Hideki Matsuyama is trying to add a gold medal to his green jacket. He just may have to hold off the hottest player in golf to do it.

The 2021 Masters champion got off to a flying start Thursday at the Olympic competition, carding an 8-under 63 that gave him a two-shot lead over Xander Schauffele. It’s the third consecutive Games in which the first-round leader put up an early 63 on the board.

On a hot and windless day outside Paris, Matsuyama avoided the thick rough and went bogey-free around Le Golf National, host site for the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Matsuyama now has a much-needed head start on Schauffele, who is making his first start since his victory two weeks ago at The Open. 

Here's what you need to know from Round 1:

FULL RESULTS

1. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN): -8 (63) 
2. Xander Schauffele (USA): -6 (65) 
T3. Joaquin Niemann (CHI): -5 (66) 
T3. Emiliano Grillo (ARG): -5 (66) 
T3. Tom Kim (KOR): -5 (66) 
T6. Alex Noren (SWE): -4 67 
T6. Tommy Fleetwood (GBR): -4 67 
T6. Ryan Fox (AUS): -4 (67) 
T6. Sepp Straka (AUT): -4 (67) 
T6. Scottie Scheffler (USA): -4 (67) 
T6. Sami Valimaki (FIN): -4 (67) 
T6. Erik van Rooyen (RSA): -4 (67) 
T6. Jon Rahm (ESP): -4 (67)

It’s been an up-and-down season for Matsuyama, who won at Riviera earlier this year but has been plagued by a back issue for the past few months. Still, in many of the game’s biggest events, the 32-year-old from Japan has flashed the form that has made him one of the most accomplished players of his generation, finishing in the top 10 in both The Players and U.S. Open. Now, he’s off to a torrid start in Paris.

“Today’s result was good, so I’ll take that as a positive,” Matsuyama said afterward. “I had a lot of chances, so I’m happy.” 

Matsuyama spent the off-week between The Open and Olympics in London, getting his body and game right for another spirited run at gold. Desperate to earn a medal at home during the 2020 Games, Matsuyama lost in the 7-for-1 playoff for bronze in his native Japan.

“It’s still a tough moment in the Olympics,” Matsuyama said earlier this week, “but if I stick to that memory, I won’t be able to play professional tournaments. So I didn’t keep that mindset after the Tokyo Olympics and try to focus on every week.”

A one-week break wasn’t about to slow down Schauffele.

Though he took a few days to celebrate his claret jug, Schauffele kept sharp playing money games with American teammate Collin Morikawa in Portugal, then turned up in Paris ready to compete once again.

Schauffele’s lone mistake in the opening round came on the 477-yard 17th, where he found the thick rough left and missed a short par putt. But his seven-birdie day represented yet another dream start for Schauffele, who seized the halfway lead at the 2020 Games on his way to the gold medal.

At a venue that places a premium on accuracy and precision, it was no surprise to see the sharpshooting Scheffler come in with a bogey-free 67 in what was his Olympics debut.

Scheffler didn’t make much on the greens – he ranked in the bottom half of the field in putting – but pieced together yet another solid round that gave him a chance to put a capstone on what has already been a remarkable, six-win season. Nearing the end of a long season, Scheffler said he has been “invigorated” playing this week for Team USA, particularly after watching the U.S. women’s gymnastics team take home gold earlier this week.

It was a different story Thursday for McIlroy, who admittedly “didn’t do a whole lot” after a surprising missed cut two weeks ago at Royal Troon. McIlroy had an uneven opening round, mixing five birdies and an eagle with four bogeys to come in with a 68. That included a sloppy three-putt bogey on the last hole.

“Some good, some not so good,” McIlroy said. “Overall, a solid start and something to build upon.” 

Le Golf National, already slower and lush after a wet summer, played even more forgiving Thursday after a morning storm dumped a half-inch of rain and helped turn approach shots from the fairway into target practice. The late stages of the opening round were twice delayed because of lightning in the area.

On what is expected to be the most generous scoring conditions of the week, 41 players broke par in the opening round with an overall scoring average a shade under 70 (69.82).

“I think everybody is underestimating the toughness of the actual course,” said Alex Noren, who shot 67. “If you start seeing more wind, more firmness, it’s a totally different course – but today, it’s probably the easiest I’ve seen it.”

