There was no easing into the 71st Masters Tournament.

Amateur Casey Watabu hits from the rough on No. 1 during the first round. No hole on the front nine was bogeyed Thursday more than No. 1, which saw 36 and ranked second in difficulty. (Chris Thelen/Staff)

With whatever wind there was at Augusta National Golf Club blowing toward the tee on the first hole, it wasn't long before players realized how long Thursday would be.

The 455-yard opener is actually among Augusta's shortest par-4s, but even a light breeze created a significant challenge when it blew in from the northwest.

No hole yielded fewer than the two birdies that were made Thursday on No. 1, and no hole on the front nine was bogeyed more than the 36 there.

It ranked second in difficulty during the first round but became the first of 18 individual tests on one of the most demanding scoring days in Masters history.

"We're all nervous going to those first few holes now because any one of them can jump up and get you,'' said Davis Love III, who parred the first hole on his way to an even-par 72. "It used to be 1, 2, 3, you got some birdies, 4, 5, 6, you hung on and 7, 8, 9 you got some more birdies. Now it's just gotten so hard that it's hard to get off to a good start.''

Actually, the harsh introduction at Augusta isn't all that new.

Only twice in the past 20 Masters has the first hole not ranked among the 10 toughest.

In the five tournaments since 2002, when the tee box was moved back and the first 25 of an eventual 45 yards were added, No. 1 has been among the toughest six holes four times.

It just wasn't as tough as it could have been Thursday.

"Walking up and seeing the tee is up front, you know,'' said 2002 PGA Championship winner Rich Beem, whose 71 left him two shots off the 18-hole lead. "Even if we don't, Augusta National knows that it's going to be blowing into you a little bit. They gave us a bit of a reprieve there.''

The field just didn't take much advantage of it on a day when the average of 76.18 was the highest since the first round in 2003.

Though no one trend seemed to dictate who played well, the difficult conditions didn't discriminate against any single group.

At the end of the first round of the first Masters when international players outnumbered Americans, only five foreigners were among the top 10 and ties.

There were no past champions in the top 14, and even the Big Four contributed to the big scores, particularly Ernie Els (78) and Phil Mickelson (76).

From the first hole and all the way through the first round, Thursday at Augusta challenged everyone from major champions to Masters rookies.

"Today is just a prime example of how this golf course can play. If any part of your game is weaker, it certainly shows,'' 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell said.

Reach Tim Guidera at (912) 652-0352.