Tiger Woods faces a 23-hole endurance test at the Masters on Friday with his opening round stopped at the one-under-par 13th – but the five-time winner impresses from day one.

Tiger Woods finished the first day of the Masters at one under par on the 13th hole as bad weather forced a two-and-a-half hour delay at Augusta on Thursday.

Woods will return Friday morning at 8 a.m. local time to wrap up the final five holes before heading into his second round.

Woods opened his 26th Masters with a birdie, sparking huge cheers at Augusta and overall showed plenty of evidence to suggest he can compete this week.

But the weather delay is far from ideal for the 48-year-old and his creaky body, as he will now have to play 23 holes on Friday as the tournament schedule evolves to stay on track.

Woods made bogey at the par-3 fourth after hitting his tee shot over the green, but he got it back at the par-5 eighth with a two-putt birdie.

It is Woods’ first appearance since withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational in February due to flu-like symptoms, and his first major appearance in a year.

Woods qualified for last year’s Masters but withdrew before the end of the rain-interrupted third round, citing plantar fasciitis.

He underwent surgery on his left ankle later that month and has played very little competitive golf since.

The five-time Masters champion would break a record held by Gary Player and Fred Couples if he makes his 24th consecutive cut at Augusta this week.

The top 50 players and tied after 36 holes, as well as anyone within 10 shots of the leader, will play on the weekend.

LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau held the club lead Thursday night at seven under, one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler. Danny Willett, the 2016 champion, was a surprise name, tied for fourth alongside Homa on four under.

DeChambeau had his lowest start ever at a major tournament, a clinical performance of power and putting, always a good recipe at Augusta National.

“I try to be the best golfer I can be,” DeChambeau said. “I’m just in a place where I’m repeating a movement, trying to do the same thing over and over again.”

He made five birdies over a six-hole stretch on the back nine, including a two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th when his risky shot under a pine tree cleared the water in front of the green and left him 40 feet away .

“He cut down the tree. I hit four pine needles instead of five, and it worked out perfectly,” DeChambeau said, not entirely free of his precise calculations.

Scheffler, meanwhile, carded a bogey-free 66 – his first at Augusta – and looked typically impressive.

“Anytime you can get around that golf course without a bogey, you’re going to have a really good day out there,” he said.