Tiger has up and down day, Garcia has a total washout

● Woods regrets par-5s on way to opening 73, while defending Masters champion cards a 13 on 15th hole after water trouble

Tiger Woods felt frustrated about playing the par-5s “very sloppily” in the first round of the 82nd Masters. Defending champion Sergio Garcia, though, would have gladly taken one of his four pars.

The Spaniard ran up a 13 – it tied the highest score at a single hole in the event’s history – at the 15th. Caused by hitting five balls in the water with a wedge, the disaster left him having to settle for an opening 81, eight shots more than Woods. “I don’t know what to tell you,” said Garcia afterwards. “It’s the first time in my career where I make a 13 without missing a shot!”

This event was

arguably the most eagerly-anticipated in golf’s history. The opening day didn’t disappoint. Charley Hoffman, last year’s first-round leader, was quick out of the blocks again with a three-under 68. That was matched by 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson, pictured right, US Ryder Cup talisman Patrick Reed and Canadian Adam Hadwin in the morning wave.

Vijay Singh, the 2000 champion, rolled back the years to share the lead for a spell before carding a 70. In the 30th anniversary of him becoming the first British player to win here, Sandy Lyle also gave a great account of himself. The 60-year-old’s 74 was illuminated by an eagle at the 15th.

Dressed in black from head to toe, Woods received a warm welcome on the first tee, though a civilised Masters one without anyone needlessly screaming and shouting. The warmth of the thousands of patrons to him was tangible on his first appearance here since 2015. You could have heard a pin drop as he stepped forward to hit his much-anticipated opening blow and yet it is normally quite noisy around that area.

While it wasn’t quite as destructive as some of the shots he’s started with in various big events over the years, Woods found tree trouble on the left after opting to take a 3-wood but soon had those patrons feeling as though talk of him being able to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in sport might well be vindicated this week. He threaded his second through a gap in those tall pines to find the front right of the green. “Oh my god, that was sweet,” said one patron to that. “He’s going to have a good day, I feel it,” declared another after he then came close to starting with a birdie with a brilliant putt from fully 40 feet.

Despite booming his drive over the top of the hill at the par-5 second, a pushed approach with just a midiron stopped him from being able to take advantage of that. He unleased another massive drive at the third, coming up just short as the group in front, which included Martin Kaymer, were still putting out.

One of the many encouraging aspects of Woods’ performances in the build up to this event was his chipping, which had become suspect when his back problems were at their worst. In his first test under the gun on the tight lies here, he flopped a chip to around eight feet and, with equal confidence, rolled in the putt.

He wasn’t in red figures for long, alas. Back-to-back bogeys went on his card at the fourth and fifth. He was then a bit tentative with a six-foot birdie putt following a superb tee shot to a back pin position at the sixth. Despite another mighty blow with his driver, he couldn’t birdie the eighth, the second par-5 on the front nine.

The start of the back nine was messy. He was miles right off the tee at the tough 11th then hit a patron on the leg with a low recovery effort. “God dang