'That's insane': Golf world erupts over 'unbelievable' Tiger Woods drama

Tiger Woods has left the golfing world gobsmacked after capping off one of the most extraordinary comebacks the sport has ever seen, with a superb opening round at the Masters.

As he has done so many times before, Woods produced what many thought was impossible, after opening his tournament with an incredible one-under par 71 at Augusta National.

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Woods admitted that he was close to losing a leg in the horror car crash in California that required multiple leg surgeries and left his participation in the year's first major under a huge cloud.

However, the five-time Masters champion lived up to the enormous hype that his appearance in Augusta has generated with a stunning opening round that included three birdies.

The 15-time major champion, seeking his record-tying sixth green jacket, coupled those three birdies with two bogeys to stand three strokes behind Australia's early clubhouse leader Cam Smith.

Woods sank a 29-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th and closed with a clutch 10-foot birdie putt at the par-4 18th.

The 46-year-old superstar, who has slid to 973rd in the world rankings, walked slower and apart from his playing partners much of the round and used a club as a walking stick on hills at times.

Woods was hospitalised for weeks and unable to walk for months after an auto accident in February 21 and says he still plays through pain but he made an astonishing recovery to return at the Masters, where he won his first major title 25 years ago and made his most recent prior start 17 months ago.

With a victory, Woods would become the eldest Masters champion, three weeks older than Jack Nicklaus in 1986, and the third-oldest major winner after Phil Mickelson (50) and Julius Boros (48).

Cam Smith takes early clubhouse lead

Australia's Smith played majestically in blustery winds to card a four-under-par 68 on Thursday at Augusta National that could have been anything if not for two double-bogeys that bookended his round.

Smith shrugged off his first double on the opening hole to rattle in eight birdies to open up a two-shot buffer teeing off on the 18th.

The World No.6 finished his round as he started with a six on the par-4 last after slicing his drive into the trees and then three-putting.

Rain delayed Smith's round by half an hour but nothing could stop him from picking up from where he left off in winning last month's Players Championship in Florida.

The Queenslander hadn't played competitively since bagging a record 10 birdies in the final round at TPC Sawgrass.

He arrived at Augusta National among the favourites and full of confidence.

Not even his sloppy six on the par-4 opener, after he found a fairway bunker off the tee, then missed a seven-foot putt for bogey, could shake the 28-year-old's belief.

After a scrambling par on the second, Smith made his first birdie on the fifth, then picked up further shots on six, eight and nine to reach the turn at two under.

When he birdied the treacherous par-3 12th as well over the water on Amen Corner, sinking an 11-footer, Smith found himself joint leader with Im.

But Smith quickly shot two shots clear with a hat-trick of birdies on 14, 15 and 16 - only to falter at the last.

with agencies

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