, the ball not getting quite a lot of inches above floor stage; it releases by means of the perimeter and rolls to five ft. “Completely good,” mentioned analyst Dottie Pepper. The slippery downhiller has some right-to-left motion, however he drips the par putt into the outlet’s left middle with chic tempo. Disaster averted.

Gap 1 (par 4, 445 yards): Sporting a salmon shirt in his new Solar Day Purple branding, Woods stripes a fairway metallic with loads of left-to-right motion, the ball beginning down the left aspect however slicing again completely to the middle of the green. He would not miss a beat on his second shot from 169 yards, striping a brief iron to eight ft. The patrons roar in approval.

Woods takes benefit of the early alternative, because the right-to-left breaker curves into the middle of the cup with good tempo. Birdie to begin. It is the primary time since 1999 that he has carded birdie on his first gap of the Masters.