Staff Reporter.
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Hideki Matsuyama and Brian Harman share the early clubhouse lead on the opening day of the Masters but Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood struggled on Thursday.
Matsuyama, who could become the first Japanese player to co-lead a round at Augusta National, sits alongside American Harman at three under par
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy finished the day seven shots back at four over par with Englishman Westwood at six over.
Defending champion and world number one Dustin Johnson is at two over par.
World number two Justin Thomas, US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and 2015 Masters winner Jordan Spieth are among the late starters on day one.
Matsuyama, the world number 25, made two birdies had an eagle three at the par-five eighth and looked to be on for a bogey-free round, before a dropped shot at 17 pegged him back to three under.
World number 50 Harman also carded a 69 in a round that included four birdies and just one dropped shot.
Debutant Will Zalatoris is well placed after signing for a 70 that puts him one stroke off the lead at two under par, tied with fellow American Webb Simpson and South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
Patrick Reed, the 2018 champion, is also one back after bogeying the 18th, having climbed into a share of the lead with back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes.
This is the first major to be played with spectators since the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, with around a quarter of the up to 50,000 patrons usually welcomed at Augusta National in attendance.