Jordan Spieth is Back on Top at Augusta After Bogey-Free Opening Round

Jordan Spieth went bogey-free in the first round of the Masters en route to a 6-under 66, opening defense of his championship in convincing fashion. The rest of the leaderboard was packed with international players, reminiscent of mid-1980s and ’90s, when U.S. golfers like Spieth had to fend off challenges from all over.

Two strokes behind the Texan are Danny Lee (New Zealand) and Shane Lowry (Ireland) at 68. A pack of five another stroke back at 69 includes Englishmen Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, Dane Soren Kjeldsen and Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

Spieth and Rose are the only major winners in the front-running group.

Jason Day dropped precipitously out of first-day contention at Augusta National after dumping his tee shot into the drink alongside the par-3 16th green. The world’s top-ranked player was closing in on clubhouse leader and defending champion Jordan Spieth after a 31 on the front.

But Day started the back with a bogey, then went bogey-triple bogey-bogey on Nos. 15-17 and was limping back to the clubhouse at even-par.