AUGUSTA
\nFive-time Masters champion Tiger Woods got his round under way at Augusta National on Thursday as the 87th edition of the tournament started in warm conditions.
\nWoods found the fairway with a 289-yard drive from the first tee and went on to par the par-4 hole, which has provided him with some tricky moments in the past.
\nBirdies were in short supply among the early groups who took to the course after former winners Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson provided the traditional ceremonial launch to the year\u2019s first major tournament.
\nTemperatures were rising throughout the morning towards the expected high of 87 degrees F and the skies were overcast. Conditions were dry although rain is forecast for later in the week and could impact the schedule.
\nAmerican Kevin Na withdrew due to illness after playing the first nine holes at 4-over par 40 at Augusta National.World number one Scottie Scheffler is looking to become just the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters.
\nThe American world number one is the bookmaker\u2019s favourite to slip into the famous green jacket when the four rounds are complete on Sunday evening.
\nScheffler has been a model of consistency over the past 14 months, which has seen him win six PGA Tour titles, most recently at the Players Championship in March.
\nOnly Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods have achieved successive victories in the Masters.
\nLast year\u2019s runner-up, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, is hoping to finally complete his career Grand Slam with a long-awaited Masters triumph.
\nMcIlroy has been a leading supporter of the PGA Tour, for whom a nightmare scenario would be the sight of a LIV rebel celebrating in the green jacket \u2014 not an entirely fanciful notion.
\nAustralian Cameron Smith, the reigning British Open champion, tied for third at Augusta last year, while fellow LIV Golf player Brooks Koepka has won four majors and Dustin Johnson, who won LIV\u2019s first season, triumphed in Augusta three years ago.
\nThe PGA Tour has a much deeper list of contenders with world number three Jon Rahm of Spain, 2015 winner Jordan Spieth and two-time major winner Justin Thomas among those in with a chance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AUGUSTA Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods got his round under way at Augusta National on Thursday as the 87th edition of the tournament started in warm conditions. Woods found the fairway with a 289-yard drive from the first tee and went on to par the par-4 hole, which has provided him with some tricky moments […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-324592","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n