A Masters patron commented that maybe it was Seve looking down from above.

Maybe it was given today – April 9 – is Seve Ballesteros’ birthday as he would have been 69 today when his Spanish compatriot, fellow Masters champion and long-time close friend Jose Maria Olazabal took the lead early on the opening day of the 2026 Masters.

A PRICELESS COMMENT FROM A DOUBLE @TheMasters CHAMP …

After Jose Maria Olazabal takes the lead early on the opening day.

“I look at the leaderboard. I saw myself 2-under par, and for a little while I said to myself, hey, I’m leading the Masters. There you go.“

An… pic.twitter.com/XZcIXw6yFX

— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) April 9, 2026

Olazabal is contesting remarkably a 37th Masters having also brilliantly joined Ballasteros as a double Augusta National champion in 1994 and 1999 after Seve had won twice in 1980 and 1983.

And it was very much Olazabal at his Masters best moving into the early first round lead thanks to back-to-back birdies at the second and third holes on a glorious Augusta National Thursday moving.

The now 60-year-old remained at two-under until the 14th hole when the course jumped-up and beat him in taking bogey at 14, double on 15 and then a another bogey at 16.

“Of course, yes, I look at the leaderboard. I saw myself 2-under par, and for a little while I said to myself, hey, I’m leading the Masters. There you go“, said Olazabal smiling.

Olazabal went onto to produce a two-over par 74 to be just outside the top-50.