Dechambeau goes low out of the gate

Holds 1-shot lead over Scheffler with 65 in suspended first round

AUGUSTA, GA. >> The third iteration of Bryson Dechambeau might be the most daunting at the Masters.

Once the mad scientist, then the incredible bulk, Dechambeau has entered what he called simply the “golf phase,” and it was enough to carry him to a 7-under 65 in a relentless wind Thursday for a oneshot lead over the same old Scottie Scheffler.

The first round could not be completed because of a 2 1/2-hour delay from overnight rain that drenched Augusta National, leaving the greens softer than they have been all week. The test came from a steady 20 mph wind, with gusts twice that strong.

Among those still on the course was Tiger Woods, who was 1-under par through 13 holes when it was too dark to continue. He next faces 23 holes Friday, an endurance test for his battered legs, as he tries to set the Masters record by making his 25th consecutive cut.

Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark, one of 17 newcomers to the Masters, was at 5 under with three holes to play. Max Homa was at 4 under through 13 holes.

Dechambeau had his lowest start ever in a major, a clinical performance of power and putting, always a good recipe at Augusta National.

“Trying to be the best golfer I can be,” Dechambeau said. “I’m just in a place where I’m repeating a motion, trying to do the same thing over and over again.”

He ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine, including a twoputt birdie on the par-5 15th when his risky shot under a pine tree cleared the water fronting the green and left him 40 feet away.

“It clipped the tree. I hit four pine needles rather than five, and it worked out perfectly,” said Dechambeau, not entirely rid of his precise calculations.

Scheffler teed off about two hours later when the wind was at full force, and part of him was surprised to see so many red numbers under par on the large, white boards.

“I’ve played this tournament once before in some pretty high winds, and it’s an extremely challenging golf course,” Scheffler said, giving credit to caddie Ted Scott for “guessing the wind correctly” on a number of shots.

He had the only bogeyfree round of the 89 players in the field, no small task on a day like this.