A riled Brooks Koepka tends to be a dangerous Brooks Koepka. This golfer, who derives ongoing inspiration by what he perceives as a lack of due recognition, was at it again in the lead up to the Masters. Beware the chippy champion.

After the leading Golf Channel analyst and former tour player Brandel Chamblee publicly accused Koepka of professional recklessness by losing substantial weight for a photoshoot, a sharp rebuke appeared on social media. “If working out ruins careers, what ruined yours?” asked Koepka. Ouch.

A more meaningful retort arrived on Thursday at Augusta National. Koepka, playing in what should have been the most testing of round one conditions, strode to the head of the field by producing a 66. The last time he appeared here, in 2017, he was the 25th-ranked player in the world and without a major title. Having missed the last Masters due to injury, Koepka has returned to Georgia as the holder of both the US Open – which he successfully defended – and US PGA Championship. He has been a world No 1. And still, handily it seems, Koepka carries a sense of grievance.

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In proving that it does indeed take all swinging sorts, Bryson DeChambeau has a different approach entirely; to everyone. Golf’s mad scientist almost holed his second shot to the 18th but instead tapped in to match Koepka’s six-under-par tally. This was DeChambeau’s lowest Masters round, by five.

Koepka and DeChambeau hold an advantage of one over Phil Mickelson who, at 48, is seeking to become the oldest winner of a major. Ian Poulter and Dustin Johnson signed for 68s.

Tiger Woods is not accustomed to particularly robust Masters starts. When plotting his way towards four previous victories at Augusta, Woods had never made an opening round better than 70. His only 60s Masters Thursday, now in 22 attempts, arrived when he appeared at his least equipped, in 2010 just months after an altercation with a fire hydrant preceded an outpouring of scandal relating to Woods’s private life. In setting up Masters wins of 1997, 2001 and 2002, Woods’s Thursday scorecards showed 70 shots.

11 April 2019: Woods opens the 83rd Masters with a 70. “That was a grind,” he admitted. Nobody “grinds” better than Woods.

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At quarter past three Augusta time, he became the joint leader on account of an outrageous birdie at the 14th. Woods found trees with his tee shot, from where he towered an approach shot to 25ft. As the putt was converted, roars – Tiger roars, an enhancement on all others – reverberated around Augusta.

This proved a controlled Woods performance. But for trouble on the greens – and even they weren’t serious in context of a generally tricky day – the 43-year-old would have posted a lower number. Woods, for example, missed from just 5ft for a birdie two at the 6th. He dropped from three to two under courtesy of a similar aberration at the 17th. Yet from tee to green, the 14-times major champion was excellent.

“I feel very good,”said Woods. “I played well today and I controlled my golf ball all day. I’ve shot this number and won so hopefully I can do it again.” The notion that two inches of rain dumped on Augusta early in Masters week would trigger low scoring proved unfounded. Course setup was key to that; pin positions were generally dicey. Putting, tough enough at the Masters at the best of times, entered Rubik’s Cube territory.

A log-jammed leaderboard, akin to nearby Washington Road, was emphasised by the afternoon spell which saw a nine-way tie for the lead. Matters had become only marginally less congested by dusk. Adam Scott, the 2013 champion, Kevin Kisner and Jon Rahm were among five players to score 69.

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Rory McIlroy was two over par when taking to the 13th tee. The Northern Irishman clawed things back from there when moving to one under par thanks to a 35ft putt at the 16th. However, McIlroy finished poorly with bogeys at the closing two holes. McIlroy’s latest quest to complete a grand slam started with a 73, about which he looked far from amused.

Patrick Reed’s championship defence began with the same score as McIlroy. Sergio García, who triumphed in 2017, also sits at one over. Henrik Stenson’s 74 was reasonable given the almighty mess he made of the 13th, from which he walked off with a triple-bogey eight. Tommy Fleetwood conceded he ‚“struggled” for the last 10 holes of his 71.

There were, inevitably, traumatic Thursdays. Jordan Spieth’s 75 epitomised his recent form. More surprising was Justin Rose returning the same number, not to mention Paul Casey’s 81.

Ian Woosnam’s Augusta days are numbered to the point where it would be no shock if the Welshman, the champion in 1991, bids farewell after round two. Woosnam slipped to a Thursday 80. That was, however, two strokes better than the 2009 winner and 2013 runner-up Angel Cabrera. ‘The Duck’ waddled off, stage left.