A bogey-free 2-under 70 has Jason Day inside the top 10 after Round 1 of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

History suggests that being inside the top 10 after day one is advantageous in wearing the green jacket come Sunday and, while Day is the only Aussie inside that number, two others are just one stroke behind.

With Englishman Justin Rose leading the way at 7-under and defending champion Scottie Scheffler one of three players at 4-under, the 37-year-old Queenslander is in a share of seventh, followed closely by 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith (71) and Australia’s most recent PGA TOUR winner, Min Woo Lee (71).

Cam Davis had an eagle, three birdies and two double-bogeys in his opening round of 2-over 74 while 2013 champion Adam Scott faces an uphill battle to make the cut after opening with 5-over 77.

A superb ball-striking day that yielded 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation was not fully rewarded on the greens, yet Day remained content in his Round 1 work.

His first birdie didn’t come until Amen Corner, draining a 28-foot putt centre cut at the picturesque par-3 12th.

Day didn’t have to wait long for his second.

After laying up to 58 yards with his second shot at the par-5 13th, the 2015 US PGA champion spun back a wedge to just two feet, tapping in to go to 2-under.

He would par his way in for his first bogey-free round at Augusta since Round 1, 2023 and poised for another Masters tilt.

“I had a really good strategy out there,” said Day, who has finished top five on three occasions at the Masters.

“I didn’t get myself out of position too bad, and then when I did get myself out of position, I had a relatively easy up-and-down.

“Unfortunately, I just missed a few too many opportunities for birdies. But sitting at 2-under right now in fifth place, I’m pretty happy with it.

“The better you start, obviously, the easier it gets as long as you keep that level of play up.

“Very pleased with how everything went.”

Australia’s highest-ranked male player on the back of his Houston Open win a fortnight ago, Lee’s 71 is his best start to a Masters in his fourth appearance.

Like Day, it was a round consisting predominantly of pars, his lone bogey coming at the opening hole to go with birdies at two and eight.

The 26-year-old also hit 15 of 18 greens to build his way nicely into the tournament.

“It’s one of those things, if you’re giving yourself birdie putts at Augusta National, you’re doing a good job,” said Lee, who had a birdie putt from 14 feet lip-out on his final hole.

“It’s a tough golf course today. Very happy with 1-under.

“Obviously could have had a couple more, but again, tricky pins, and I played very solid, so that’s a plus.”

Smith did make birdie at the par-4 18th after hitting his approach shot pin-high 18 feet left of the flag.

The 31-year-old also had a round featuring two birdies, one bogey and 15 pars but was forced to lean on his stellar short game to stay in red figures.

Smith hit just six greens in regulation yet finds himself alongside Lee in a share of 11th.

“It was nice for that putt to go in on the last. That felt a little bit better,” said Smith.

“I haven’t left myself too much work.

“For how I felt out there, it felt like it was going to be a bit of a long day. All in all, pretty pleased with the score.

“If I’m going to win this thing, I definitely need to do better than that.

“Golf is such a weird game. I feel like my last round last week at Doral was probably the best I’ve hit it in a long time, and coming out here today is probably the worst I’ve hit it in a long time.

“It’s just such a weird game sometimes. I felt really good at the start of the week, just a little bit of clean-up on the range, and we’ll be good.”

Two-over through 13 holes, Davis turned his fortunes around only to take two steps back.

A monster drive set up birdie from nine feet at the par-4 14th and then the two-time PGA TOUR winner chipped in from an unlikely position 35 yards behind the green at the par-5 15th.

That got the Sydneysider to 1-under on his round but a tee shot that bounced into the water led to a double-bogey at the par-3 16th followed by a bogey on 17.

With bogeys at three of his opening five holes – along with a birdie on two – Scott was on the back foot early.

He missed the green left of the par-4 10th and then three-putted from 50 feet, making a final bogey at the par-4 17th and then missing a birdie try on the left edge on 18.

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