The Masters on HooperstarGolfer.blogspot.co.uk April 12 Masters Friday

100 years ago a 20-year-old Amateur from Brookline, Massachusetts achieved something so stunning, so incredible that it changed the landscape of golf in America and the world forever. Francis Ouimet's play-off win over Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at The Country Club in the 1913 United States Open Championship broke down barriers of class and wealth to spark the first great golfing boom in the United States; the number of courses doubled and the number of players trebled as the game enjoyed an explosion in popularity following a win by an amateur golfer who used to be a caddie at the club over the world's greatest golfers. This Thursday at Augusta we witnessed something which may well go a long way to sparking a similar boom in interest across the world's most populous country.

China's Tianlang Guan is the son of a doctor and an engineer and at the age of 14 he has already created golfing history – the youngest to play in The Masters, the youngest to play in a Major since 1865 and now he has recorded the lowest score by the youngest player ever over 18 holes in a Major Championship. Majors have been played over 18 holes since 1884 and in that time no player aged 15 and lower has scored this low, an incredible round of 73 on a course measuring nearly 7.500 yards by a player who barely hits the ball over 250 yards and has a club-head speed of just 80mph. The round was capped by a superb left-to-right breaking putt for birdie greeted by rapturous cheers by the watching gallery at the 18^th hole and he now sets his sight on making further history by making the half-way cut and completing a major at the age of 14.

At 1-over-par Guan sits just 7 off the lead following the first round, a lead shared by Australia's Marc Leishman and the Spaniard Sergio Garcia at 6-under. Leishman was the surprise early leader following a bogey at the first and then birdies at 3, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 16, the birdie at 16 came courtesy of an outrageous putt from the front left of the green to the back right hole location and suddenly the Australian who has one win on the PGA Tour was leading The Masters Tournament. The afternoon saw Sergio Garcia produce the kind of golf everyone knows he is capable of as he rolled back the years to 2007 and 2008 when he was without question one of the best three golfers in the world. The ball-striking of the Spaniard has long been renowned as being among the best seen in the game and he played a flawless round featuring six birdies and twelve pars to reach the summit and in all truth he should have posted a score lower than the 66 he recorded.

6 shots cover a chasing pack of 45 players who are at even par and better following the first round, and each of the chasers know a decent round is required to keep pace with Garcia and Leishman on Friday. The chasing pack includes almost every fancied player at the beginning of the week and some of them have more ground to make up than others depending upon what the leading duo do on Masters Friday.

World Number 2 and PGA Champion Rory McIlroy began well with a birdie at the 2^nd hole and reached the turn in 2-under-par, set to challenge the leaders on the back nine, but once again the Ulsterman produced an inconsistent 9 holes and birdies at 13 and 15 were swamped by four bogeys at 10, 12, 14 and 17 to see him fall back to even par and six shots adrift of the leaders. Rory cut a frustrated figure in his post-round interview with Sky Sports' Tim Barter but for the majority of the round he played good golf, hitting 9 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens but 32 putts and failures to save pars from two bunkers hurt McIlroy's round. Nobody is out of this yet, especially McIlroy, but it certainly is not the start he wanted on a day which was as score-able as any in recent Masters history. Martin Kaymer and Vijay Singh also posted rounds of level par and players of their quality are still in contention despite being six adrift of the lead going into Friday.

Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Luke Donald and Charl Schwartzel all posted rounds of 71 and are just five behind on a course they all love and know. Mickelson had a typical round of ups and downs five birdies and four bogeys, Els made an eagle at the 15^th to finish at 1-under and continue his career-long quest for a green jacket and Luke had an atypical round featuring six birdies and five bogeys. Charl Schwartzel began with a double-bogey and followed with a bogey at the third hole but bounced back with four birdies to save the round and keep his bid for a second Major title alive. Another man who began with a double-bogey was the man who I have tipped to claim that elusive first major title since January. Lee Westwood's experience, skill, class and quality saw him move into the thick of the battle once again in his 61^st Major Championship appearance and 15^th Masters Tournament, and I expect Friday afternoon to be a big one for the Worksop wonder.

