Woods one-over in 'awesome' return to Augusta National

Tiger Woods of USA plays an approach shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP)

"Seventy-three is fine," Woods said. "It's really hard to run away from it, but it's also really easy to lose it out there.

"By the end of the week there will be a bunch of guys with a chance to win this tournament."

The leaderboard was tightly bunched as the first round moved into its later stages.

Tony Finau, starting a day after injuring his ankle celebrating a hole in one in the par-three contest, was four-under through 17.

In the clubhouse, newcomer Li Haotong was among five players sharing the early lead on three-under par 69.

Li, the first Chinese man to crack the top 50 in the world rankings, moved to four-under with an impressive run of three birdies over Augusta's Amen Corner trio of holes.

But the 22-year-old gave a shot back with a bogey at 18 to fall into a tie with former British Open champion Henrik Stenson, Americans Patrick Reed and Charley Hoffman and Canadian Adam Hadwin.

Woods, who calls himself a walking miracle less than 12 months after spinal fusion surgery, produced a pair of top-five finishes on the PGA Tour this year to fuel expectations that he could seize a fifth green jacket - and a 15th major title - this week.

"It has been awesome this entire comeback," Woods said. "I got a standing ovation on the range. Coming up to the first tee, the people come out of the clubhouse and the putting green, they're really into it."

The 14-time major winner thrilled an enthusiastic gallery with a delicate, downhill birdie putt at the third.

But he followed with back-to-back bogeys at the fourth and fifth as he made the turn one-over.

There was more trouble lurking around Amen Corner, where Woods was right off the tee at 11 and his shot from the trees hit a fan and dropped into the rough.

"It was a great shot there," said Woods, who ended up with a bogey. "Unfortunately people ran out and it clipped them. Otherwise it's just short right of the green, an easy up and down from there, where I was trying to leave it."

A dip in Rae's Creek at 12 cost him a shot, although that could have been worse. Woods rolled in an impressive 18-footer to limit the damage.

He pulled strokes back at 14 and 16 and produced two crisp tee shots at 17 and 18 as he capped his round with a pair of solid pars.

"I could have easily let it slip away. And I fought hard to get it back and I'm back in this championship," said Woods, who carded a first-round 74 in 2005 on the way to his most recent Masters title.

'WE HAD A GOOD DAY'

Australian Marc Leishman played alongside Woods and topped the leaderboard at four-under before finding the water at 15 on the way to a double bogey.

"We had a good day out there," said Leishman, who was joined in the clubhouse on 70 by Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and former Masters champion Zach Johnson.

"I looked at it as a positive and preparation for later in the week," he said of playing with Woods. "Hopefully we're both there on Sunday afternoon."

While Tiger has drawn the lion's share of attention this week, the field is packed with an array of in-form players.

An eagle at the par-five eighth took 2015 winner Jordan Spieth to two-under at the turn.

GARCIA NIGHTMARE

Five-time major-winner Phil Mickelson, his sights set on a fourth green jacket at the age of 47, was at even par through nine holes.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, seeking to complete a career Grand Slam with a first Masters title, was one-under through eight.

Spain's Sergio Garcia, however, endured a nightmare start in his bid to join Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to successfully defend the Masters crown.

Garcia matched the most strokes needed on any hole in Masters history with his 13 at the par-five 15th - where he hit five consecutive balls in the water.

Tommy Nakajima at the par-five 13th in 1978 and Tom Weiskopf in 1980 on the par-three 12th have also seen 13s on their Masters scorecards.

Garcia signed for a nine-over par 81.