Archive for April, 2009
April 17, 2009
Scores Thursday from the Verizon Heritage, a $5,7 million US PGA Tour event at 6,973-yard, par-71 Harbour Town Golf Links.
First Round
Alex Cejka 33-31-64
Lee Janzen 31-34-65
Trevor Immelman 34-32-66
Brian Gay 34-33-67
Ted Purdy 33-34-67
Rod Pampling 33-35-68
Bill Haas 34-34-68
Aron Price 34-34-68
Stephen Leaney 33-35-68
Tim Petrovic 34-34-68
Jose Maria Olazabal 34-34-68
Cliff Kresge 34-34-68
Todd Hamilton 35-33-68
Ernie Els 33-35-68
Jeff Maggert 33-35-68
Bob Estes 33-35-68
Ken Duke 34-35-69
Briny Baird 33-36-69
Scott Piercy 34-35-69
Dean Wilson 34-35-69
Greg Owen 33-36-69
Charles Howell III 35-34-69
Boo Weekley 35-34-69
Kevin Na 35-35-70
Brandt Snedeker 35-35-70
Zach Johnson 35-35-70
Camilo Villegas 33-37-70
Tommy Armour III 34-36-70
Jason Dufner 35-35-70
Matt Weibring 33-37-70
John Mallinger 36-34-70
Robert Garrigus 35-35-70
Tom Lehman 35-35-70
Woody Austin 36-34-70
Jonathan Byrd 37-33-70
Davis Love III 36-34-70
Justin Leonard 36-34-70
Rory Sabbatini 35-35-70
Charley Hoffman 34-36-70
Nathan Green 35-35-70
Vaughn Taylor 36-35-71
Steve Marino 34-37-71
Steve Elkington 35-36-71
D.J. Trahan 34-37-71
Dustin Johnson 36-35-71
Kevin Streelman 37-34-71
Jeev M. Singh 34-37-71
Tim Wilkinson 36-35-71
Charlie Wi 34-37-71
Matt Kuchar 36-35-71
Webb Simpson 34-37-71
George McNeill 34-37-71
Kirk Triplett 35-36-71
Daniel Chopra 37-34-71
Glen Day 34-37-71
Tommy Gainey 35-36-71
Heath Slocum 36-36-72
Spencer Levin 36-36-72
Corey Pavin 36-36-72
Chris DiMarco 36-36-72
Greg Kraft 35-37-72
Shaun Micheel 37-35-72
Mark Wilson 34-38-72
Scott Verplank 36-36-72
Peter Lonard 35-37-72
Rory McIlroy 36-36-72
Brendon de Jonge 33-39-72
Brett Quigley 34-38-72
Jeff Klauk 37-35-72
Bob Tway 38-34-72
Tim Clark 35-37-72
Nick OHern 38-34-72
Stewart Cink 37-35-72
Brian Davis 36-36-72
Jerry Kelly 37-35-72
Michael Allen 37-35-72
Marc Leishman 35-37-72
Nicholas Thompson 36-37-73
Mathew Goggin 35-38-73
Bo Van Pelt 37-36-73
Michael Letzig 36-37-73
Luke Donald 37-36-73
Eric Axley 38-35-73
Brian Bateman 37-36-73
Dudley Hart 35-38-73
Ryan Palmer 37-36-73
Carl Pettersson 37-36-73
Robert Allenby 36-37-73
Paul Casey 37-36-73
Joe Durant 38-35-73
Charles Warren 38-35-73
Bill Lunde 38-35-73
Tim Herron 36-37-73
Ben Crane 38-35-73
Chris Couch 37-36-73
Steve Lowery 37-36-73
Will MacKenzie 37-36-73
Jeff Quinney 36-37-73
Chris Stroud 39-34-73
Jarrod Lyle 36-37-73
James Driscoll 35-38-73
Billy Andrade 37-37-74
Chez Reavie 37-37-74
Lucas Glover 37-37-74
James Nitties 35-39-74
Colt Knost 37-37-74
Jose Coceres 36-38-74
John Senden 37-37-74
Kent Jones 37-37-74
Jim Furyk 35-39-74
Brad Adamonis 38-36-74
Mark Anderson 37-37-74
Aaron Baddeley 38-37-75
Mark Brooks 39-36-75
Matt Bettencourt 39-36-75
Fredrik Jacobson 38-38-76
Greg Chalmers 37-39-76
Cameron Beckman 40-36-76
Michael Bradley 36-40-76
Troy Matteson 39-37-76
Martin Laird 34-43-77
Brad Faxon 37-40-77
Billy Mayfair 38-39-77
Fred Funk 41-36-77
Steve Flesch 38-39-77
Tom Pernice, Jr. 41-37-78
Marc Turnesa 38-40-78
Jason Bohn 39-39-78
Cory Schneider 39-40-79
John Rollins 41-39-80
Parker McLachlin 39-41-80
Joe Ogilvie WD
April 17, 2009
Alex Cejka shot his lowest score in nearly two years with a 7-under 64 to lead the Verizon Heritage on Thursday.