For many years we have known the almost unrivalled level of Lee Westwood's ball-striking and driving, he is arguably on a par with the likes of Greg Norman from tee-to-green but there have always been question marks over his play around and on the greens. But on Thursday Westwood showed that while he is far from perfect now he does have a short game that can keep his round together at the critical moment. The highlight of this came when his tee shot at the par three sixteenth hole found the right greenside bunker, leaving himself a dangerous, downhill shot which may in the past have held fears for the former world number one. But he played a deft stroke to leave himself a 3 foot putt which he smoothly brushed home for a par from a situation which may in the past have led to a bogey or worse. The par was followed by a bogey at 17 but in general Westwood played with class and his experience has kept him well in the picture with birdies at the 2^nd, 9^th, 10^th, 13^th and 15^th the Englishman is poised at 2-under to pounce and put himself into the final few groups going into the weekend.

Also at 2-under-par is the world number one, the favourite and the man looking for a fifth green jacket, Tiger Woods. Barring a couple of errors on the closing stretch Woods played steady golf and his swing looked calm, smooth and connected, allied to his putting the 2005 Champion moved to 3-under-par and at one stage just 1 off the lead with birdies at the 6^th, 8^th and 13^th but a bogey at the 14^th and failure to get up and down from the side of the 15^th resulting in a par saw Woods record a round of 70, the same number he shot in 1997 when the prodigious young talent surged away to win by 12 shots. Justin Rose, Brandt Snedeker, KJ Choi and Jason Day are also in the group of players at 2-under-par who were fancied to contend at the start of the week, with 2001 PGA Champion David Toms and outsiders Kevin Na and John Huh also completing rounds of 70.

2011 Masters runner-up and 2012 Open runner-up Adam Scott has flown under the radar somewhat this year but once again is in contention going into Friday's second round at Augusta. Four birdies at 1, 3, 8 and 15 and a solitary surprising bogey at the 2^nd hole saw the Australian round in 69 to sit in a tie for 10^th with 2003 US Open Champion Jim Furyk and 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson, 3 shots back of the leaders. The group at 4-under and tied for third place include some surprises, legendary figures, past champions and stars of the future, led by the precocious Rickie Fowler who had two double-bogeys in his round but still managed six birdies and an eagle to push himself into the picture at the end of Thursday. Fred Couples continues to confound the experts with his play at the age of 54 with six birdies on the opening day to show that experience really does count at Augusta, and as in 2012 he is at the top of the leaderboard going into the second day. Players Champion Matt Kuchar has shown the patience and consistency to win on some of the hardest courses in America and despite not being the most powerful player in the field he used his short game and precise play from the tee and the fairway to get him round in 68 and potentially put himself on the verge of a first Major title.

2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman has gone through a fallow period in his career due to numerous injuries which followed his Masters victory 5 years ago, but on Thursday he rolled back the years to when he was one of the world's most promising young talents and shot a bogey-free 68 to put himself in the chasing pack for a second Major title. The surprise challengers after day one come in the shape of David Lynn and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, the Englishman Lynn finished in 2^nd place at the 2012 PGA Championship and playing in just his third Major Championship he reached 5-under-par before a bogey at the 17^th and a gutsy par putt at the 18^th saw him post 68 and hold the early clubhouse lead. Spain's Fernandez-Castano has become a consistent winner on the European Tour and is renowned at home for his ball-striking and accuracy off the tee but he is also renowned for his poor putting, so the fact he also recorded a 68 on the greens of Augusta National is somewhat of a surprise, not to diminish the 6-time European Tour winners' ability.

In third place alone is the remarkable Dustin Johnson, his round of 67, which would have been 66 but for a sloppy bogey at the 17^th, was highlighted by a truly extraordinary drive at the par five 13^th. The American, who has been in contention at the US Open, PGA Championship and Open Championship before, smashed a drive over the left trees and left himself with just a 9-iron into the green. It was reminiscent of the incredible driving performance of Tiger in 1997 when he left himself wedges each day into the par five 15^th. Johnson has felt the heat of contention in a major on three occasions now, each time wilting under the pressure at Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits and Royal St George's but Augusta is perhaps more suited to his power game and it wouldn't surprise me if he remained in contention following Friday.

So the scene is set for an historic Masters Friday. Tianlang Guan can make golfing history and probably needs a round between 71 and 73 to make the cut, but who would bet against the teenager after Thursday's performance? Rory McIlroy has work to do but he knows if he plays as well as he did from tee-to-green on Thursday then he stands a very good chance of getting into contention going into the weekend. Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods are in the perfect position to use their experience to move into serious contention and the chasing pack know that they have an inexperienced leader to chase down in the shape of Marc Leishman and they know Sergio's performance is very much dependent on his mood. Garcia is off early on Friday and Leishman is off late. It is set to be another thrilling day in Golf's First Major.