Twelve months ago Andy Sullivan went round Augusta National in 80 miserable blows.

Today, a one-under 71, in what he described as “brutal” conditions, left him feeling rather pleased with himself.

“Trust me, I’m buzzing,” he said. “Especially after last year. I was the most nervous man on the golf course last year. So to come out this year and feel normal again and just go out there and play golf. It’s a nice feeling to have.

“It was definitely April winds. It was brutal out there. It was like the Open Championship. I’m just buzzing to get it round under par. I had a putt on 17 which was straight downhill and it almost blew back up the hill.

"It’s so difficult to judge what is going to happen. You almost have to guess the gusts and try to hit it after or before."

Sullivan, one of 11 Englishmen in the field – a Masters record – had four birdies and three bogeys to initially sit just two back from shock first round leader William McGirt, until Charley Hoffman fired a seven-under-par 65 to lead by four.

“I felt like I played well enough to shoot under par today and it was nice to just cap the day off there by holing one on the last. To be honest, going up there I needed a pee so bad. I was literally trying to run up the hill. My stomach was bursting. Scotty was over a four footer and I was like, ‘C’mon Scotty, hurry up!’"

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