The German was a stroke in front of two-time U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen and two ahead of last years Masters winner, Trevor Immelman.
Two-time defending champion Boo Weekley opened with a 69 and was five shots off the lead.
Cejkas bogey-free performance was capped by a 47-foot putt for birdie on the difficult, wind-swept 17th hole. That left him with his first first-round lead since 2006.
Just hopefully, everything stays well and I get healthy and practice hard, said Cejka, who missed more than three months last year because of neck surgery.
Cejka felt pain at the British Open last summer. Over the next month, he lost most of his strength on his left side. The diagnosis was a pinched nerve that required surgery last September to fuse vertebrae in his neck.
He played only sparingly until this season and his early results were not great, missing the cut three times in his first seven events.
Things perked up in March with a pair of 13th-place finishes at The Honda Classic and the Puerto Rico Open. The recovery took its biggest step yet at Harbour Town Golf Links.
He says hes about 85 percent healthy, but was pleased to manage Harbour Towns tiny, quick greens and narrow, tree-lined fairways.
Youve got to be a little bit lucky on the small greens and stuff to hit them all, Cejka said. But I hit good shots today.
Cejkas round took off on the back nine with four birdies on his last seven holes. He made a 37-footer for birdie on No. 12, then punched from under a tree to 15 feet on the 13th hole for another birdie. Another 15-foot birdie putt came on the par-5 15th before Cejkas shot two holes later.
He was thinking lag up for a par. Then I hit a good putt a little bit firm and just hit the hole right in the middle, Cejka said with a smile.
Janzen, who won the U.S. Open in 1993 and 1998, posted his lowest opening round of the season. He had a chip for birdie on his final hole, the ninth, that stopped a foot short of the cup.
It looked like it was going in the hole, but never got there, he said.
Immelman wrapped up a rewarding, pressure-packed year that followed his 2008 Masters win.
He talked about his emotions playing his final few holes at Augusta National, and the bittersweet realization hed no longer carry the distinction as the latest to wear the green jacket.
Immelman loved the respect and accolades that come from winning a major. Yet, he struggled at times after the victory trying to live up to his new profile.
The way I look at it now, I can close the chapter on 2008, Immelman said. It obviously was a breakthrough year for me. Now, I can take all that experience and put it to the test from now on.
Immelman came to his final hole, the ninth, a shot behind Cejka. However, he put his approach shot over the green in a bunker and could not make par.
Weekleys only two U.S. PGA Tour wins have been at Harbour Town in the past two years and he dusted off the form he showed in 2007 and 2008.
Weekley, who chipped in on the 71st and 72nd holes to win here two years ago, did it again, this time from a bunker next to the par-5 second hole for an eagle to move four shots behind Cejka.
However, Weekley couldnt keep the momentum going. Still, it was his eighth score in the 60s in nine career rounds here.
I guess I got some kind of karma, Weekley said.
April 17, 2009
The California Senate has voted to make it illegal to hold events that require participants to speak English in a move prompted by the LPGA Tours English-only proposal.
The womens golf tour wanted last year to require its players to speak English so they could talk with each other and the media, and give acceptance speeches in English.
The LPGA backed off the plan after Sen. Leland Yee and others criticized it as discriminatory.
Yee says the proposal insulted women, minorities and immigrants, and might disqualify the best golfers.
The San Francisco Democrats bill makes such policies illegal in California without a business necessity. It was approved Thursday 21-14 without debate.
