Jordan Spieth’s best opening round of the year arrived at an opportune time. The 2015 Masters champion, who, by his own admission, has struggled for form and confidence in the early part of the season, had a 68 here at the Houston Open a week before his competitive return to Augusta National. Spieth has previous for timing his run.



If Spieth’s four under par was notable enough, the circumstances attached to it were equally so. The Texan dropped shots on his 12th and 13th holes but recovered in the manner once so typical by producing birdies on his last three holes. Spieth’s swagger and optimistic outlook were back.

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“I put in a lot of work the last few days and we’re starting to get something out of it,” he said. “The game feels really good right now. That four under felt more like a six under but that means good things are coming.

“It has been a testing time in terms of how I feel about myself more than anything, just my self-confidence. I’ve been putting in some good work on and off the course and I feel really good about today’s round. It was an exciting day for me. Sometimes you’ve just got to take one step forward to start climbing up the hill again.”

Henrik Stenson matched Spieth’s score while Rickie Fowler, who has a curious Houston habit of starting well but collapsing over the weekend, signed for a 66. Martin Kaymer, on return from a wrist injury, opened with a 70.

Padraig Harrington, for whom victory would seal a Masters spot at the age of 46, produced a 67 that keeps that dream alive heading into day two. “I’m focused only on trying to win this week,” he said. “But winning this week would show you were playing well enough to win the Masters. I’m not interested in going there only to make up the numbers.”