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Spieth sizzles at Masters, McIlroy seven back

By Mark Lamport-Stokes
  • Jordan Spieth of the U.S. celebrates a birdie on the 18th hole to finish 8-under par in first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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    Jordan Spieth of the U.S. celebrates a birdie on the 18th hole to finish 8-under par in first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Jordan Spieth of the U.S. celebrates a birdie on the 18th hole to finish 8-under par in first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
    Reuters
  • Justin Rose of Britain looks over his putt on the 17th green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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    Justin Rose of Britain looks over his putt on the 17th green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Justin Rose of Britain looks over his putt on the 17th green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
    Reuters
  • Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the eighth tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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    Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the eighth tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the eighth tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
    Reuters
  • Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits on the first fairway during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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    Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits on the first fairway during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits on the first fairway during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
    Reuters
  • Phil Mickelson of the U.S. hits on the first fairway during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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    Phil Mickelson of the U.S. hits on the first fairway during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Phil Mickelson of the U.S. hits on the first fairway during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
    Reuters
  • Justin Rose of Britain celebrates a birdie on the third hole during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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    Justin Rose of Britain celebrates a birdie on the third hole during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Justin Rose of Britain celebrates a birdie on the third hole during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
    Reuters
  • Russell Henley of the U.S. hits off the second tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch
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    Russell Henley of the U.S. hits off the second tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Russell Henley of the U.S. hits off the second tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch
    Reuters
  • Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland reacts after making par on the third hole during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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    Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland reacts after making par on the third hole during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland reacts after making par on the third hole during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
    Reuters
  • Bubba Watson of the U.S. makes his way up onto the third green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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    Bubba Watson of the U.S. makes his way up onto the third green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Bubba Watson of the U.S. makes his way up onto the third green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
    Reuters
  • Adam Scott of Australia chips onto the second green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young
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    Adam Scott of Australia chips onto the second green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Adam Scott of Australia chips onto the second green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young
    Reuters
  • Stephen Gallacher of Scotland hits from a sand trap onto the second green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young
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    Stephen Gallacher of Scotland hits from a sand trap onto the second green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Stephen Gallacher of Scotland hits from a sand trap onto the second green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young
    Reuters
  • Gunn Yang of South Korea hits a driver off the second tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch
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    Gunn Yang of South Korea hits a driver off the second tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta

    Gunn Yang of South Korea hits a driver off the second tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch
    Reuters
Jordan Spieth of the U.S. celebrates a birdie on the 18th hole to finish 8-under par in first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Justin Rose of Britain looks over his putt on the 17th green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the eighth tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits on the first fairway during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Phil Mickelson of the U.S. hits on the first fairway during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Justin Rose of Britain celebrates a birdie on the third hole during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Russell Henley of the U.S. hits off the second tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch
Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland reacts after making par on the third hole during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Bubba Watson of the U.S. makes his way up onto the third green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Adam Scott of Australia chips onto the second green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young
Stephen Gallacher of Scotland hits from a sand trap onto the second green during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young
Gunn Yang of South Korea hits a driver off the second tee during first round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

By Mark Lamport-Stokes AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods dominated the build-up to this week's Masters but it was exciting American Jordan Spieth who produced the fireworks in a gripping opening round at Augusta National on Thursday. Spieth, the hottest player in the game over the past six months, raised hopes of shooting the first ever 62 at a major championship before he ran out of steam over the closing stretch to fire an eight-under-par 64. The 21-year-old recorded his only bogey of the day at the par-five 15th, where he overshot the green with his third shot, but signed off in style by draining a 20-footer to birdie the last. "I'm very pleased, it was nice to get off to a good start," said Spieth, who birdied four of his first nine holes on a receptive, rain-softened layout at Augusta National to race to the turn in four-under 32. "The course was as gettable as I think it will be this week today. To make nine birdies out here, you know, that's a dreamy round for me. It was a lot of fun." Spieth finished three shots in front of American Charley Hoffman, 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose of England, four-time major winner Ernie Els of South Africa and Australian Jason Day on a top-notch leaderboard. World number one McIlroy, in pursuit of a rare career grand slam of the four majors, hit a couple of poor chip shots on his front nine on the way to a 71 that left him seven strokes off the pace. Four-times champion Woods, who shares the brightest glare of the spotlight with McIlroy this week on his much anticipated return from a two-month hiatus while reworking his swing, often struggled off the tee as he opened with a 73. (Editing by Frank Pingue)