It’s a stark contrast to how the course played during the 2018 Ryder Cup, which was so firm that driver was largely taken out of players’ hands. The thick, graduated rough remains this week, but the fairways are effectively playing even wider because of the slower, softer conditions.

Golf’s reentry to the Olympic Games hasn’t always been smooth. The 2016 Games in Rio were largely a missed opportunity after many of the top players bailed because of indifference or fear of the Zika virus. The 2021 Games, delayed a year by COVID, were played in a sterile environment with no crowds; Rory McIlroy called it a “ghost town.” 

This, however, was an entirely different atmosphere.

Officials were preparing for sellout crowds of about 30,000 fans each day, and the spectators showed out in full force for the first day of action in Paris – a turnout that caught some of the players by surprise.

“It was pretty cool for the first day,” Joaquin Niemann said. 

Tommy Fleetwood said it’s a different golf audience than a Ryder Cup, major or even a run-of-the-mill PGA Tour event. Scottie Scheffler described a certain “noise factor” on the course, with so many phones and camera clicks from those unfamiliar with traditional golf etiquette.

“They are watching golf, but a lot of them are just supporting the people they want to support or their nation, and I think that’s really cool,” Fleetwood said. “It’s hard to describe but you definitely know that it’s not your usual, and it’s great.” 

Added McIlroy: “With so many events going on spread all across the city, for people to venture out here and watch us play, it was a really cool atmosphere to play in.” 

Check out the running recap from the opening day at Le Golf National.

Schauffele was able to wrap up his round in between weather suspensions. The reigning gold medalist returned after the first delay to finish the 18th hole with a par. His 6-under 65 has him two shots back of leader Hideki Matsuyama.

Schauffele began his defense with a chip-in birdie at the first (below) and added six more to his card before making bogey at the par-4 17th.

Rahm can take plenty of positives from Day 1. He chipped in for birdie on the 12th (below), made eagle on the par-5 14th and shot 4-under 67. His lone mistake was finding water with his tee shot on the par-3 16th en route to a double bogey. He bounced back from that, however, with a birdie-par finish.

Hideki Matsuyama is the clubhouse leader following an 8-under 63. Three others have posted 66.

Reigning gold medalist Xander Schauffele (USA) is at 6 under par and has teed off on the par-4 18th.

Mexico's Carlos Ortiz is also at 6 under but he hit his tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th just before the horn blew to stop play.

Obsessed might be an understatement to describe how much Olympic legend Michael Phelps loves golf. Just let him tell you:

Scheffler said his goal this week in Paris was to "have fun," and stress-free golf helps accomplish that. The world No. 1 had four birdies and no bogeys on Thursday. While he was in the negative in strokes gained: putting, he made enough of them to sit four shots off the lead.

McIlroy, playing for Ireland, three-putted for bogey on his final hole for a 3-under 68. After hitting his approach shot to 52 feet, McIlroy ran his lag effort 15 feet past the hole and missed the comebacker.

The highlight of McIlroy's round came at the par-5 ninth, where he hit his second from 278 yards to inside 5 feet for eagle.

Japan's Matsuyama just missed a medal in his home-country Olympics three years ago, losing in a seven-way playoff for bronze.

He's in great shape to atone this week.

Matsuyama made eight birdies in his first 14 holes and then cruised in with pars for an 8-under 63. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation; no surprise for one of the game's best ball-strikers. His putter, which isn't always an asset, was working as well as he made 113 feet of putts. 

Matthias Schmid was a co-leader through 14 holes but fell five off the pace by the time he signed his card. The German birdied Nos. 10, 11, 13 and 14 to reach 6 under, before spinning his approach shot on the par-4 15th into the water. He made double bogey and then finished with a bogey at No. 18.

Playing alongside Schmid, Perez rallied for a 1-under 70. With constant chants of, "Alliez! Alliez!" during his round, the Frenchman made three birdies over his final four holes to finish in the red.

"It was a bit, 'fake it until you make it,'" Perez said. "I was over par and [the fans] were like, 'You're doing great!' And I was like, 'I'm not really doing great.' ... I was able to put on a good back nine and still salvage the day to stay in somewhat of a decent position."