2013 Masters: Iowan Starts in Top 10 on Leaderboard, Ahead of Tiger Woods and Tianlang Guan, 14

Cedar Rapids native Zach Johnson is off to a good start at the 2013 Masters in Augusta, GA.

Johnson, the 2007 Masters champ who earned his chops playing at Linn County golf courses including Hunters Ridge in Marion, ended the day 3-under-par 69.

After day one at Augusta National, that is good enough to be tied for 10th place on the leaderboard in the golf tournament considered by some the most prestigious around. He is ahead of the most famous golfer on the course - Tiger Woods, who shot a respectable 2-under-par 70 on Thursday.

Mike Hlas of the Gazette is reporting on the tournament: 

His play Thursday was smooth, steady, solid. “Pretty solid,” he said.

“The back nine, I tapped in for par if I didn’t make a birdie. So that was nice. I didn’t put myself in a position (on the back nine) to make a bogey ever. A lot of solid shots. I felt good about it.”

ESPN has more on Tiger Woods and the leaders of the 77th Masters.

Woods was four shots behind Australia's Marc Leishman, a 29-year-old Australian who is playing in just his second Masters, and Spain's Sergio Garcia, who had four birdies on the front nine in a bogey-free 66.

Johnson is also ahead of Tianlang Guan, a 14 year old from China, who is "the youngest player ever to tee it up at the Masters and youngest at any major in 148 years," according to ESPN.

Guan finished the day 1-over 73.

"I felt a little bit nervous on the first tee," Guan said. "But I hit a great tee shot and, after that, everything feels comfortable. ... I just had fun today. Pretty much fun."