Playing in the final year of his exemption as the 2012 Open champion, Ernie Els remained in contention with an opening round of even par 72.
Els was South Africa’s best placed golfer, with all four countrymen struggling on a tough day for scoring at Augusta National.
Earlier, Louis Oosthuizen birdied the last to finish +5; one shot better than Branden Grace who finished +4 after he started double, bogey, bogey before another drop on 9 saw him out in 41.
Grace sandwiched a bogey on 14 with two birdies before finishing with three pars to sign for a 76.
Els bogeyed 2, 6 and 7, but managed to keep the bogeys at bay on the back nine with a birdie 4 on 13 setting him for a strong finish as he got shots back on 15 and 16.
The Big Easy then hit his approach to 6 feet and sank the birdie on 17 to move into red figures, before a wayward drive on 18 cost him a shot on the last.
2008 champion Trevor Immelman went out in 40, five bogeys and a birdie on 5, and came home in 39 to shoot 79.
At the time of writing, Charl Schwartzel was +4 after 12 with American William McGirt leading on -3.
