[PHOTO: Getty Images]
Australia’s Jason Day soared to a share of third place after the opening round of the 90th Masters and is determined to stay patient on what is threatening to become a very challenging firm and fast Augusta National over the next three days.
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The former US PGA champion, who was runner-up at the Masters 15 years ago, started with a classy 3-under-par 69 on Thursday to trail only defending champion Rory McIlroy and American Sam Burns who opened with 67s.
The next best Australian is 2013 winner Adam Scott, who rallied on the second nine to shoot an even-par 72, while Cam Smith finished with a 74 and Min Woo Lee a disappointing 78.
Day was in one of the first groups to tee off on another sunny Georgia morning, with the string of warm, blue sky days expected to continue through until the end of play on Sunday, creating potentially one of the most challenging Augusta Nationals in recent years.
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The world No.41 said he could even notice the conditions, and colour, of the course changing as he made his way through his first round.
“If you look down the first fairway you start seeing the purple change. That’s when you know it’s starting to get firm and fast,” he said.
“If they want, they can definitely soften it out if they need to.
“If they want single digits to win, it’ll be baked out and fast and guys will be kind of spewing on themselves out there.
“When I see 5-under leading, and with what weather we got coming up, I’ve just got to be very patient.
“I’ve just got to just kind of take my birdies when I can and just don’t try and force anything too much.”
After an even-par first nine, the 38-year-old returned a second nine score of 3-under 33 to move up the leaderboard, picking up birdies at 12, 13 and 16 before maintaining his momentum by finishing the round with two one-putt pars.
A session on the practice putting green the No.1 post-round priority.
“I need to make sure I’m staying on top of my speed because I feel like the greens are only going to firm out and get faster,” Day said.
Adam Scott also fired on the second nine, matching Day’s birdie on the 12th before going one better on the 13th where he rolled in an eagle putt after hitting one of the best shots into the iconic par-5 to just inside three metres.
He found the water in front of the green at the 15th to drop a shot but bounced back with a birdie on the 16th.
“(The course) is not right on the edge, but it’s playing nice and firm where you can get yourself in a lot of trouble if you lose control somewhere,” the 45-year-old said.
“So I feel all right with today, if it was my off round. I would like to get a bit better rhythm going out on the golf course and in my swing for the next couple days and I’ll be right there.”
Meanwhile, Cam Smith was frustrated with a bogey-bogey finish and his inability to take his driving range form onto the course.
“I’m hitting the ball great on the range. I know I’m going to go over there this afternoon and hit five balls and be like ‘where was this all day’,” he said.
“Just one of those things I think with my game at the minute. I’m just not quite taking it to the golf course.”
Smith’s 10th Masters started inauspiciously, a tugged tee shot on the first leading to a bogey.
But a nice up and down from short of the green at the par-5 second returned him to even-par and he picked up a shot at the next par-5, the eighth, thanks to a terrific driver off the fairway for his second shot.
The highlight of his came at the par-3 16th, his super shot game producing a chip-in for birdie to return to level par.
The Ripper GC captain was content he had achieved as much as he could out of his round before his sour finish, a bogey on 17 coming when he went over the back of the green and a five on 18 the result of a poor tee shot.
“I’m definitely not out of the tournament,” he said.
“It was scratchy today but I feel like I did a pretty good job of getting the most out of it.
Coming into the Masters as Australia’s No.1 ranked player, Min Woo Lee had just one birdie in his 6-over-par start – at the par-3 12th – and sits in a tie for 73rd with plenty of work to do to make the final 36 holes.
Day shares third with American Kurt Kitayama and Patrick Reed and is one ahead of a group that includes four major champions – Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Shane Lowry and last year’s runner-up Justin Rose.
