Vanderbilt sophomore Gordon Sargent unleashed a 356-yard drive off the first tee in his first round at the Masters, dropped a wedge 9 feet from the pin and sank a birdie putt on Thursday.

The rest of the round did not go as well, and the former Mountain Brook High School standout carded a 5-over-par 77 at Augusta National Golf Club.

“It kicked my butt out there,” Sargent said. “I actually drove it really well out there but was just really sloppy around the greens and on the greens. But I kind of talked to my caddie every single hole, and we’re like, ‘We’re at Augusta National in the Masters. How can you complain?’ Very special out there. Obviously, I didn’t have my best stuff and a little disappointed, but have one more crack at it tomorrow.”

The 2022 NCAA Division I men’s golf individual champion, Sargent received a special invitation from Augusta National to play in the Masters, the first amateur accorded that honor since 2000.

Sargent found the bunker with his third shot on the par-5 second on his way to a bogey, and even though he almost drove the green on the par-4 third, he ended up with a triple-bogey 7. He also bogeyed the fifth and ninth around birdies on the seventh and eighth.

Sargent’s back nine was less eventful with six pars. He double-bogeyed 11 and bogeyed 17 before finishing with a birdie on the par-4 18th.

“I got behind the eight-ball just because I was trying to do too much,” Sargent said. “I feel like I played solid after 11 just because my caddie and I focused on: We’re just going to do the right thing here.”

Sargent hit 12 of 14 fairways and had an average drive distance of 324 yards – 25 yards better than the first-round average – but still came in with a 77.

“I just need to clean it up around the greens and on the greens,” Sargent said. “My speed was pretty terrible today, so just kind of focus on that and go get a few reps on the practice green and then get some rest for tomorrow.”

Sargent is scheduled to tee off in the second round at 9:06 a.m. CDT Friday. He’ll be touring the course again with Jason Day and Zach Johnson.

“This opportunity, this experience so far has been amazing,” Sargent said, “and so look forward to trying to play a good round tomorrow and, hopefully, make the weekend.”

Sargent is tied for 78th. The low 50 and ties make the cut for weekend play. That line was a 1-over par after the first round.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson is one of the golfers tied with Sargent. The former Faulkner State All-American was at 5 over seven holes into the tournament, got down to 2 over, then double-bogeyed 16 and bogeyed 18.

Another former Masters champion with Alabama golf roots, Danny Willett shot a 3-over 75 on Thursday. The Jacksonville State alumnus birdied the 15th hole and bogeyed the fifth, eighth, 16th and 18th.

Justin Thomas recorded a 2-under 70 for the first round. The former Alabama All-American birdied the second and third holes, then bogeyed the fifth. On the back nine, Thomas birdied the 16th and 17th, then short-circuited his momentum with a bogey on 18.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.