Andy Sullivan felt the conditions were more suited to an Open Championship than a Masters Tournament as he fired a 71 on day one at Augusta National.
With high winds whipping round the historic Georgia layout, only 11 players were under par on Thursday, with American Charley Hoffman leading the way by four shots at seven under.
In conditions more typical to Europe than the United States, a strong European Tour challenge also emerged, with Lee Westwood at two under, a shot ahead of Sullivan, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose.
Sullivan failed to make a birdie on his Masters debut last season but was delighted with his effort on Thursday, admitting he was far more relaxed despite the testing conditions.
"It was brutal out there," he said. "It was like the Open Championship. I'm just buzzing to get it round under par.
"It's so difficult to judge what is going to happen out there. You almost have to guess the gusts and try to hit it after or before.
"Trust me, I'm buzzing, especially after last year. I was the most nervous man on the golf course last year so, to come out this year and feel normal again and just go out there and play golf, it's a nice feeling to have."
Fellow Englishman Rose is playing his 12th Masters with five top-15s in his last six appearances, and he did not feel he had ever seen the weather quite so wild.
"If you beat the golf course today you can be pretty proud of yourself," he said. "It's certainly very tough out there. I've not played the course in a heavy wind like this before. There is no respite out there. Even simple tap-ins aren't simple.
It was like the Open Championship. I'm just buzzing to get it round under par - Andy Sullivan
"Everything was a challenge today."
Fitzpatrick was playing just his third Masters after a tie for seventh last season and despite a disappointing closing double-bogey, was satisfied with his day's work.
"I played really nice," he said. "Hit a lot of greens and just played really solid. I didn't make too many mistakes, missed the holes in the right areas.
"It was difficult out there with how strong the wind is, it was swirling all the time and it's not easy.
"Everyone knows how amazing this place is, it's a fantastic golf course and when it's set up like this it's pretty tough. I much prefer playing difficult golf courses to easy ones."
Garcia is a master in windy conditions, as his ten top tens in Open Championships show, and he was delighted to go bogey-free as he seeks an elusive first Major Championship.
"Under the conditions we played in and to be able to go bogey-free, I don't know if it's probably my first bogey-free round here at Augusta," he said. "So it was good to do that.
"It's very difficult when it's this gusty, too. It's hard to figure out the right clubs and you need to get a few breaks and stuff like that.
"I just need to keep working hard on my short game and get more confidence in there and if I can manage to do that, then I should be able to (win a Major)."
