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It seemed like no one could get a handle of Augusta National in Thursday’s cool and windy conditions, at least until the final groups of the day started their first rounds at the 2017 Masters.

While Jordan Spieth was posting a quadruple bogey on No. 15 and pre-tournament favorites were falling from the top of the leaderboard -- the scoring average was 75 (+3) for the day -- Charley Hoffman put together one of the best Round 1 performances in Masters history and surged to the top with a 7-under 65. 

Hoffman ran off four birdies in a row -- and five over six holes on the second nine -- before carding a par at 18 to finish a round that saw him go 8-under in his final 12 holes. The four-stroke lead was one shy of tying a longstanding Masters record, Craig Wood’s five-stroke lead that carried him to a championship in 1941. 

Hoffman got it rolling with a birdie at the par-4 14th with a stellar approach shot from the tree line. 

Hoffman was dialed in, and his highlights are just a series of fantastic shots into the green, leaving himself good birdie opportunities that he would cash in on to extend his lead. 

He  has made the cut each of the three times he’s qualified for the Masters, going low early in the week and notching a top-10 finish in 2015. It’s not a surprise to see him play well here, but it is startling when comparing his performance to the rest of the field.  

The big challenge for Hoffman heading into Round 2 will be keeping it going in the face of a windy morning tee time after being one of the last players on the course on Thursday. At that point, Hoffman can shoot for pars and try to maintain his position at 7-under and make the rest of the field chase his spot at the top.