Danny Willett

AUGUSTA - Danny Willett's record at Augusta National since his victory in the 2016 Masters has been quite poor, a trend he's trying to reverse this we.

Englishman Danny Willett, who has struggled at Augusta since winning the Masters six years ago, shoots 69 to open the tournament.

In closing, Willett was asked if he felt like he had anything to prove given the paucity of his Masters performances since his 2016 peak. Even if the course gets longer, you still remember certain breaks, certain putts that guys who have played it only a couple of times might not see or might not know. Still, when I did get out of position a couple of times, I hit into the areas where I had the best chance of getting up and down. It doesn't mean they're going to pay off the next three days either, but it's always nice to get a good start around this place.” It obviously doesn't mean I’m going to hit them, but it's always nice when the things you've been working for and what you've been working at pay off. It's impossible for the players, and I think it's impossible for the 25,000 patrons who come and walk round here every day.

There has been far more bad than good for Danny Willett since that extraordinary week at Augusta in 2016, when he left with a green jacket and aspirations ...

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who was 12th last year, birdied the second but dropped three strokes across 10 and 11 to sit two over through 13. We had three inches of rain in three days but it is drying out and a few flags are gettable. For those reasons, there was real joy to be found in his excellent opening loop of 69, which at three under par left him within sight of the early leader Cameron Smith.

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And this place lends itself to the certain golf shots that we've been trying to work on and trying to hit. “(On the 18th), I think most of us are right-handed golfers out here, and the wind blowing behind your back there is never really a nice thing. There's a long way to go and a lot of shots to be played. Some days we push it pretty hard, and other days we don't. But always doing something. That's just the way it is, but I'm able to do it. I did something positive today (Thursday). “It doesn't mean you're going to hit them obviously, but it's always nice when the kinds of things you've been working for and what you've been working at kind of pay off. People have no idea how hard it's been. “So, it's commitment to getting back and commitment to getting back to a level that I feel that I can still do it. The walking's not easy, and it's difficult. “As I said with all the hard work, my leg, it's going to be difficult for the rest of my life. “But the training cycles that we've had make sure that I have the stamina to keep going - and this is only one round.

The Sheffield native, who became the first British player to win a Green Jacket since Nick Faldo triumphed in 1996, said he has been enjoying good vibes all ...

“You can’t come to this place and not wake up every morning with a smile on your face. “It is nice to be back. Augusta: Danny Willett relished a return to the scene of his greatest triumph as the Englishman turned back the clock at Augusta National on Thursday to put himself into contention with a rock-solid start to the Masters.

Keep that card: Danny Willett. While the golfing world's eyes were on another former champion making a marvelous return to Augusta, Willett did his own ...

He arrived Monday, had limited practice because of storms the next two days and was first off Thursday morning with two-time champion Jose Maria Olazabal. You need to hit your irons close, and you need to be really good with the putter." "I don't kind of belong in the same realm as these two players here." In between came eight birdies and ultimately a 4-under 68 that vaulted him to the upper reaches of the leaderboard. The 2016 Masters champ has four missed cuts in five return trips since donning the green jacket but Thursday shook off an early bogey to shoot 3-under-par 69. Keep that card: Danny Willett. While the golfing world's eyes were on another former champion making a marvelous return to Augusta, Willett did his own "remember me?"

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Willett’s current world ranking is 161 and he has earned just under £150,000 in prize money during the current season. That meant Willett became the first British player to win at Augusta since Nick Faldo’s triumph in 2006 and moved him into the top ten of the World Rankings. Willett followed in the footsteps of the likes of Paul Casey and Nick Faldo when he won the English Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s in 2007 and became the world’s number one ranked amateur 12 months later.