Autograph hunter Charley Hoffman outshines his Masters heroes

Charley Hoffman started his day hunting for autographs and ended it as a headline act at the Masters. Hoffman is a guy who jokes his Masters experience comes as “a TV watcher”.

Yet there he was, the American pro with three victories in 15 years on the PGA Tour who became the first clubhouse leader of the 2015 Masters thanks to an opening, five-under-par 67 carded from the first group of the day.

Hoffman, 38, was the player who took the first competitive swing of the tournament at 7.45am yesterday. Which meant that he shared the practice ground not just with playing partner Brian Harman but three gentlemen by the names of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, the Masters’ honorary starters who were taking their ceremonial tee shots five minutes earlier.