The measure now heads to the Assembly.
April 15, 2009
Masters winner Angel Cabrera showed off the newest addition to his wardrobe for the admiring hometown crowd that welcomed him back to Argentina.
Green suits me, Cabrera said on Tuesday, smiling and sporting the Masters jacket he earned as the first champion from South America.
Two days after winning the Masters on the second hole of a three-way playoff at Augusta, Georgia, the man nicknamed El Pato (The Duck) arrived in his hometown of Villa Allende in the province of Cordoba in north-central Argentina to a rousing welcome.
Cabrera also won the 2007 U.S. Open, joining South Africas Gary Player as the only non-American players to win both. Cabrera vowed there was more to come.
With sacrifice and work, anything can be done, the 39-year-old Cabrera said.
Now Im going for the third major and Im not going to stop until I win at least five.
Thirty years ago, he was introduced to golf as a caddie at the exclusive Cordoba Golf Club in Villa Allende. From a humble background, Cabrera was raised by his grandmother and started playing at 15 with borrowed clubs.
Club member Eduardo Romero financially supported Cabrera, allowing him to compete in tournaments in Argentina and abroad and at 20 he turned pro.
Both majors are his only wins on the U.S. PGA Tour, and he has three other wins on the European Tour.
April 15, 2009
When it comes to the LPGA Sybase Classic, nothing seems to upstage Lorena Ochoa.
A year ago, Annika Sorenstam announced her retirement on the eve of the $2 million tournament at the Upper Montclair Country Club.
No sweat. Ochoa offered Sorenstam her own little goodbye, taking command over the final two days to win the 72-hole event for the third straight year.
With the course reminding her of one she plays at home in Mexico, Ochoa said Tuesday she has a shot at winning a fourth straight year. Thats something she has never done since joining the LPGA Tour.
Ive never been in that situation, but like I said before, its more than pressure. Its motivation, Ochoa said in a conference call from Guadalajara. I have the opportunity to do something special.
So, Im just going to enjoy it. Im going to get there with a smile on my face. I know that if I play the way I played, I can be there on Sunday.
While Sorenstam wont be around to challenge Ochoa, the field for the May 14-17 event already includes Michelle Wie and 23-year-old South Korean sensation Jiyai Shin, who currently leads the LPGA earnings.
Ochoa, who has replaced Sorenstam as the face of the LPGA, admits she misses the Swede. However, she believes the competition is not lacking.
I think we are in a great place because there are so many good players, more Americans this year, which I think is good for the LPGA, for the media, Ochoa said. Michelle Wie is back and everybody likes that. Hopefully, she plays better in the next few tournaments. Shes struggled a bit the last couple of weeks.
I dont feel pressure at all. Like I said, Im very motivated, I am at the top and Im going to do whatever it takes to stay there.
Staying on top at the Upper Montclair Country Club has not been hard for Ochoa. The tournament moved here two years ago from Wykagyl Country Club in the northern suburbs of New York City, and Ochoa has owned it.
I feel like home, she said. I love the Northeast golf courses, just old, traditional with a lot of trees. I like the small greens, poa annua greens, the same type of greens that I play here in Guadalajara. It just makes me feel comfortable.
Ochoa has played in five events this year, winning her first start in Thailand and posting three Top 10s. Her 70.16 scoring average is the best on the tour, and her earning of $430,205 is second to Shins $470,895. She is also second to Brittany Lincicome in the race for player of the year.
I can see good things about my game, said the 27-year-old, who has won 25 LPGA Tour events. Ive been practicing hard this season trying to make changes and make a stronger break with my left hand and change a little bit my putting stroke. Im really excited to see that Im going in the right direction.
If there is a concern for Ochoa, its the economy. The LPGA tour lost a couple of events this season. There are only two events in April.
We are looking to get a couple of new sponsors, but its not easy, Ochoa said. I think what we can do is just to really spend more time with our sponsors, trying to support as much as we can.
I believe that the LPGA is very strong, and that we should be in good shape. We are working together and for sure spend more time with the sponsors, thats one of our responsibilities and its going to help our tour.
Ochoa plans to defend her title April 23-26 in the Corona Championship in Mexico. The week before the Sybase event, she intends to play in Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Virginia.
