Paul Casey’s 65 leads abbreviated first round at Masters

There was no conclusive first-round leader in Thursday’s weather-suspended first round of the 84th Masters Tournament, but Paul Casey is looking pretty good.

Casey, who has a strong track record at the Masters with five top-10 finishes, opened with 7-under-par 65 at an Augusta National course that featured greens softened by rain. They were so receptive that some approach shots were sticking when they hit the surface instead of taking a bounce or two into the patrons, none of whom are here because of COVID-19 concerns.

It matched Casey’s low Masters score in 45 rounds, but the most encouraging part for the Englishman was that it was his best opening round at Augusta National by four shots. It also removed the sour taste of his opening 81 last year, which he called “just rubbish.”

The 65 is the lowest opening-round score at the Masters since Charley Hoffman shot that same score in 2017.

Photos: Casey's First Round

However, Casey’s 65 could still be matched or passed today. Because of a three-hour inclement weather delay from 7:35 a.m. to 10:28 a.m. on Thursday, only 48 of the 92 players in the field completed the first round in this first-ever fall Masters. It’s the first time an opening round has been suspended due to weather since 2005. That year, the first round didn’t start until 1:30 p.m. and only 25 of the 93 starters finished.

After the partial completion of the round on Thursday, Casey had a two-shot lead over Webb Simpson and Xander Schauffele, who was one of last year’s three runners-up to Tiger Woods.

Casey, a savvy 43-year-old who has 14 European Tour victories and three PGA Tour wins, has gone 65 majors without a victory. It might come this week.

“I did the right things when I needed to, and to be honest, you rarely walk off this golf course going, it could have been two or three better, but it kind of felt that way,” he said. “I don't want to be greedy. I'm very, very happy with my 65.”

Woods, who was not considered one of the favorites this week because of his recent spotty play, showed he can always raise his game when he gets to Augusta National, where he has won five times.

“Well, I think that understanding how to play this golf course is so important. I was saying there that I've been lucky enough to have so many practice rounds throughout my career with so many past champions, and I was able to win this event early in my career …” Woods said.

Of the other top finishers so far, Woods is tied for fifth place at 68 with Hideki Matsuyama, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen and Patrick Reed, another former Masters champion.

The hottest of the remaining players giving chase to Casey is world No. 3 Justin Thomas, who is 5 under for his round through 10 holes. Three golfers – Matthew Wolff (through 11 holes), Adam Scott (through 10 holes) and Dylan Frittelli (through nine holes) – are 4 under for their rounds.

The first round will resume at 7:30 a.m., with the second round scheduled to start at 9:35, off both tees. If there are no weather concerns, the field could finish the second round and the cut to low 50 and ties will be made.

All eyes on Thursday were on pre-tournament favorite Bryson DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Open in September and was hitting drives in unheard of spots during his practice rounds here. But starting on the back nine Thursday, DeChambeau had to play two provisional shots (neither of which were eventually needed) in his first four holes. He made double bogey on No. 13 after taking an unplayable lie from the bushes behind the green.

Both his playing partners -- Oosthuizen with his 68 and Jon Rahm with 69 -- beat DeChambeau, who had to birdie his final two holes for 70.

“Clearly, I didn’t have my best,” DeChambeau said. “I just didn’t execute some of the shots I normally do out there. I’ve got to go out on the range and work on that a little bit.

“This golf course, as much as I'm trying to attack it, it can bite back,” DeChambeau said. “It's still Augusta National, and it's the Masters. It's an amazing test of golf no matter what way you play it. I tried to take on some risk today. It didn't work out as well as I thought it would have, but at the end of the day I'm proud of myself the way I handled myself and finished off.

Casey, who hit 14 of 18 greens and needed 28 putts, started fast and never slowed down.

Also starting on No. 10, Casey was knocking it close and sinking the putts. His birdie putts were of 3 feet (No. 13), 5 feet (on No. 10), 4 feet (Nos. 15 and 16). He also made a 5-footer for eagle on No. 2, thanks to a 213-yard second shot that shocked him by holding the green on the par 5, where the pin was cut to the left side of the green.

“You can't hit that shot in April,” Casey said, referring to the normal Masters date. “It was just left of the flag. It pitched and stopped instantly, and that shot in April would have one hopped over into the patrons, and probably would have walked off with a 5 instead of a 3.”

TV coverage starts early Friday

Because of the delay in the first round, ESPN’s live television coverage will also resume at 7:30 a.m. and continue through the completion of the round.

ESPN coverage of the second round will begin at 1 p.m.