Stephen Gallacher stuck to the script, treating his first Masters as if it were a regular Tour event and staying remarkably patient to post a 71 on his Augusta National debut.
The Scot plotted his way around as if it was a 10th Masters and not a first, managing four birdies in a round of a one under par 71.
The 39-year-old Press and Journal columnist put the Saltire well up the leader board with birdies at the second, the sixth and ninth holes before heading to the back nine and dropping three shots in succession from the 10th.
Gallacher then birdied the par-5 15th before ending with three straight pars to ignite hopes of becoming the first debutant to win the tournament since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
“I’d say one-under was about right today,” Gallacher said. “It would have been a bit harsh if I’d had to settle for level.
“It’s a good start to the week and hopefully I can build on it. I hit one poor shot by going through the fairway at the 10th with my drive.
“Apart from that, I never really hit a poor shot. I was on both the eighth and 13th and while I didn’t make birdies at either, it was down to having tricky putts.
“So it was a solid round and it’s good to see so many first-timers in the top 10 at the moment and I guess that’s due to the fact they don’t have any bad memories.”
American Bill Haas leads the year’s first Major but Gallacher is surrounded by some of the best in the game at one under par, including double major winning Rory McIlroy, past Masters champion Fred Couples and some exceptional 20-something talent in Jordan Spieth, Matteo Manassero and Rickie Fowler.
Sandy Lyle was out two groups ahead of his compatriot and the 56-year old’s name appeared all about the course when the 1988 Masters champion birdied the second, third and fourth holes.
However it proved the high-water mark of Lyle’s round as he bogeyed the next two holes before doubling the 11th hole and dropping further shots at 12, 14 and 16.
Haas claimed the clubhouse lead in the 78th US Masters as the shortest hole at Augusta National had a major impact on two players attempting to enter the record books.
Haas, whose father Jay was third in the tournament in 1995, carded an opening 68 to finish four under par, one shot ahead of defending champion Adam Scott, with Masters rookies Kevin Stadler, Jonas Blixt and Jimmy Walker among a six-strong group on two under.
Scott had been four under par after a flawless opening 11 holes, with one of his birdies coming on the par-four 10th where he sealed victory on the second hole of a play-off with Angel Cabrera last year.
But the Australian – aiming to join Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in winning back-to-back titles – then dumped his tee shot on the 12th into Rae’s Creek in front of the green to run up a double-bogey five, before three-putting from long range for par on the 13th and 15th.
“I was very happy with the way I played today tee to green,” said Scott, whose 69 matched his lowest opening round at the Masters from last year and 2010. “It was really how you hope to come out and play at any major, and especially the Masters. I was really solid.
“I hit the one poor shot on 12, which cost me a couple of shots, but very pleased to get off to a good start. There’s no doubt winning the Masters last year had me a little more comfortable on the first tee than I’ve ever been in the past, because I didn’t have the legs shaking and nerves jangling for six or seven holes like usual, so that was enjoyable for me today.”
Three groups ahead of Scott, 50-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez was also four under after 10 holes in his bid to become the oldest winner of any major championship, Julius Boros being 48 years, four months and 18 days when he won the US PGA championship in 1968.
However, the Spaniard then dropped a shot on the 11th and also found water off the tee on the 155yd 12th to card a double bogey on his way to a 71.
Pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy safely found the 12th green in regulation but three-putted for a bogey and did the same on the 18th to also card a 71.
“It was a good day at the office, anything in red figures was a good effort out there,” McIlroy said. “When I saw the pin positions this morning I thought they didn’t want people to get too many under par.
“They’ve got the greens very fast already, by Sunday they are going to be pretty dicey. Going out tomorrow afternoon I would not mind if they were a little gentler.”
Haas had never broken 70 before in 16 previous rounds at Augusta but recovered from a bogey on the first with six birdies, including from five feet on the 18th after also dropping a shot on the 17th.
“I knew about that stat before the round so to shoot in the 60s feels great,” Haas said. “There is a lot of golf left but I’m ecstatic with today.”
Playing alongside Scott, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick got off to a nightmare start with a double-bogey six, the US Amateur champion driving into trees and then pitching over the green with his third shot.
However, the 19-year-old from Sheffield hit back with a birdie on the second and remained one over par until bogeys on the 13th, 14th and 17th meant an opening 76.
“I think he played really well,” Scott said of Fitzpatrick. “Obviously it was a nervous start and I stood there and thought, ‘That’s what I looked like many times playing the first hole at the Masters’.
“But he did hole a great putt for double bogey and that’s exactly what I said to him.”