Despite a seemingly benign day at Augusta National, Thursday’s opening round scoring average finished at 74.47, which left Bill Haas as the first round leader of the Masters with a 4-under-par 68.

2013 champion Adam Scott, Jonas Blixt and Miguel Angel Jimenez also reached the 4-under plateau during their rounds, but could not maintain the number to the end. Scott and Jimenez both fell victim to the 155-yard, par-3 12th hole, carding double-bogey fives. The hole played at a 3.42 scoring average for the day, making it the second toughest hole on Thursday. The par-4 11th was first at 4.47.

Haas, 31, opened his fifth career Masters with a bogey, but righted the ship quickly with a birdie on the par-5 2nd hole. The Wake Forest product added birdies on Nos. 4 and 7 to make the turn in 34.

Haas next took advantage of the par-5 13th hole, making his first of two-consecutive birdies and claiming the lead at 4-under with four to play. A bogey on the par-4 17th slid him into a tie for the lead, but Haas finished with a birdie on No. 18 to post a second-nine 34.

It is the first time that Haas will sleep on the lead at a major championship.

Meanwhile, Scott made a valiant attempt to be the first defending champion to lead after the first round since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1995, but settled for a 3-under-par 69 and a three-way tie for second.

A birdie on the par-4 10th earned Scott the solo lead at 4-under-par, but his double two holes later slipped him back to 2-under. He added a birdie on No. 14 and carded pars the rest of the way for this round of 3-under.

Scott is looking to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as a repeat winner at the Masters.

2012 champion Bubba Watson — who was bogey-free on the day with birdies on Nos. 4, 13, and 15 — and his playoff companion from 2012, Louis Oosthuizen, also finished the day at 3-under-par.

A group of seven competitors, including first timers Jonas Blixt, Kevin Stadler and Jimmy Walker, sit two shots back after opening round 70s. K.J. Choi, Marc Leishman, Brandt Snedeker, and Gary Woodland are also part of that group.

Eight more were able to card under-par first rounds with 71s, including Fred Couples, Rickie Fowler, Jimenez, Rory McIlory and Jordan Spieth.

Webb Simpson birdied his opening three holes to make early noise, quickly fell off pace with a double on the par-4 5th hole, as well as a bogey on the 11th and a double on No. 15.

1988 champion Sandy Lyle also made a brief appearance on the leaderboard by making birdies on Nos. 2, 3 and 4, but he played the rest of his round in 7-over.

A pair of sevens — one on the par-4 7th and one on the par-5 13th — led Phil Mickelson to a 76, tying his highest opening round at the Masters.

Justin Rose also carded a 76, while another surprise was 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner shooting an opening round 80 after making the turn in even par.