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Without fans, Britian’s Paul Casey rides buzz of history to first-round Masters lead

Paul Casey, left, laughs with his caddie John MacLaren after his first round of the Masters golf tournament on Thursday in Augusta, Ga. (AP photo)

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Already seven months behind schedule because of the pandemic, the most unusual Masters was 30 minutes old Thursday when the silence was interrupted by a rumble down by Amen Corner.

No roars this week. Just thunder. And then a weather delay of nearly three hours.

All that, and it was still worth the wait.

Paul Casey matched his lowest score at the Masters with a 7-under 65, giving him a two-shot lead among half the field fortunate to play in perfect scoring conditions. Tiger Woods matched his lowest start, a 68, and kept a bogey-free card in a major for the first time in 11 years.

The course was different than what they expected, a result of the rain and the calendar. The silence was exactly what they expected because majors haven’t had spectators in 16 months.

Paul Casey gives a thumbs up on the ninth hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament on Thursday in Augusta, Ga. (AP photo)

But it was still the Masters.

“So many people like myself are just excited to play this,” Casey said. “This is a treat. It always has been and always will be a real treat.”

No doubt, the absence of roars was as eerie as the sound of a drone that approached the first tee as Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player prepared to hit their ceremonial tee shots. The Masters is using two drones this year, a first.

“A lot of firsts today. That’s kind of the way this entire year has been,” Woods said. “The fact that we’re able to compete for a Masters this year, considering all that’s been going on, it’s a great opportunity for all of us.”

Casey found energy from the familiarity of the course, from the history, from the mystique. And it was enough to carry him to a round he needed on a day — a partial day — of low scoring. Twelve of the 48 players who finished shot in the 60s.

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