AUGUSTA, Ga. — If you enjoy a full buffet for your Masters menu, yesterday's entertaining opening round at Augusta National left you sated, but begging for more.
Where to start?
Well, four of the leading storylines entering this year's tournament — Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson — are nowhere near the top of the leaderboard.
Woods, fresh off his three victories on 2013, is in the mix at 2-under par, four shots off the lead shared by Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Aussie Marc Leishman, who both shot 66.
McIlroy shot a scruffy even-par 72. Mickelson scrambled from a poor start to get into red numbers at 1-under. Watson looked anything like the defending champion he is while shooting a 3-over-par 75, the second-highest Masters round of his career.
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Dustin Johnson
Lurking behind Garcia and Leishman is a flurry of big-time star power, beginning with power-hitter Dustin Johnson, who is 5-under, followed by Rickie Fowler, who overcame two double bogeys to shoot a 4-under-68 and become the first player since Raymond Floyd in 1992 to card two doubles in a round and still shoot in the 60s.
Also at 4-under is Fred Couples — 53-year-old Fred Couples playing in his 28th Masters vying to make his 27th cut at Augusta.
MASTERS LEADERBOARD
Trevor Immelman, the 2008 Masters winner who has essentially not been heard from since, is also at 4-under, along with Matt Kuchar, a player poised to break through and win his first major championship, Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, and Englishman David Lynn.
"I played extremely well the first 10 holes and struggled with the tee shots the last six or seven holes, but I made two really good par saves,'' Garcia said. "Overall, what I'm going to try to take to my pillow tonight is the first 10 holes. Without a doubt it's the best 10 holes I've played at the Masters — the way I hit the ball, and amount of birdie chances I gave myself.''
Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of a Masters win by Seve Ballesteros, a fellow Spaniard and one of Garcia's idols. With some low scores already posted on the scoreboard, Garcia made an early charge, going 5-under through 10 holes.
Leishman, who was the early leader, is playing the Masters for only the second time and is here this week because of his win in Hartford, Conn., last year.
"Every kid wants to be here,'' Leishman said. "The first time I was here a few years ago [2010, when he missed the cut], I was like a bit of a deer in headlights. I found myself looking around a little bit too much and not concentrating on getting the ball in the hole, which is what you need to do.
"But growing up as a kid, you always had the putt to win the Masters. That was on the putting green — 'This putt's to win the Masters.' To be here is awesome and to be sitting here is pretty cool. But, you know, it's only Thursday afternoon, so a lot of golf to play.''
Johnson, who had it to 6-under before a bogey on No. 17, called the Masters "my favorite event to play.'' Chip-ins for birdies on Nos. 1 and 9 were a highlight to yesterday's round.
"I grew up only an hour away from here [in South Carolina], so it's always one I look forward to coming to, because my friends and family get to come and watch,'' he said. "I've played OK here in the past, just not great. This feels good. I've been working hard on my game. This golf course really sets up well for me.''
It set up pretty well for a lot of players yesterday — particularly with benign weather conditions — with 32 players in the field shooting under par and 45 at par or better.
Bad weather was expected overnight, which could keep the greens soft and the scores low.
"The course is going to play dramatically different, and we're going to adjust,'' Woods said.
For the sake of the annual Masters drama, hopefully the leaderboard will continue to host the same heaping helping of storylines entering weekend play.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com
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