Hard toil for SA trio in Masters opening round

The three South African golfers competing at this year's Masters at Augusta National found the going tough in Thursday's opening round.

LIVE | The 87th Masters: Hovland, Rahm and Koepka share lead at Augusta National

Charl Schwartzel was the best-placed South African with a two-over par 74. He sits tied for 54th alongside five-time winner Tiger Woods. It's nine shots off the leading trio of Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm, who shot seven-under rounds of 65.

Louis Oosthuizen, a runner-up at the Masters in 2012 when he lost a playoff to American Bubba Watson, struggled with a four-over par 76. He sits tied for 73rd.

Aldrich Potgieter, the South African amateur competing at the year's first major, shot a five-over 77 to sit tied for 78th.

The SA-trio will have to play really well on Friday if they want to make the weekend cut.

First round scores on Thursday in the 87th Masters at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia:

65 - Brooks Koepka (USA), Viktor Hovland (NOR), Jon Rahm (ESP)

67 - Jason Day (AUS), Cameron Young (USA)

68 - Gary Woodland (USA), Scottie Scheffler (USA), Sam Bennett (USA), Sam Burns (USA), Xander Schauffele (USA), Adam Scott (AUS), Shane Lowry (IRL)

69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Tony Finau (USA), Jordan Spieth (USA), Collin Morikawa (USA)

70 - Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), Keegan Bradley (USA), Scott Stallings (USA), Chris Kirk (USA), Justin Thomas (USA), Tom Kim (KOR), Ryan Fox (NZL), Cameron Smith (AUS), Sepp Straka (AUT)

71 - Joaquin Niemann (CHI), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Im Sung-jae (KOR), Dustin Johnson (USA), Patrick Reed (USA), Fred Couples (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Harris English (USA), Patrick Cantlay (USA), Max Homa (USA), Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)

72 - Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Harold Varner III (USA), Talor