2013 Masters Leaderboard: Dissecting the Day 1 Standings

Day 1 of the 2013 Masters Tournament was a golf fan's dream yet again. Soft, receptive greens led to many players capitalizing on the conditions by attacking flagsticks at Augusta National, and it allowed Marc Leishman and Sergio Garcia to post matching 66s to lead at six under par.

Not far behind are a slew of elite golfers: the long-hitting Dustin Johnson is just one stroke behind and fan-favorite Fred Couples leads a group of six players at minus-four.

There were several other storylines that caused plenty of buzz on Thursday, though. Below is a look at the leaderboard, along with a breakdown of the field as it stands entering the second round.

Sergio Surges; Leishman Unleashes

Garcia has long been considered one of the best players to not win a major championship, and he is presented with a golden opportunity to finally break through this week.

ESPN's Justin Ray suggests that Garcia's number of 66 bodes well for his chances of winning:

The late, great compatriot of Garcia's native Spain had quite a contrasting style to Garcia's stable ball-striking, but that will be something to pay attention to as the tournament progresses.

The Australian Leishman birdied Nos. 13 through 16 to key a spectacular back-nine 31. It hasn't been a particularly successful 2013 campaign for him, as Leishman holds only one top 10 and several missed cuts on the PGA Tour.

This is easily the most pressure Leishman has felt in his entire career. With a tee time of 12:35 p.m. ET, he will have plenty of time to think about the ramifications of his current status through 18 holes.

Rickie Fowler's Wild Ride

The young American fired a 68 despite two double bogeys to open up each set of nine holes.

Fowler had four birdies on the front to combat the rough start, and he eagled the par-five 15th before birdieing and holing a clutch par putt to salvage a wonderful round.

ESPN Stats & Info provided an historical backdrop for this incredible display of adversity:

With the talent that Fowler possesses, it's surprising that he has won just once on the PGA Tour.

An improved putting stroke thanks to a cross-handed grip has been absolutely huge for Fowler, and he took just 21 strokes on the greens Thursday.

If he can continue rolling it like that, there's no telling what improved iron play and reduction in big numbers will yield. Maybe this is Fowler's time to rise to the occasion in a major.

Is 70 the Magic Number?

Tiger Woods posted a solid round of two-under to be just four strokes off the pace. Shane Bacon of Yahoo! highlighted the potential significance of this development:

Although Woods remains the prohibitive favorite to win his fifth green jacket, there are so many other players in a tie for 13th position that could easily emerge victorious. Those seeking their maiden major titles include a pair of top-five players in the world rankings in Justin Rose and Brandt Snedeker.

Also in that bunch is Lee Westwood, reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year John Huh and 2011 Masters runner-up Jason Day, among others.

Among those not named "Tiger," one has to like Snedeker's chances. He had a turbulent round that featured a double bogey and two other dropped shots, but his characteristically hot putter allowed him to convert on many of his birdie opportunities, as he logged six on the day.

So many elite golfers are in hot pursuit of the green jacket, though, and any prediction as to who will win after Round 1 is shaky at best.

Don't Sleep on These Dangerous Contenders

Matt Kuchar (-4)—contended in 2012 and is off to a positive start. Thunderstorms overnight are likely to make the course even longer, but Kuchar should still be a factor with his solid all-around game.

Adam Scott (-3)—Stevie Williams is on the bag, and his experience as a part of Woods' four triumphs can only help the Aussie, who is also seeking his first major.

Phil Mickelson (-1)—as might have been expected, Lefty came out a little bit flat after not playing in San Antonio last week. Mickelson almost always plays the event before Augusta, yet the change in strategy doesn't seem to be completely detrimental. A tough two-over start through seven was overcome thanks to four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine.

Rory McIlroy (E)—the Northern Irishman continues magnificent ball-striking, but he does have to get the ball closer to the hole with his short irons and wedges. McIlroy's length and a few more putts holed should allow him to post a strong early score on Friday to get back into the mix.

Tianlang Guan Is Amazing

Words don't exactly do justice to how special the 14-year-old's opening round was. Among those who aren't necessarily threatening the lead, Guan's performance was clearly the most notable.

The Chinese phenom hit fairway metals with his approaches all day, but he proved to be lethally accurate. An emphatic finish was capped by a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole, which allowed Guan to shoot a one-over 73.

Golf Channel's Jason Sobel documented an email exchange he recently had with the teenager:

That simple description is impossible to argue with, as many of the planet's best players weren't even considering the prospects of playing on a professional tour at such an age—much less thriving this well at Augusta National.

Guan has an unconventional, cross-handed belly putter setup, but it certainly worked on Thursday as he needed just 25 putts. He shares company at one-over with the likes of Steve Stricker, past major champions Graeme McDowell, Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley and Masters winners Sandy Lyle and Larry Mize.

It's scary to think what might happen once the cool customer Guan gets his man strength over the next several years.

Note: Statistics are courtesy of Masters.com.