April 15, 2009
Its one thing to navigate the 7,435 yards (6,799 meters) at Augusta National in the final round of the Masters, a harrowing ride of birdies and bogeys with the pressure of a green jacket riding shotgun.
Even more dangerous might be the 100 yards (meters) between the 18th green and the clubhouse.
Thats where Fuzzy Zoeller had stopped toward the end of the 1997 Masters when he jokingly suggested that Tiger Woods not serve fried chicken and collard greens at the Champions Dinner, a quip that ruined his career.
Geoff Ogilvy left the course last year complaining that Augusta National had become too hard.
That walk … when youve had a 74 or whatever, and you walk from the 18th green to the clubhouse, its generally a poor time to get an objective answer, Ogilvy said. If you had asked me half an hour after I finished, I probably would have been a little more politically correct with the answer.
Sergio Garcia closed with a 74 on Sunday.
He almost made it the clubhouse.
Thats when The Golf Channel stopped him for a comment, and Garcia wasnt exactly in politically correct mode.
I dont like it, to tell you the truth, he said. I dont think its fair, and its just too tricky. Even when its dry, you still get mud balls in the middle of the fairway. Its just too much of a guessing game.
Mud on the ball two days after a big storm?
That should sound familiar, for it might be what cost Kenny Perry the Masters. He found a splotch of mud on the side of his ball at No. 10 in the playoff, which contributed to a shot sailing even farther left of the green, leading to bogey. Despite the devastating feeling, Perry never used that as an excuse. He should get a green vest for being gracious in defeat.
Garcia, a passionate Spaniard, certainly is entitled to his opinion. He might not have been alone in his complaint. But when The Golf Channel followed with an appropriate question - What would he like to see changed? - he showed his petulant side.
I dont care, Garcia said. They can do whatever they want. Its not my problem. I just come and here and play, and then go home.
This is not the first tantrum Garcia has thrown at a major.
After shooting a 74 in the second round of the 2002 U.S. Open in a steady rain, he blistered the U.S Golf Association for not stopping play. If Tiger Woods would have been out there, it would have been called, he said.
After losing in a playoff in the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie, he said he was playing against more than just the field, suggesting that he also had to face the golfing gods. I should write a book on how to not miss a shot in the playoff and shoot 1 over, he said.
The difference this time is that he apologized.
And thats a good step for Garcia.
Following my final round at the Masters, I made comments in an interview that I regret and want to apologize for, he said in a statement released by his managers at IMG. Out of frustration, I blamed the golf course instead of putting the blame where it belongs, on myself. I didnt get it done this week. Augusta National is one of the most iconic golf courses in the game and playing in the Masters each year is an honor. I apologize to the members of Augusta National and the fans who rightfully treasure this golf course.
Garcia was the first European to be low amateur in his Masters debut 10 years ago, but he has yet to solve the course. He missed the cut in three of his previous four trips, and his expectations were low.
My putting doesnt feel great, and probably my head is not beautiful at the moment, he said on the eve of this Masters.
But he showed fine form during that Sunday walk to the clubhouse.
If his comments werent strong enough, The Golf Channel followed that with an interview from his archrival, Padraig Harrington, one of the classiest players in the game. Harrington would prefer to have to make pars instead of birdies at Augusta National, but when told of Garcias comments, his first reaction was shared by many.
Im baffled, Harrington said. I think the golf course is fantastic. I like it when its difficult; obviously, it wasnt difficult this week, it was as easy as its ever going to be. But I like the idea that the tournament committee has control of the golf course, the setup, for whatever scoring they want.
I expect to come back in another couple of years and be tested on the other end of things, where par is going to be the winning score, he said. It just shows what a great golf course this is, that they can really dictate how were going to play it.
This from a man who was going after a third straight major championship.
Garcia is still searching for his first one, and his behavior on Sunday under the oak tree raised questions whether that will ever happen. He is No. 3 in the world, and that has nothing to do with math. Garcia has immense talent. Even his adversaries would say that Garcia winning a major is more a matter of when than if.
But the whining has to stop, and the sooner the better.
His next major is the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. The last time Garcia was there, the New York crowd hassled him for constantly regripping and waggling the club. Garcia responded by pointing to them, using the wrong finger.
