Korean K J Choi, for long the flag-bearer of Asian golf, kept alive his dreams of a Masters title when he carded a steady two-under 70 to be tied for fifth place at the end of the first day of the 78th Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club here.
The two-time top-5 finisher at the Masters, Choi leads a strong Asian contingent, which had decent fortunes on the opening day in the world's most famous golf tournament.
The first round leader was Bill Haas of the US with a round of 68, while title holder Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open winner, and Bubba Watson, the 2012 Masters champion, all opened with a 69 to lead the pack.
Another Korean, Bae Sang-moon, a multiple winner on the Asian Tour, opened with a 72 for tied 20th place while Thai star Thongchai Jaidee, who is hoping for a good finish after having missed the cut in two previous Masters appearances, carded 73 for tied 28th place. That gives a good shot to complete 'Grand Slam' of 'made cuts' as he has played full four rounds in each of the other three Majors.
Y E Yang, the only Asian to have won a Major - the 2009 PGA Championships - carded a disappointing 77, while Honorary members of the Asian Tour, Vijay Singh of Fiji and South African, Ernie Els, shot 75 each.
Choi grabbed his chances on the par-fives, and birdied three of the four for his three birdies. His only bogey was on the seventh. Choi has been in decent form this season having finished second at the Farmer's Insurance on PGA Tour, where he has eight titles out of the 20 international wins. Choi's biggest triumph came at the 2011 Players Championship. His exemption into the Masters from his Players victory ends this year.
Choi's first birdie of the day came at the second when he blasted exquisitely out of a greenside bunker to about six feet before rolling in the birdie putt. On the 13th, he hit his wedge shot to inside four feet for a comfortable birdie and he had another one on the 15th.
Choi found 12 of the 14 fairways and had 11 greens in regulation and needed 27 putts.
Thongchai birdied the third from 12 feet and then hit his tee shot to inside five feet for a birdie on par-3 fourth. He double bogeyed the fifth and sixth but got back a birdie on 13th to finish at 73.
South Korean amateur, the 20-year-old Lee Chang-Woo, winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur had a tough time, carding a round of 80 on the first day.
