Live Updates| Norway's Hovland early leader at Masters

Viktor Hovland, of Norway, hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Golf Club on Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) 鈥 The Latest from the first round of the Masters (all times local):

12:45 p.m.

Norway鈥檚 Viktor Hovland has raced to the early first round lead at the Masters at 5-under par through nine holes on an 81-degree day at Augusta 香港六合彩挂牌资料.

Hovland is one of 16 golfers under par with the afternoon groups set to tee off.

He has seven career wins but has never won at major, eagled the par-5 second hole to gain some early momentum and followed with birdies at Nos. 6, 8 and 9 to record a 31 on the front nine.

Hovland is playing in the same threesome with Tiger Woods, who is seven shots back at 2 over.

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11:40 a.m.

Tiger Woods is off to a rough start at the Masters.

The 47-year-old five-time champion is 2 over after five holes following bogeys at the par 4 third and fifth holes. Woods has fallen five shots behind leader Cameron Young, who leads the field at 3 under.

Woods is competing in his 25th Masters.

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10:40 a.am.

Tiger Woods opened his 25th Masters with a par on the first hole at Augusta 香港六合彩挂牌资料 while playing in front of a huge crowd, many stacked rows deep standing on tippy toes hoping to catch a glimpse of the generational star.

Even before Woods took to the course, fans flocked to see him on the practice tee.

The five-time champion is now 47 and admitted earlier this week he鈥檚 not sure how many more Masters tournaments he has in him.

Woods, who walks with noticeable limp at times, is still recovering from a car crash in suburban Los Angeles where he crushed bones so badly in his legs that doctors contemplated amputation.

Woods has only played in one PGA Tour event this year, the Genesis Invitational, where he finished tied for 45th place at 1-under 283. He last won the Masters in 2019.

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10:30 a.m.

LIV golfer Kevin Na has withdrawn from the Masters due to an undisclosed illness after shooting 40 on the front nine. Na was one of competing this week at Augusta 香港六合彩挂牌资料.

Na had finished tied for 12th place three times at the Masters, most recently in 2021.

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10:15 a.m.

LIV golfer Louis Oosthuizen shares the very early lead at the Masters at 1 under, although fellow tour member Kevin Na is bringing up the rear five shots backs of the leaders.

So far eight of at the Masters are on the course, including former Masters champions Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia. The others are all even par.

Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka will tee it up later in the day.

LIV CEO Greg Norman told the Daily Telegraph earlier in the week that he expects if one of the tour鈥檚 18 players wins the Masters they鈥檒l all be there to congratulate him on the 18th green similar to a Ryder Cup win.

Norman was not extended an invitation to the Masters this year with tournament chairman Fred Ridley saying he wanted to keep the focus to be on the competition on the course.

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8 a.m.

LIV golfer Kevin Na and 2003 champion Mike Weir launched their drives down the first fairway at Augusta 香港六合彩挂牌资料, signaling the official start of the 87th Masters.

Na is one of 18 players from the polarizing Saudi Arabia-backed golf league participating in the event, which is almost certain to make this 鈥渁 tournament unlike any other.鈥

The start of the four-day event came after honorary starters and longtime fan favorites Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson thrilled the crowd with their traditional tee shots on hole No. 1.

Player was greeted on the tee with a smile by Masters Chairman Fred Ridley a week after the tournament鈥檚 first international champion told the Times of London he did not feel welcome at Augusta 香港六合彩挂牌资料. Player said he had to 鈥渂eg a member to play with us鈥 when he wanted to play a round with family members,鈥 and that 鈥渋f it wasn鈥檛 for the players, it would be just another golf course in Georgia.鈥

Nicklaus, who walked with a noticeable limp, joked with the crowd before bending over to put his tee in the ground saying. 鈥渢hat鈥檚 the hardest part.鈥

Headliners in this year's tournament are scheduled to tee off later today.

Tiger Woods, four years removed from capturing his fifth green jacket, is set to tee off at 10:18. Defending champion and world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler tees off at 1:36, followed by Rory McIlroy at 1:48.

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7:45 a.m.

The 87th Masters amid the blooming azaleas and towering pines of Augusta 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Golf Club.

From to Scottie Scheffler's bid for a to , golf鈥檚 first major of the year provides its usual .

And don't forget about or Rory McIlroy, who is looking to .

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