Seven years later, not much has changed.
April 14, 2009
Shingo Katayama is still quite the showman.
Its just been eight years between performances.
Katayama reprised the carefree style and nifty shot-making - and dont forget the hat - that first got him noticed outside of Japan. He closed an impressive week at the Masters with a 4-under 68 Sunday, the best score among those not making the three-man playoff.
I played better than what I expected, Katayama said through an interpreter, relishing a fourth-place finish that matched his best showing ever in a major championship. I was able to enjoy playing.
Even though he hasnt done much on this side of the Pacific since his breakout at the 2001 PGA Championship, Katayama showed he hasnt lost any of his flair.
He applauded the cheering patrons at No. 2 when they saluted him after a birdie. He doffed his trademark cowboy-style hat and gave a big, swooping bow as he walked up to the 18th green. And when the final putt dropped in, a lengthy birdie that equaled the highest finish ever for a Japanese golfer at Augusta National, he thrust his putter skyward and left with a big smile.
Katayama finished at 10-under 278, two strokes behind Angel Cabrera, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell.
I know that I have a lot of bitter experiences to this point, he said. I think my practice really paid off today.
Katayama got things rolling at the second hole, a 575-yard par-5 that bends down a hill to the green. Getting there in two but leaving himself a tricky putt from 60 feet, he actually skipped the ball along the fringe, then watched it curl back up near the cup for an easy birdie.
There was one little slip - a bogey at No. 5 - but Katayama finished strong with birdies on three of the last six holes. He reached the green in two on the par-5 13th with a 4-iron. He knocked a 7-iron to 12 feet at the tricky 16th hole and made the putt. Finally, after saluting the patrons at 18 with his bow, he rolled in a 20-foot birdie.
It was a great putting line, Katayama said. As long as I could putt it with confidence, I knew I could sink it.
Eight years ago, Katayama had his coming out at the PGA Championship, strolling around sweltering Atlanta Athletic Club as though he didnt have a care in the world. He won over the fans - most of whom had never heard of him - by grabbing a share of the lead heading to the weekend. Even though he couldnt hold on, he managed to finish in a tie for fourth, four strokes behind winner David Toms.
Since then, Katayama hasnt done much outside his homeland, where hes led the money list five times and won 26 events. He qualified for the Masters seven times before this year, but had never shot a score below 70 or finished higher than a tie for 27th.
His eighth trip to Augusta was different. Katayama took advantage of pristine conditions to shoot a 67 the first day. He slumped to a 73 on Friday, but rebounded on the weekend with a 70-68 finish.
Katayama wasnt very long off the tee, but he kept the ball in the fairway and displayed a deft touch with his irons, hitting more greens in regulation than all but four other players. If he had been a little more accurate with the putter, he might had sneaked into the playoff.
Cabrera won the green jacket, beating Perry on the second extra hole after Campbell went out with a bogey on the first.
Katayama did some scoreboard watching on Sunday, but he never quite closed the gap on those up ahead of him. Still, he equaled Toshi Izawas fourth-place finish at the 2001 Masters. No Japanese golfer has ever finished higher than Isao Aoki, runner-up to Jack Nicklaus at the U.S. Open in 1980.
With Katayama and 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa, who failed to make the cut in his first Masters but gained valuable experience, the future certainly looks bright.
Im hoping that Japanese golf, Katayama said, will be coming forward in the world.
April 14, 2009
The first time John Merrick visited Augusta National, he got a lecture from one of the green jackets.
Now hes got an invitation to come back next year.
Merrick shot a 66 on Sunday, giving him low round of the day and an automatic entry into next years tournament. The top 16 finishers qualify, and Merrick finished in a four-way tie for sixth with Tiger Woods, Steve Flesch and Steve Stricker.
Fun day out there, said Merrick, who finished at 8-under for the tournament. I cant wait to tee it up again next year.
Merrick had only been to Augusta National once before his sixth-place finish at the 2008 U.S. Open earned him a trip to this years Masters, but boy, was it memorable. He played college golf at UCLA, and the Bruins came to the Augusta State Invitational in 2004 when Merrick was a senior. All of the teams get tickets for Mondays practice round, and Merrick said he was chastised when a committee member caught him lounging on the ground beside the 18th green.
