As a golfer you're always grinding to get your score just one shot lower. A birdie here, a par save there, and that 74 might be a 73, or that 80 might be a 79.

For Tiger Woods, a birdie putt on the 18th hole on Thursday would have meant an opening round in the 60s for just the second time in his career at the Masters. However, in a weird way, it might have worked out better that it didn't go in. That's because when Tiger opens with a round of 2-under 70, like he did on Thursday, it's usually a pretty good omen for the week.

In three of Tiger's four Masters wins, he shot a first-round 70, and only once before has he posted 2-under and not gone on to win (that happened in 2009). After play finished on Thursday, Tiger sits just four shots back of leaders Marc Leishman and Sergio Garcia, with 12 players ahead of Tiger as he sits in a tie for 13th.

So how did Tiger get there? Woods started his bid for a 15th major championship in the form that we've become accustomed to seeing in 2013, by

Jamie Donaldson — Getty ImagesThe only thing cooler than making an eagle at the Masters and winning a set of crystal goblets? Making an ace, and winning a big crystal bowl for all to see.

That's what Jamie Donaldson is going to receive after his tee shot on the par-3 6th hole. The 37-year-old Welshman is playing in his first ever Masters and he already has a memory that will be tough to forget. Standing on the 6th hole on Thursday, Donaldson hit his tee shot in the hole for the first hole-in-one of the 2013 Masters and easily the best shot of the first round.

Donaldson was just the fifth person to ever make a hole-in-one on No. 6 and the first to do it since Chris DiMarco recorded one there in 2004.

Also, it was the 24th hole-in-one in Masters history. If you want to watch video of it, swing over to Masters.com and check it out under the highlights tag.

David Lynn — Getty ImagesOn Thursday at the Masters, a name sits atop the leaderboard that you might not know. David Lynn opened with a round of 4-under 68 in his first ever trip to Augusta National and while you might think he's just one of those guys that'll be there early and disappear late, let us clue you in on a few things about Lynn.

First, the 39-year-old Englishman might be making his first trip to the Masters, but it definitely isn't his first time flirting with a major championship leaderboard. Last year Lynn finished second alone to Rory McIlroy at the PGA Championship, and while it might have been eight shots separating Rory from the field, it was Lynn that was the closest to him.

Lynn has one European Tour win in his career, at the KLM Open in 2004, but he's played well enough lately to be ranked 54 in the world, not shabby for a guy that you might be researching for the first time ever.

[Slideshow: Lindsey Vonn at the Masters]

And, honestly, he might be the most interesting professional

Earlier this week the big girlfriend/boyfriend news at Augusta National was that Rory McIlroy was going to have Caroline Wozniacki on his bag at the Par-3 Tournament.

While it turned out to be a fun little experience for the two (Rory even had Wozniacki hit a golf shot, that did not turn out well), we now have Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn to steal the relationship headlines at the year's first major.

Vonn has been pictured at Augusta National on Thursday wearing a Kentucky Derby-style hat and following Woods around as he attempts to win his 15th major and fifth green jacket.

Of course, Tiger and Vonn announced their relationship last month on Facebook, the first time Tiger has mentioned any relationship since his nasty split with his wife Elin. Woods is usually extremely private with stuff like this, so it must be serious if he's out posting it online.

All right, this is just great. Ben Crenshaw, the two-time Masters winner and certainly one of the most beloved figures in Augusta this week, gave the fans one more big thrill at the Par-3 tournament on Wednesday. Crenshaw won another piece of crystal with his ace on the 7th, a shot that required both style and grace.

Elsewhere on the course, Nick Watney aced the 9th, but no reaction anywhere on the course could compare with this beauty.

Crenshaw, one of the oldest men in the field, tees off at 12:24 p.m. in a group with Tianlang Guan, the youngest, and Matteo Manasserro, another youngster. Even if Crenshaw isn't around for the weekend, he's already carved out another fine moment.

-Follow Devil Ball Golf on Facebook and Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee all week long for updates from Augusta.-

During the par-3 contest on Wednesday, tennis superstar Caroline Wozniacki caddied for her boyfriend Rory McIlroy, which actually seems like a rather ungentlemanly thing to make your lady do. But hey, Rory probably knows what he's doing on a golf course.

The same, alas, cannot be said of Ms. Wozniacki, who got a chance to tee off for one hole and, well, didn't exactly ace it ... in either the tennis or golf senses of the word. Alas, there are no second serves in golf.

Rory begins play in the Masters on Thursday, and Wozniacki will remain safely outside the ropes.

-Follow Devil Ball Golf on Facebook and Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee all week long for updates from Augusta.-

Phil Mickelson — Getty ImagesThis year I was coerced by a hockey writing friend of mine to do a weekly one-and-done golf pool that allows you to pick one golfer, never to use them again in 2013. Since I'm doing it for fun (and DEFINITELY not for money, no way, no how), I figured I'd post my weekly picks here, with who I've already used under it and my record for the year, and against the others in the pool. We're calling this Darts in the Dark.

There are a number of reasons I'm picking Phil Mickelson this week at the Masters. First, if not for a guy named Tiger Woods he'd be the man that everyone was backing this week, no matter his play heading in. Second, the Masters is like a long nap on a Sunday after returning from a bachelor party in Vegas; you get up, you feel so much better and you realize you might just make it to work on Monday.

Augusta National was built for Phil Mickelson, and if the guy can avoid the big numbers (two triple-bogeys a season ago and only missed out on the Bubba-Louis playoff by two

Tiger Woods — Getty ImagesThese days it seems that the entire field, give or tack a past champion or two, have a chance at the green jacket. Gone are the days of Tiger, Vijay and Phil being the only contenders, but instead of listing them all, we've picked five we think have the best shot at the 2013 Masters (Check out who we ranked No. 5, No.4, No. 3, and No. 2).

No. 1 -- Tiger Woods

Major Championships -- 14

Masters appearances -- 18

Best Masters finish -- 1 (1997, 2001, '02, '05)

Best finish on the PGA Tour in 2013 -- 1 (Farmers Insurance, Cadillac, Arnold Palmer)

What he has to do to win -- I've been asked on the radio multiple times what Tiger has to do this week to win his first major championships since 2008, and my answer continues to be, "get out of his own way." Woods is one of the best we've ever seen with a lead, but for some reason the last few years he's struggled to maintain a lead at the majors.

His game is different this season and if he can just get out of his way, and let his golf swing and