American duo lead the way at Augusta

American duo lead the way at Augusta

Brooks Koepka held a share of the first-round Masters lead with Bryson DeChambeau on six under par.

Three-times champion Phil Mickelson was one shot off the pace.

Koepka, who missed last year's Masters with a wrist injury, used a combination of jaw-dropping power and laser-like irons to card a six-under-par 66 and sit atop the leaderboard with DeChambeau, who came within inches of a closing eagle.

American Koepka, who does not have a top-10 finish in three starts at the Masters, enjoyed a four-hole birdie run from the 12th to pull ahead but had to settle for a share of the lead after DeChambeau closed with four consecutive birdies.

"That was probably the best ball striking round I've had in a major championship," they 28-year-old Koepka told reporters after his bogey-free round.

"I drove it and I shaped it, flighted it, and coming into the greens, controlling the spin, trajectory, everything there was about as good as I could have hit it today."

DeChambeau, who was playing two groups ahead of Koepka and nearly aced the par-three 16th, almost walked into the clubhouse with the outright lead but his approach at the 18th rammed into the flagstick and settled inches away for a tap-in birdie.

"Should have pulled the flagstick out," joked DeChambeau. "But no, it was a great shot, and I was excited just to tap in to finish off a great round."

Published: by Radio NewsHub
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