He said, `Son, you cant be laying down on the grounds of Augusta National, Merrick said. We had a long night out the night before.
Merrick wasnt loafing Sunday.
After playing the front nine at 2 under, he and playing partner Geoff Ogilvy took off on the back nine. Merrick birdied 13, 14, 15 and 16, including making a 20-footer on the 14th hole. Ogilvy went one better, also making birdie on the 17th hole.
Everything was kind of falling. It was fun, Merrick said. Im more than excited about the way I played in my first Masters.
Especially with how brutally Augusta National usually treats rookies.
It often takes players several years to learn the intricacies of the course and get a feel for the speedy, rolling greens. Jack Nicklaus missed the cut in his first appearance, and Tiger Woods didnt break par his first two times here. Fuzzy Zoeller is still the only player to win in his first appearance.
But Merrick, who played a practice round three weeks ago, figured it out remarkably quickly.
I dont know, Merrick said when asked to explain his beginners luck. I tried not to think about that.
Now hell be thinking about making an encore.
Cant wait, he said.
—
EAGLE-EYED: Dustin Johnson has a lot of new crystal.
A spot in the Masters record book, too.
Johnson had eagles on 13 and 14 on Sunday, only the second player ever with back-to-back eagles at Augusta National. Dan Pohl did it in 1982, also on 13 and 14.
I was struggling, Johnson said. It got me going a little bit because I was a little bit down on myself. I definitely wasnt performing as well as I wanted to, and that definitely gave me a little boost, gave me some energy to finish it off.
Players get a pair of crystal goblets for each eagle they make, and Johnson finished the week with four.
Johnson was 6 over for the day when he walked to the tee on the par-5 13th. He actually pushed his second shot, a 5-iron from 221 yards out, and landed 20 feet behind the hole. But he made the putt for the first eagle.
He pulled his tee shot on the par-4 14th and landed in some pine straw under the trees down the left side. Johnson said he knew his second shot was good, but had no idea how good until he saw everyone behind the green jumping up and down.
I knew I made a 2, Johnson said. That was pretty cool.
For good measure, he added a birdie on 15.
Johnson made par his last three holes for a 73. He tied for 30th at 1-under.
—
NO JACKET REQUIRED: The closest Trevor Immelman got to a green jacket this year was putting it on Angel Cabrera.
The defending champion had a 69 Sunday, but was too far back for it to do any good. He was done before the leaders even made the turn and wound up tied for 20th, 10 strokes behind Cabrera.
Today is a different feeling, Immelman said, his eyes watery. Im trying to go out there and shoot as low as I can, whereas last year I was just really concentrating on one shot and just trying to survive out there, really. Its a lot different.
And not nearly as enjoyable.
Immelmans chances of winning a second green jacket all but disappeared with a 74 in the second round. He made the cut - right on the line - but he needed to have spectacular rounds the last two days to have a shot. Instead, he failed to gain any ground Saturday, making only a pair of birdies and giving them back with two bogeys on the last six holes.
Immelman spoke openly over the last year about his struggles to deal with the hype that comes with being Masters champion. Now that hes not, he wishes he could have it back.
I wish I could start over, he said. I feel like Im a better player and a better person for what happened and the things that I learned. Hopefully, I can put all that to a good test for the rest of my career.
—
UP A TREE: Driver in hand, Padraig Harrington was all by himself as he walked back down the ninth fairway to the tee.
Lost? No, but the Irishmans ball was.
Harringtons hard-luck Masters continued Sunday when his drive on No. 9 got stuck in a tree, forcing him to take a penalty and trudge all the way back to the tee to hit again. Only when he got close to the tee box did he realize he didnt have a tee - with his caddie and bag all the way back down the hill.
Fortunately for Harrington, Justin Rose was coming off the eighth green.
I said, `Can I borrow a tee? He said, `As long as you dont mind having the English flag on it, Harrington said.
Harrington hit another drive, then hitched a ride back up the hole with a marshal. He wound up with a triple-bogey 7 after three-putting.
Trees have caused Harrington all sorts of trouble this week, all but killing any chance the British Open and PGA Championship winner had for a Paddy Slam. On Saturday, he hit the same tree twice on the par-5 second hole and ended with a quadruple-bogey 9.
