'But, hey, I'm at the Masters': Michigan State's James Piot takes opening 81 in stride

He made a birdie. At least he can say he made a birdie at Augusta.

James Piot, the Michigan State senior and reigning U.S. Amateur champion, didn't get off to the preferred start at the Masters, carding a 9-over 81 that featured a triple-bogey at the famous par-5 13th hole in the opening round of the season's first major championship Thursday.

Piot struggled with his driving, and when he did find the fairway, his irons were a bit loose. He'll know to go low Friday afternoon to make the cut and have a run at low-amateur honors.

But after Thursday's round, he was taking it all in stride.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed with my round," Piot told Terry Moore, governor of the Golf Association of Michigan and chairman of the GAM Communication Committee, after finishing up at No. 18. "I just didn't have my stuff.

"But, hey, I'm at the Masters."

Playing with defending Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and 2017 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas, Piot made bogey at the opening hole. He made three more bogeys on the opening-nine 40, including an impressive one at the par-4 ninth.

Piot's approach shot found the greenside bunker; he left his first sand shot in the bunker, and blasted another to 15 feet. He rolled that in for the bogey, receiving a nice ovation.

He looked a bit more settled on the back nine, making a nice up and down from the bunker behind the green at the short par-3 12th hole.

Then came the par-5 13th hole, a birdie hole — at least, if you can find the fairway. But Piot's tee shot found the penalty area in the trees left of the fairway, and his approach shot landed in the creek just short of the green, and by the time it was over, he had carded an 8.

More: 'The coolest thing in the world': MSU's James Piot takes on the Masters

Piot, who has MSU assistant coach Dan Ellis on the bag this week, bounced back at the par-5 15th hole. His second shot just carried the pond in front of the green and hung up on the bank, from which he chipped it close for the tap-in birdie, his first and only of the round.

He had a bogey at the par-3 16th, again short-siding himself in the bunker, and the finishing 18th. Piot hit eight of 14 fairways, and nine of 18 greens in regulation. He got up and down from the sand once in five tries.

Matsuyama opened at even 72, and Thomas at 4-over 76.

Piot, 23, of Canton, got the full Masters fan experience Thursday, playing with the defending Masters champion, in the group behind Tiger Woods and in the group in front of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. He told Moore the nerves on the first tee were "better than expected," and he actually felt less nervous than on the opening tee at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month.

"It's awesome being here," Piot told Moore.

Only two of the six amateurs in the Masters field were well-positioned to make the cut after Thursday's round, including Austin Greaser, whom Piot beat in the U.S. Amateur championship match last summer. The British Amateur champion, Laird Shepherd, also opened with an 81.

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tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984