Golf: Els, Spieth reach six-under to share Masters lead
Ernie Els and Jordan Spieth share lead in the opening round of the 79th Masters.
AUGUSTA (AFP) - Four-time major champion Ernie Els of South Africa eagled the par-5 15th Thursday to grab a share of the lead with Jordan Spieth late in Thursday s opening round of the 79th Masters.
Els, hungry for his first green jacket at age 45, put his 213-yard approach six feet from the cup at 15 and made the putt to reach six-under and stayed there after the par-3 16th.
Spieth, a 21-year-old US star was shared second at last year s Masters in his Augusta National debut, birdied the par-3 12th for his sixth birdie of the day without a bogey.
Both players moved past the clubhouse leaders, American Charley Hoffman and 2013 US Open champion Justin Rose of England, who each fired 67s.
Els won major titles at the 1994 and 1997 US Opens and the 2002 and 2012 British Opens.
Spieth won last month s US PGA Valspar Championship as well as the Australian Open and Hero World Challenge late last year.
American Russell Henley was alone in fifth after a 68 while England s Paul Casey and Americans Webb Simpson and Bill Haas were in the clubhouse on 69.