Then came the lost ball Sunday. And that wasnt all. On 15, one of Harringtons favorite holes at Augusta National, his ball hit a tree and ricocheted into the water.
Its good they all happened in one week, he said.
April 10, 2009
Chad Campbell kept pouring in birdies, five in a row to start his round, then four straight on the back nine as the gallery kept up its endless cheering on a day of record scoring.
There were 354 birdies and six eagles. There were 38 rounds under par, half of those in the 60s.
For all those staggering numbers, what made the Masters come to life Thursday was the sweetest of sounds.
The roars returned to Augusta National.
This day was reminiscent of how it used to be, Tiger Woods said. You could go out there on that back nine and make some birdies, and if you caught some good gusts, you could shoot some pretty good numbers.
No one did that better than Campbell.
The quiet Texan led a charge that dispelled the myth that the thrill was gone from the Masters, getting off to the best start in tournament history before two late bogeys forced him to settle for a 7-under 65 and a one-shot lead over Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan.
Woods got into the action, too, running off three straight birdies late in the afternoon until his momentum stalled and he shot 70. Even so, it was his first time to break par in the first round of the Masters in seven years.
And more than 11 hours of action-packed golf gave the tournament the excitement it had been missing for most of the decade.
It is nice to hear some noises again, Sandy Lyle said.
Augusta National cooked up the perfect formula for record scoring - warm sunshine and only a gentle breeze, along with inviting hole locations and greens that were soft and smooth.
They must have felt sorry for us, Campbell said.
Masters chairman Billy Payne had said this year would be an important test to show that supersizing the golf course - it has been stretched more than 500 yards this decade - would not take the birdies out of the Masters.
The weather was ideal, yes, but the club did its part, too, with greens softer than they have been all week and hole locations that allowed players to attack the pins.
The 38 rounds under par - and the 19 rounds in the 60s - both set a Masters record for the first round.
Greg Norman played for the first time since 2002, and the 54-year-old Shark was shocked by all the changes. Even more shocking was that he shot a 70 and was mildly disappointed.
Really could have shot a nice, mid-60s score today, Norman said. Im not complaining.
The average score was 72.25, nearly two shots easier than a year ago and the lowest since it was 72.06 in 1992.
You could tell the way guys were tearing the place apart that … you could definitely go get it, Woods said.
The four-time Masters champion figured that out even before he got to the back nine. If the cheers werent enough, all he had to do was look at the white leaderboards that were filled with red numbers.
Larry Mize, in his rookie year on the Champions Tour, became only the second player over 50 to shoot a 67. The other was Jack Nicklaus, who did it twice.
Shingo Katayama also had a 67, while the group at 68 included 48-year-old Kenny Perry, former Masters champion Mike Weir, Sean OHair and former U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera.
British Open and PGA champion Padraig Harrington opened with a 69, a strong start in his bid to join Woods and Ben Hogan as the only players to win three successive majors.
The Irishman once said Augusta National was among the few courses that could control the scores by how the course was set up, and it was so perfect that he wondered whether the club had more power than he imagined.
They got a nice, sunny day with no wind, he said. Do they have control over that?
The course was only 10 yards shorter than last year, at least according to the scorecard, but the tees were moved forward on several holes, and the pins were in generous spots, where the ball could easily funnel down a slope near the cup.
It is interesting for us and it is exciting for us when there is a buzz like that out there, Harrington said. But definitely, when you hear a lot of cheers around, it makes you a little bit more anxious to be part of that, just a little more urgency to make sure you are making birdies, too.
Thats what made Phil Mickelson so disgusted.
The two-time Masters champion, who has a chance to go to No. 1 in the world with a victory, failed to take advantage of the easier hole locations and made only two birdies in his round of 73.
I drove it terrible, Mickelson said. I played terrible.
A year ago, shooting a 73 would have been a relief on a course that players felt had become more like a U.S. Open. On a day like this, and a course like this, it felt like an opportunity wasted.
Campbell wasted a chance to make major championship history with his incredible opening round.
No one had ever started a Masters with five straight birdies, and Campbell added to that with four straight birdies on the back nine, including an 8-iron that narrowly cleared the bunker at the par-3 12th and settled 5 feet away. Then there was a beautiful pitch to a foot on the 15th that put him at 9 under for the round.
