Masters golf: Rough day for Shubhankar Sharma

On a roll: First-round leader Jordan Spieth, who had a sequence of five birdies, looks over one such putt on the opening day of the Augusta Masters on Thursday.

On a roll: First-round leader Jordan Spieth, who had a sequence of five birdies, looks over one such putt on the opening day of the Augusta Masters on Thursday.   | Photo Credit: AP

Birdie blitz puts Jordan Spieth in the van

It was a rough opening day on the golf’s biggest stage for Shubhankar Sharma as he opened with a five-over 77 on his maiden Masters appearance.

Despite three birdies, he was shredded by eight bogeys, which included two bogey hat-tricks, one on each half of the Augusta National Golf Club.

The first round leader was Jordan Spieth, the 2015 champion, who had five birdies in a row from 13th to 17th but bogeyed the last to take the lead with a 66 and he was two shots clear of Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar.

Seven players shot three-under 69 to be tied fourth.

Woods shoots a 73

Tiger Woods, making a comeback to Masters after two years, shot a 73 and was tied 29th.

He had three birdies, none of them on par-5s, against four bogeys.

Shubhankar seemed to have settled himself in after any jitters he may have had of playing his first Masters as he made three steady pars. Then came the first hat-trick of bogeys from fourth to sixth, but two pars and then his first-ever birdie at Augusta suggested he might find his way back.

It was not to be as each of his three birdies were followed by bogeys; on the two occasions, it was on the very next hole. That never allowed him any breathing space.

“To be honest, I am not too happy with the round. I didn’t finish the way I wanted to, but it was great out there, the atmosphere and everything, it was fantastic,” said Shubhankar.

Summing up the day, Shubhankar said “the putter did not work on the front nine and approach (shots did not work) on the back nine. It was a mix of both.”

Top five scores (USA unless specified): 66: Jordan Spieth; 68: Tony Finau, Matt Kuchar; 69: Adam Hadwin (Can), Li Haotong (Chn), Henrik Stenson (Swe), Charley Hoffman, Patrick Reed, Rory McIlroy (NIR), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Esp); 70: Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Zach Johnson, Marc Leishman (Aus), Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler; 71: Vijay Singh (Fij), Satoshi Kodaira (Jpn), Cameron Smith (Aus), Xander Schauffele, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA).