Masters Thursday began for most in its usual way. The honorary starters played their way off the first tee. Few remember that they used to play a few holes, back in the day. For me, it began with a conundrum: which under-the-radar nourishment on the Augusta National menu is the true lurker? Is it the Masters Blend Coffee, or the Southern Cheese Straws? I’ve not yet had the chance to sample either, but I have to imagine that the coffee must be some sort of cosmic soulmate born of Costa Rica and Colombia. The cheese straws must have that southern something that makes all others ask why we don’t live in the south.

The golf began in its usual way, as well. Mike Weir teed off first, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his playoff win in 2003. For a time, the seasoned citizen was under par, and he did well to post an even-par round of 72. By the end of the morning wave, it was apparent that 72 was not what folks thought it would be. It was a full seven shots shy of the lead, shared by three golfers. The afternoon wave was still to come, and we wondered exactly how well this field could play the Augusta National course. By the end of the day, we had learned five things about the 2023 Masters, and we are happy to share them with you now.

Lunch is served. #themasters pic.twitter.com/O3QcA34d9k

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023

1. Hovland did not look back on the way to 65

The number 65 was, for a time, immortalized on a Dunlop golf ball. Sir Henry Cotton, not yet a knight, posted that figure in the 1934 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s. Cotton’s 65 came in the second round, and staked him to a lead that he would not relinquish.

Viktor Hovland may not have known this bit of golf history, but he did not take one step backward on Thursday at the Masters, on his way to the same figure. Hovland began his under-par run with eagle at the second, and followed it with birdies at six, eight, and nine, to turn in 31. Two more birdies at 11 and 13 brought him to minus-seven on the day, and he rode the buggy home to a career-low round at Augusta National of 65.

Q. Short game looks really sharp. What have you done there?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I mean, don’t need to get fully nerdy about it, but basically the biggest part is that I’m not tilting back as much, and the biggest problem was that I’ve gotten too shallow with my chips, and that’s just kind of have to yank the hands forward and you get no loft.

The first part was getting more on top of the ball, get some more angle of attack down, and now I can actually percent the loft in the way that I want. If I want to hit it high, if I want to hit it low, I can do that with my wrist now.

Viktor Hovland moves to six under par with a birdie on hole No. 11. #themasters pic.twitter.com/ZO6JaBjHZD

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023

2. Koepka transitions well from public course to private reserve

Soon after, Brooks Koepka joined Hovland at the 65 figure. Koepka, who won a tournament last week on a public course in Orlando, demonstrated a scary ability to transition to the world’s most demanding tournament course. Birdies at two and three, followed seven and eight, brought the two-time US Open and two-time PGA champion to 32 on the first nine. His second nine saw birdie at 12, followed by a somewhat-shocking bogey at 13. Nonplussed, Koepka added birdies at 15, 17, and 18 to join Hovland ahead of the field of competitors.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Honestly, I think it was just the start. Got off to a good start. Anytime you’re 2-under through 3, it’s a good start. So felt good. Kind of just piggybacked off that momentum and very happy the way I played. Drove the ball really nicely. Left it in some good spots. Even missed quite a few putts. I think I missed a short one on 6, 8, 9, 10, so they were all kind of inside ten feet. But could have been really low but I’ll take it, 7’s pretty good.

Three tied for the lead. Brooks Koepka birdies No. 18 to match the leaders with a 65. #themasters pic.twitter.com/7Z4XWIsRFR

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023

3. Rahm recovers well from double-bogey start

To say that Jon Rahm’s opening salvo was inauspicious, would be polite. Unlike others who struggled with Tea Olive (the name of hole number one,) Rahm was able to collect himself and restart his engine. The 2021 US Open champion posted birdies at holes two and three, and found himself where he began, no 45 minutes prior. After a run of four pars, Rahm went back to work.

The great Basque champion fueled his motor with a birdie-eagle sequence at seven and eight, and remained at three-under par through a three at Golden Bell, Augusta National’s twelfth hole. Birdies followed at 13, 15, 16, and 18, and in two blinks of an eye, Rahm was atop the day-one chart.

JON RAHM: You know, a couple different things. If you’re going to make a double or four-putt or anything, it might as well be the first hole, 71 holes to make it up. After that, it was more, I was focused on the fact that all the strokes were good. The reads were good. The roll was good. Obviously the speed was off on the first two putts, so once I kind of accepted that there was nothing really to look into, I just got to work and I had 17 holes to make up.

I’ve always said and I’ve always told Adam and I tell people who ask me about the Masters, if you can somehow make it through the first 6 1/2 holes, and what I mean is putting the ball in the fairway on 7 and you’re around even par, I think it’s a pretty good start. It’s easy to make bogeys. It’s not easy to make birdies. So if you can get through that, you have a short iron into 7, 8, 9 to maybe make some birdies and maybe get the round going. I was able to do that and took advantage of it the rest of the day.

Jon Rahm closes out Amen Corner with a birdie on No. 13 #themasters pic.twitter.com/TSlvQMROL2

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023

4. Alive at Five are Day and Young

Cameron Young, for a guy who has yet to win on tour, has a lot of support as likely tournament winner. He began Thursday with three consecutive birdies, kind of like Jason Day used to do. The resurgent Day also has a lot of support for a green jacket fitting on Sunday evening. Like Hovland, Day had no bogies on his day, and found a basket of five, evenly-spaced birdies at Berckmans’ Nursery.

After his opening salvo, Young leveled out for a time. He had a bogey at six, then a trio of pars, before a marvelous three at the downhill 10th hole, Camellia. Bogey at Golden Bell (the 12th) slowed the train a bit, but birdies coming to the house at 15 and 16 saw the day’s finest debut round in quite some time.

Jason Day nibbled away throughout the morning. Two birdies on the first nine brought him to the halfway juncture at 34. A triumvirate of second-nine stroke-savers at 13, 16, and 17 brought him even with Young, and within two shots of the leaders.

JASON DAY: No. Actually, to be honest, I was kind of flying under the radar, which was nice. It was nice to — like, I mean, I played with Gordon Sargent and Zach Johnson today, so we were in a group that were kind of flying under the radar totally. So it wasn’t one of those big marquee groups that we have in the afternoon or early morning. So it was nice to be able to have a group that was very relaxed out there.

Three for three. Cameron Young opens with three consecutive birdies to take the solo lead. #themasters pic.twitter.com/nEJtxmxVEt

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023

5. More at Four

Seven more, to be precise. Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott, and Gary Woodland found their way, in the morning wave, to 68 on the first day at Augusta. Major champions all (I’m counting Xander’s Olympic gold medal.) Joining them in the afternoon were defending champion Scottie Scheffler, US Amateur champion Sam Bennett, and recent Tour winner Sam Burns.

Bennett began his day birdie-eagle, and posted the only, sub-par round by a non-professional in the field. The next best was 75 from Harrison Crowe. Scheffler demonstrated the comfort that won him a green jacket in 2022. He found an eagle and three birdies along his stroll, and stumbled but once, at the daunting White Dogwood, at the entrance to Amen Corner. Burns reached five-under par twice, at the 9th and 15th holes. Unable to preserve that lofty perch, the Louisianan still had to be satisfied with an opening 68.

Scottie Scheffler moves to three under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/jsUGvKw20p

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023