TIGER WHO?

Spieth leading early at Masters Woods seven back in return

AUGUSTA, Ga. — For so much of this day, the opening round of the most anticipated Masters in years, it appeared the expected narrative was going to end up being fake news.

For days leading up to Thursday’s first round at Augusta National, the talk was all about how the biggest stars in golf were peaking just in time for the blooming of the azaleas around Amen Corner.

And yet, as afternoon bled toward evening, those names were absent from the top of the leaderboard.

Until Jordan Spieth, the 2015 Masters winner with one of the later afternoon tee times, scorched the sacred golfing earth with a 6-under 66 to take a two-shot lead into Friday’s second round.

Spieth leads Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar, both at 4-under, by two, and a number of players at 3-under, including Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson.

Before Spieth began rocketing up the board, though, the leaders’ names included the lesser-known likes of Finau, Charley Hoffman (who finished 3-under), Haotong Li (3-under), Adam Hadwin (3-under) and Marc Leishman (2under).

Those big names in the game who were expected to seize this Masters fell behind.

Tiger Woods — after having not played in a major championship since 2015, having not won one since 2008 and having not won a Masters since 2005 — was poised to win his fifth green jacket. Woods has been trending heavily toward a win in his comeback. He finished with a disappointing 1-over 73

McIlroy, in pursuit of completing the career grand slam with a first Masters win and with momentum from his win at Bay Hill a few weeks ago, rallied to finish with a 3-under 69.

Phil Mickelson, who finally broke through with his first win since 2013 when he won the WGC in Mexico last month and has been putting better than ever, also rallied late to shoot 70.

Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 ranked player in the world, shot 73.

Justin Thomas, ranked No. 2 and the last player to win a major (last year’s PGA) and with a win at the Honda this year, shot 74.

So you get the picture: Those expected to dominate this Masters didn’t exactly do so.

Until Spieth caught fire with a 4-under 32 on the back nine that was marred only by a bogey on 18.

“We build plans for the year to peak at certain times, and I believe that not just. here at Augusta, but the major championships,’’ Spieth said. “We’ve got a great plan, and then gearing up myself and getting psyched for them and the right amount of confidence and composure that it takes.

“This golf course specifically, brings out a lot of feel in my game, and I think that’s advantageous. I don’t do well in domes or driving-range shots, and you don’t have many of those out here.’’

Spieth, who lost a five-shot lead on the back nine of the final round of the Masters in 2016, said he tries to keep things as simple as possible at Augusta.

“This golf course is a lot easier to play if you feel like you can just hit the center of the greens and move from there and wait for your chances,’’ he said. “I shot two rounds in the 70s and tied a scoring record here one year [2015]. It just shows that on the weekend, it backs you up. It backs everybody up, and you’ve got to be prepared for that.

“I think quick starts are important in any event. If you get off to a good start, you’re in control of your own fate, versus needing a little bit of help.’’

Spieth conceded the help he gave his fellow competitors, specifically winner Danny Willet in that 2016 Masters, will always be with him — just like the win in 2015 will.

“I’ll always have demons out here,’’ he said. “But I’ll always have a tremendous amount of confidence out here, too. Once you win here, you have an advantage over anybody who hasn’t won here. And, you know, there can be positives and negatives to both the demons and the confidence.

“So it’s just about playing the golf course for what you get, recognizing what the tendencies are that this golf course brings and what my own tendencies are when under the gun. Today I felt the Sunday-type pressure of leading the Masters on the middle of that back nine, and adjusted extremely well.’’