ORLANDO WINNER KOEPKA SHARES RD. 1 LEAD AT MASTERS

Koepka birdied three of his final four holes at Augusta National to join Spain’s Jon Rahm and Norway’s Viktor Hovland atop the leaderboard. The 65 is the lowest score of Koepka’s 25 career rounds at the Masters.

"Love to finish with two birdies like that," Koepka said after his round. "Just kind of hopefully ride that into tomorrow. You know, putting good, driving it well, just kind of build off all those things, and get myself in contention with nine to go on Sunday. That's the whole goal."

Koepka birdied the second and third holes and was 4 under through eight holes. After a birdie at the par-3 12th, Koepka suffered his only bogey on the day after pulling his tee shot into the trees at the lengthened par-5 13th.

"Got off to a good start," Koepka said after his round. "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 10 feet. But could have been really low but I'll take it, 7's pretty good."

The 32-year-old Koepka is seeking his fifth major victory, having won two U.S. Opens (2017, 2018) and two PGA Championships (2018, 2019). Slowed by injuries the last two years, Koepka said after his win at Orange County National on Sunday that this week’s Masters is his first since 2019 in which he’s been healthy. Koepka opened with a 66 that year and shared the 18- and 36-hole leads before finishing T2 to Tiger Woods.

Koepka is one of 18 LIV Golf League players competing in the first major of 2023. Six of those players are past champions, including three-winner Phil Mickelson, 2018 winner Patrick Reed and 2020 champ Dustin Johnson, who each opened with 1-under 71s. Joaquin Niemann also opened with a 71.

The most recent major winner, Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith, opened with a 2-under 70 and is tied for 17th. Smith won the Open Championship last year at St Andrews.

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MICKELSON'S TWO COSTLY SWINGS

In a round that included six birdies, three bogeys and one double, Phil Mickelson salvaged a one-under 71. Two costly swings -- his approach at the par-4 11th and his tee shot that bounced into the water at the par-3 16th – resulted in penalty strokes.

"I'm two swings away from being right up there," the HyFlyers GC captain said. "I just need to stay a little bit sharper on every single swing."

The 52-year-old Mickelson, the oldest winner of a major when he won the 2021 PGA Championship, is hopeful that he can eliminate the mistakes and put himself into a position to chase a fourth green jacket.

"I'm hitting enough good shots to shoot some good numbers, and I'm having fun playing, and I'm having fun hitting the shots again and driving it well," he said. "Just need to stay a little bit sharper on one or two swings because in major championships the punishment for a mis-hit is so severe. I also didn't shoot myself in the foot. I just need to come out tomorrow with a good round."

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SMITH ENDS WITH BIRDIE

Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith curled in a lengthy birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish with a 70. It's the fifth time in seven starts at Augusta National that he's opened with a round under par.

The Aussie was a bogey-free 2 under at the turn but suffered bogeys at the 10th and 12th holes. He bounced back with a birdie at the par-5 13th before ending his round on a positive note.

Smith tied for second in 2020 and shared third last season. He also has two other top 10 finishes at the Masters.

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JACO'S STRONG FIRST 9

Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann finished his front nine with three consecutive birdies and was 4 under at the turn but suffered bogeys on each of the par 5s on the back nine, eventually settling for a 71.

"I played unbelievable golf on the front nine, and I kind of kept it going on the back," said Niemann, whose team won its first title at last week's LIV Golf Orlando. "I think the only bad shot I hit was on 13 where I just hit a bad swing there. But then I hit a good shot on 14, good putt also. Then on 15, I thought I hit an unbelievable shot. I mean, it was a really good shot and I just probably needed two more yards and it was probably a tap-in eagle and ended up making bogey.

"So I think that's the way this course works. Yeah, I mean, it's the way it is. I just had a bad lie also on 18. It was downhill and I had the front lip up here. So I was a little bit unlucky at the end, but pretty happy with the way I played."

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REED'S 'FRUSTRATING' DAY

2018 Masters champ Patrick Reed of 4Aces GC was a bogey-free 2 under after eight holes before a rollercoaster finish that included two birdies and three bogeys in his final 10 holes for a 71.

"It was just kind of one of those frustrating days," Reed said. "I hit 12 out of 14 fairways. The only ones I missed were 15, barely to the right, but I was able to get a good layup there, make birdie. A bad tee shot on the last. Besides that, I just didn't really make anything. Besides the putt on 10, which was 20 or 22 feet, I think the next closest putt I made, longest putt I made was 5 feet.

"I hit a lot of greens early, just didn't make any putts. I played the par 5s all right. I was 3-under on the par 5s with one that I felt like it owes me one tomorrow on 13 with a nice horseshoe from maybe 4 feet. Besides that, it was just kind of one of those up-and-down days. Didn't really get anything out of my round. Just made a lot of pars and a couple birdies and a couple dropped shots."

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SCHWARTZEL'S PUTTER CHANGE

2011 Masters champ Charl Schwartzel changed his putter this week and said it took him a few holes to adjust. He three-putted his first hole en route to a 2-over 74, leaving him tied for 54th.

"I always say, when changing a club, especially a putter that's got to do with feel, you feel it when you feel a bit of adrenaline, you know? And I got on the 1st, and I was like, wow, this thing's heavy," said the Stinger GC member. "So I struggled with the putter throughout the first few holes and hit my irons really good, but, yeah, it was just a day where I wasn't quite on and I felt like I was just trying to hang on.

"So 2-over, it's not good to be contending in the tournament, but it could have been worse and maybe if I can sort it out, I can play better the next few rounds."

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NA WITHDRAWS

Iron Heads GC Captain Kevin Na withdrew after nine holes with an undisclosed illness.

Photo credit: AP/Charlie Riedel