Augusta Masters: Anirban Lahiri off to Solid Start, Tied 18th on Day 1

Masters rookie Anirban Lahiri made a brilliant start with a one-under 71 that put him tied 18th on the first day of the 79th Masters. (Jordan Spieth the star on Day 1)

The play was still continuing but Lahiri was one of the two best rookies of the day. The 27-year-old began with a string of seven pars before finding his first Masters birdie on the eighth and he had a second on the 16th and he dropped just one shot on the ninth.

His 71 also equalled the best Masters round by an Indian achieved by Jeev Milkha Singh in 2008. That score of 71 made him one of the two best 2015 Masters rookies in the first round, as Danny Willett earlier carded a similar score.

"I thought it was quite alright, though it could have been a bit better. Yet for the first round I will take and work on the second round. A good start always puts one in a great mood and so it is," said Lahiri, who was greeted by his wife Ipsa, as he came off the course.

Lahiri handled his starting nerves very well. He opened with a 280-yard drive to the edge of the fairway bunker and from there he got his par putt down from six feet.

On the second, Lahiri survived a scare as he drove into the pine needles on the left and then went to the first cut on the right. But from there he got to about 80 feet and two putted with the par putt being a tense nine-footer.

Five more pars followed. Lahiri hit a fine drive on the eighth to 285 yards just to the left of the fairway bunker and from there his second shot landed 40 yards from the flag and his pitch got him to three feet for a great birdie. He missed a five-footer on the ninth for par and it was his only blemish.

Lahiri started the start of the back nine with 301-yard drive that was followed by another fine second shot to with just over 30 feet. A good first putt saw him within a foot, which he tapped for par. He parred five more holes to make it six in a row and then holed a big 20-footer for birdie on the Par-3 17th.

That brought him under par once again and he closed there. He said he may have missed a couple of birdies out there but it  was part of the game. But he did have a fine save from nine feet on second and a couple of good breaks also came his way.