Tiger Woods, along with Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka, had an early start and a busy day ahead of them at the Masters tournament on Friday.
They were among 27 players who needed to finish the weather-delayed first round before heading straight back onto the windy Augusta National course for the second round.
The player they were chasing was Bryson DeChambeau, who had an impressive start with a 7-under 65 on Thursday, his best in a major championship. He led by one shot over Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world, who also had a strong start with a bogey-free round of 66.
Masters newcomer Nicolai Hojgaard from Denmark was also performing well at 5-under par with three holes left to play.
Woods was at 1-under par, starting on the 14th hole, with two more challenging holes to go. Despite only playing his second tournament of the year and dealing with physical challenges from previous surgeries, Woods believed he still had a chance to win. Setting a Masters record by making his 24th consecutive cut was his immediate goal.
The final stages of the first round were crucial for other players too. Brooks Koepka was at even par through 12 holes, while Jordan Spieth, starting with a double bogey, was still 2 over.
Completing the first round might give some players an advantage, despite the long day, as they finish the back nine with less wind. The forecast for the rest of the week looked promising, and the Masters was expected to be back on schedule by the end of Friday, although wind could still play a role.
