In 1971, the PGA Championship experimented with a February playing, in order to compete at a Florida course that would doubtless be too hot in August (then the normal month for PGA Championships.) No word on why the association never again returned to Florida in February.

This week, we experience an 11th-month Masters, seven months after the event was scheduled for resolution. Each of us can surmise that Augusta National will opt out of the pandemic clause after one year, returning to its customary April dates in 2021—no matter what!

For golf fans across the globe, a November Masters is even more intriguing than a September U.S. Open, or a December U.S. Women’s Open. As the eternal site for the event, it’s always about the course before it’s ever about the players. For one year only, we imagined that Augusta might dress differently, show differently, and, perhaps, perform differently. After one day of competition, that holds true in some instances, yet not in others…

Here are five things we learned Thursday.

1. We didn’t finish

This was evident with the rain delay that followed the honorary starters, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. The legendary pair split the fairway with their drives, then a number of golfers completed a hole or two on either side, then the skies opened for a few hours. As a result, the latter half of the field remains on the course. Of interest are Justin Thomas (-5 through 10), Matthew Wolff (-4 through 11) and Dylan Frittelli (-4 through 9.) The rains softened an autumn Augusta even more, allowing the field to take aim at each hole location. In addition, the normal treachery of the putting surfaces was lessened, allowing for runs at putts that would traditionally elicit restraint. Given that these golfers had morning tee times on day two, the pairing sheet will certainly see alteration overnight.

2. Paul Casey reminds us of someone

He reminds us of every great UK golfer who never won a major title. Names like Montgomerie, Westwood, Fleetwood, Poulter, Donald—and that’s just the past 30 years. He also reminds us of Paul Casey, a brilliant young golfer with massive forearms, the likes of which even Tiger Woods envied. His play on day one was spectacular. He never once looked like a man threatened by Old Bogey. Two eagle putts missed the mark on his outward half (the inward nine) but he finally earned his crystal (makers of eagles receive crystal from the club) at the 2nd hole, his 11th. In total, Casey had 5 birdies plus 1 eagle, and currently occupies the top shelf on the leader’s board.

3. Big Bang Theory played a great round

I know that other pundits use terms like Golf Hulk to describe Bryson DeChambeau. Pshaw. Combine physics (his chosen field of study) with his golf swing (his other chosen field of study) and Big Bang Theory is the only option for a suitable appellation. Now, onto that other matter. BBT was less than perfect, less than brawny, less than the U.S. Open comet that we saw in September. After pars at his first three holes, DeChambeau hit his drive on 13 into Phil Mickelson’s back yard. Unlike Lefty, BBT maneuvered his approach into some topiary behind the green. One penalty drop and two chips later, he faced a brief attempt at bogey, which never threatened to invoke gravity. AND THEN, he began to play some golf. Bryson counted birdies at 15, 16, and 2 to reach red figures on the day. He fell to even par at the 7th, but coaxed birdie putts into the 8th and 9th cups, to finish at 70 on the day. The round was reminiscent of Tiger Woods in 1997; Bryson had every excuse to shoot himself out of the tournament, but he refused. 5 back on day one is nothing. No one will shoot 20-under at Augusta National this week, so our biggest, bangingest theory is in prime position to make a Friday move.

4. Let the neighing begin

You know what they say about horses for courses. What they say is, certain horses always run the same race course well. This holds true for the itinerant golfer as well. That defending champion, he of the five green jackets, sits quite well at -4. Zero bogies, four birdies, thank you very much. Patrick Reed, the 2018 winner, is also on four deep. Louis Oosthuizen, who should have won the jacket the year of Bubba Watson’s ridiculous hooking wedge, joins them at suite 68. In truth, there are two names currently in the hunt, that I would love to see claim a major title this week: the aforementioned Louis, Louis and Rickie Fowler. DF Private Eye is 3 under through 11 holes, and has to make some noise on Friday. He HAS TO!

5. Golf without fans is an architecture aficionado’s delight

If you’ve read my prose, you know that I love golf course design. I’m a Doak-Coore-Ross-MacKenzie-Colt fanboy, and love to discuss what lies under our feet. As Jon Rahm, among others, mentioned during the practice rounds, the sightlines and views that we see this week are the ones seen by members and guests alone. During tournament week, bleachers and patrons obscure the landscape, restricting our appreciation of the golf course and the property. Download the Masters app, visit the official site, or both. Every shot (well, nearly, they missed Casey’s eagle hole on Thursday) is recorded for posterity, and you can stroll along with every competitor as he negotiates a wide-open, majestic Augusta National Golf Club course. I’m in heaven.