About the only thing missing from the first round at the Masters was the late Tim Rosaforte. The docent of golf scribes passed in January. His contributions were honored by his fellow journalists in the days leading up to the first round of competition. Oh, and that left-hander, but that’s a can of worms we dare not open. Instead, let’s focus on those fine, Spanish-language tweets from @TheMasters. Take it from este chaval: aciertan.

Cameron Smith proved two things on Thursday: it is possible to open and close with double bogeys, and still shoot 68; and, his comfort with this golf course is palpable. The 2020 runner-up to Dustin Johnson  demonstrated the same ease he employed to conquer TPC Sawgrass last month. Don’t sleep on the mullet.

With those opening remarks, another season of Five Things We Learned is underway, and it’s time to enter the ring for the main event. Stay with us all week and enjoy keeping up with our education.

1. Cameron Smith is fun to watch

As mentioned in the tease, our favorite Australian is in the mix at four-under par. Smith began the day in a manner we all know: lose your drive to the fade side and find a bunker. From there, Smith escaped in two, airmailed the green in three, and failed to get up and down for not just par, but bogey as well. Fast forward about four hours to the 18th tee, where again the block put him in trouble. He punched free to the fairway but, perhaps cognizant of his long third at the first, came up shy of the flag by about fifty feet. His par putt raced by, and he could not convert for bogey.

Sound familiar? The eight birdies in between probably weren’t. Smith played brilliantly from the second tee to the 17th green. He converted stroke-savers at the impossibly-difficult fifth and sixth holes, then added two more at eight and nine, to turn in 34. On the inward half, Smith made a deuce at the 12th, then added three more birdies from 14 through 16. In conclusion, the eight birdies impressed far more than the two doubles depressed. Smith will be around for a while this week.

Deft touch on display at No. 5. #themasters pic.twitter.com/AYiiMt9xs4

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2022

2. The amateur contestants struggled on Thursday

Bobby Jones always demanded an amateur presence at his tournament. Each year, the amateur champions from Latin America, Great Britain, the United States, and Asia are invited to compete. Joining them are the USGA Mid-Amateur titleist and the USGA Amateur runner-up. In some years, the amateurs shine, but 2022 was not to be one of them, at least not today.

Three of the non-professional entrants finished at nine-over par. A fourth signed for plus-seven on his card. Austin Greaser, the US Amateur runner-up in 2021, turned in one-under par, but suffered bogey at three holes on the second nine, finishing at an admirable 74. His total placed him firmly in the top half of the field of contestants.

Keita Nakajima was the class of the amateur set on Thursday. The reigning Asia-Pacific Amateur champion posted even-par 72. His round was a balanced one: three birdies, three bogeys, and a slew of pars. Perhaps inspired by 2021 wins by Tsubasa Kajitani (Augusta National Women’s Amateur) and  Hideki Matsuyama (Masters), Nakajima positioned himself for a firm run at making the cut on Friday.

Keita Nakajima with a dart on the 15th ?

He ties the lead at -1??4?? pic.twitter.com/nQiVluQH17

— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) November 6, 2021

3. Welcome to Three-Under Land

A fine foursome sits at three-under par after 18 holes. Masters champions Danny Willett (2016) and Dustin Johnson (2020) reached the figure in different ways. Willett opened with bogey, but bounced back with birdie at the second. He made his second and final bogey of the day at the sixth, then began to chip away at Old Man Par. Birdies at eight and nine brought him to the red side of par. Two more on the inward par-five holes seated him at the table of minus-three. Johnson reached four-under at the 10th hole, suggesting that he would find a way to the mid-60s by days end. Instead, he avoided birdie at the two, reachable par-five holes on the back nine, and made bogey at 17. It was not the second nine he anticipated.

Joining the two of them at 69 are Joaquín Niemann of Chile, and world number one Scottie Scheffler. Niemann made a spectacular eagle at the ninth, then played even over the next nine holes to place himself inside the top six golfers at day’s end. Scheffler played brilliant golf all day, until a final-hole bogey dropped him one shot from minus-four. We haven’t seen either of these two in the mix at a major, so it will be fun to watch them try to establish a place in this echelon of professional golf.

Increíble águila de Joaquín Niemann en el hoyo 9. #elMasters #themasters pic.twitter.com/CLyCYOUCsm

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2022

4. Don’t Sleep on Us

This is the most risky and enjoyable thing to write. These combatants have a special something that earns our attention. For those of you who love bullet points, buckle in!

• Patrick Cantlay: Patty Ice has nerves of steel and is aching for a major. Is it time?
• Harold Varner III: HV3 gets better with age. The road from Akron to Augusta might end in triumph.
• Corey Conners: The long-hitting Canadian has knocked on many a door in recent years. Augusta suits him.
• Tiger Woods: One-under par defied all expectations. The mind and the game are present; the fitness will determine his tournament this week.
• Daniel Berger: the Floridian was minus-three until his double at the last. He is gritty and wants respect.

From the pine straw to mere feet. Eagle for Harold Varner III. #themasters pic.twitter.com/uA0U7jQbUT

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2022

5. Sungjae Im is your leader in the clubhouse

Im Sung-jae has won twice on the PGA Tour. He won the 2020 Honda in Florida, and the 2021 Shriners in Nevada. Neither of those places bears a resemblance to Augusta National, but Im doesn’t seem to mind. Im opened his tournament with three consecutive birdies, then made another at the seventh, to reach four deep. He made mistakes at 10 and 11 to drop a pair of shots, then reclaimed both with an electrifying eagle at the thirteenth. A final birdie, at the par-five fifteenth, brought the Korean champion to the top of the podium with 67. Im will tee off in the ninth group on Friday, at 9:39, with Australia’s Marc Leishman and Webb Simpson of the USA.

Eagle on No. 13 and the co-lead for Sungjae Im. #themasters pic.twitter.com/v2aj0TihFz

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2022