Haas leads Masters after opening-round 68

Bill Haas posted six birdies en route to an opening 4-under-par 68 to take the lead today at the Masters Tournament.

In his fifth Masters appearance, Haas recorded his first round in the 60s. He birdied Nos. 13 and 14 to move to 4-under for the day. Despite making bogey at No. 17, Haas birdied the par-4 18th hole.

Haas leads defending champion Adam Scott, 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson and 2012 Masters runner-up Louis Oosthuizen by one. Kevin Stadler, Jonas Blixt, Gary Woodland, Jimmy Walker, K.J. Choi, Marc Leishman and Brandt Snedeker are all tied at 70. Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, shot 71 and is tied with Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Matteo Manassero, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Francesco Molinari, Stephen Gallacher and Rory McIlroy.

Sunny, clear temperatures will greet the players for Friday’s second round, which should be much like the opening round – hard, fast conditions for the players. Haas tees off at 1:15 p.m., while Scott follows three groups later. Oosthuizen will get the chance to set the tone early when he tees off at 8:51 a.m., while Watson goes off at 9:57.

In the first round, Scott birdied Nos. 1, 6, 8 and 10 to move to 4-under. He found the water at No. 12 and eventually made double bogey. After making birdie at No. 14, Scott parred the final four holes for the first sub-70 round by a defending champion since Vijay Singh in 2001.

Oosthuizen birdied Nos. 8 and 9 to move to 3-under. After making bogey at the par-4 17th, he recovered with a birdie at the last.

Watson played his first bogey-free round in a major. He birdied the two par-5 holes on the back nine to move to within one of the lead.

Former Augusta State standout Patrick Reed finished with three consecutive bogeys to finish at 73 in his Masters debut.

Sergio Garcia bogeyed his final two holes for 74.

One of the pre-tournament favorites Jason Day, playing for the first time since suffering a thumb injury in late February, shot 75. Playing in the same group, Dustin Johnson found water at No. 15 en route to double bogey and an eventual 77. Keegan Bradley double-bogeyed the first hole and shot 75. Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson three-putted No. 7 for triple bogey, but he ran in a long, curving birdie putt at No. 10 and added another birdie at the par-5 13th. Mickelson then bogeyed No. 14 and doubled the par-5 15th and finished with 76 – his worst opening round since 2007.

Former Masters champions Angel Cabrera and Zach Johnson each struggled to 78. Luke Donald added 79, after a two-shot penalty for grounding his club in a bunker.

Jason Dufner hacked his way around the par-5 13th hole for a 9. The reigning PGA Championship winner finished with 80 – his worst round in four Masters appearances.

Branden Grace recorded the day’s high score with 84.