The course record at Augusta National is 63. No one has ever shot lower in any major. Campbell could not help but think of the record, and the gallery was there to remind him.
They were yelling everything, Campbell said. You know, One more. Get to 10. 63. I heard it all. It was good, though.
But he pulled his tee shot on the 17th into the trees and made bogey, then three-putted for a bogey from 40 feet on the 18th. Even so, it was the best opening-round score at Augusta since Chris DiMarco had a 65 in 2001.
Furyk putted for birdie on every hole and was the only player without a bogey on his card.
That doesnt happen very often here, he said.
Woods was late to the party, not making a birdie until the ninth hole and cringing as so many birdie putts burned the edge. But he came to life with a two-putt birdie on the 13th, then a 20-foot birdie up the slope on the 14th, and another two-putt birdie from just off the back of the green on the par-5 15th.
You could tell the way guys were tearing the place apart, Woods said. You could definitely go get it.
He was not the least bit concerned dropping a shot at the end of his day, leaving him five shots behind. Woods has never broken 70 in the first round, yet he still has four green jackets.
And as fun as it was Thursday, no one is sure what to expect over the next three days.
At some stage, you really expect to be tested right to the end of your limits, Harrington said. And sometimes, the last nine holes, they set the golf course up easy. But its somewhere between now and then, and I think youll find that were will be maybe a tougher wind and a tougher day.
April 10, 2009
Every time Tiger Woods opened the Masters with a round of 70, he went on to win the tournament. The first time, a dozen years ago, it was by a mind-blowing 12 strokes. Even though hes five behind after just one day, he has the field exactly where he wants it.
On a picture-postcard day when journeymen and even a 50-year-old were part of the crowd going low, low and lower on every side of him, Woods was unusually calm. He closed this round of 2-under with a few uncharacteristic stumbles, but that didnt seem to fluster him, either.
He missed an 8-footer at No. 16, then a 4-footer at No. 17 for birdies. Next, he deposited an 8-iron from the fairway 50 feet over the 18th green and wound up making bogey. You half expected to see steam blowing out of both ears when he exited the scoring hut.
If I had hit bad putts, it would be a totally different deal, but I hit good putts. It just means, he said evenly, I need to read them a little better.
Why so calm?
Over a golf course where he averages almost 73 on Thursday, it was his best opening round in a half-dozen years. So when someone pointed out that Woods had never broken 70 on the first day at Augusta National, he was rehearsed and ready. His smile widened from ear to ear.
Yeah, he said, fixing the questioner. I also won it four times.
Moments like that are a reminder that Woods had surgery to rebuild his knee, not his confidence.
Its a long week and the weather is going to start changing a little bit here and youve just got to keep patient, stay with it, he added. Its not like I havent been in this position before.
Woods says something like that almost every year, but this time theres a sense he knows more than hes letting on.
The swing he and coach Hank Haney have been fine-tuning for going on five years now looks better than ever, even better than when Woods finished off his latest sublime run by winning the U.S. Open on the 91st hole before going under the knife. The left foot that used to lift off the ground to take some of the stress off his knee now stays firmly rooted to the ground. Hes still susceptible to the occasional blocked drive, but hes also still the best scrambler on the planet.
His drive off No. 2 wound up in a gully, sitting on pine straw, 25 yards right of the fairway. With the TV cameras filling up the bushes behind him, Woods settled into his stance, hit a deft little pitch back to the middle of the fairway and left himself an approach shot of close to 230 yards off a downhill lie.
Anybody who still had questions about whether the knee was strong enough to brace against for a full shot didnt have to wait long for the answer. Woods threw the iron shot up into the sky and the ball stopped 10 feet past the flag like a Velcro strip was attached. Then he missed the putt. It went like that the whole day.
He made a birdie at No. 9 from 3 feet, then two more by tapping in at both of the par-5s on the back. The only birdie putt he made outside a few feet all day came at No. 14, where he sank a 20-footer.
Everyone was making birdies everywhere on that back nine, so I knew it could be had with good shots. Basically, he said, I was in a position to shoot 4-under-par and just didnt get it done.
