Augusta: William McGirt, an American making his Masters debut, fired a three-under par 69 in blustery conditions yesterday to seize the first-round lead at the Masters.
McGirt qualified for Augusta National by winning last year’s Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial tournament, the 37-year-old’s first US PGA triumph.
McGirt birdied the par-5 second hole but took his lone bogey on the third. He answered with birdies at the par-4 fifth, par-5 13th and par-3 16th.
Americans Jason Dufner and Charley Hoffman shared second on 2-under, Dufner having three holes to play and Hoffman with seven more to play.
Six players were in the clubhouse on 71 with five more on the course at 1-under.
Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson opened with a 71, as did the English trio of Justin Rose, Andy Sullivan and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Early in the back nine on 1-under were Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm, Ireland’s Shane Lowry, American Bill Haas and Australian Marc Leishman.
Earlier yesterday, top-ranked Dustin Johnson withdrew from the Masters with a lower back injury, walking off the first tee to end a 24-hour drama surrounding the Augusta National favourite.
The reigning US Open champion had been the oddsmakers’ darling in the year’s first major golf championship after winning his three prior starts but hurt himself in a fall down stairs Wednesday at a rental house.
Difficult
“It’s unbelievably difficult. I feel like I’m playing the best golf of my career now. For me to pull out, it sucks really bad,” Johnson said.
“I’m very sad I have to do it but it’s just a freak accident. I wanted to try and play but I’m not going to be able to compete.”
Johnson had tested his swing and even went to the first tee, but instead of teeing off just walked back to the clubhouse shaking his head, having to admit defeat after a rigorous warm-up session.
“I could swing maybe 70 percent was about max. It still hurt,” Johnson said. “I could take it back. It was impact and through impact that it would catch.
“I wouldn’t be able to compete. My heart was in it. I wanted to play. The more I thought about it, I wasn’t going to have any chance.”