Debutantes impress on day one at Augusta
IN: News | US PGA | US Masters (2005) | Round One | by Bruce Young | 08 Apr 2005
When darkness brought play to a halt at 7:25pm (US time) on day one of the 2005 Masters, only 24 of the 92 players had completed round one. The last group out from the first tee at 4:00pm still had eight holes to play and so when the balance of the field returns tomorrow morning to complete round one, much can still influence how the leaderboard will stand prior to round two.
With rain delaying play for more than five hours on day one, a decision was made to use both the 1st and the 10th tees in order to get as much play completed before darkness fell. The rain certainly softened what had to that point been a fiery golf course and while the conditions were not easy, they were certainly easier than would have been the case if the rain had not arrived.
One player who won't be affected is the Australian Mark Hensby who, on debut at Augusta, has made the near perfect start to his Masters career.
Hensby is the clubhouse leader, if not the tournament leader, at present and at three under he has a three shot lead over the next best players to complete their rounds including Jonathan Kaye, Casey Wittenburg and David Howell. Hensby's only mistake came at the par five 8th where he took bogey but that apart he was particularly impressive on debut. His two late birdies will have him rejoicing because he has not only produced such a fine first competitive round at Augusta, but also because he is finished round one and can therefore be more structured in his routine tomorrow.
The overall leader is Chris DiMarco, who has once again shown his affinity with Augusta and has an opportunity to lead the first round of the Masters as he did in 2001. He opened with a bogey at the difficult par four 10th but then birdied the par five 13th and 15th before reeling off three consecutive birdies to start his back nine. With four holes to play he still has, despite the fact that he is not a long hitter, a potential birdie at the par five 8th to ponder and the possibility of extending the lead. That is however for the future and as he relaxes tonight he will be well satisfied with the manner in which he finished off his day after an early bogey.
Also sharing three under with Hensby is yet another debutant in the brilliant Luke Donald, although the Englishman still has four holes to play. Just prior to play being called, Donald had birdied three of his last four holes so to some extent he will be disappointed that the momentum was brought to a halt by the cessation of play.
Yet another first timer here, Ryan Palmer took the early lead on his own when he birdied the 15th to go to three under but bogeys at the 18th (his 9th) after a poor drive and another at the 2nd after his approach flew the green, saw him slip back before a birdie at the par four 7th has him back within two. He still has the par five 8th to play on recommencement.
Others at two under include the heavyweights, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen and Stuart Appleby. Appleby led briefly at three under after a beautiful birdie at the 9th. A bogey at the 10th has him back at two under but this is an encouraging start for the Australian who has struggled at Augusta previously.
So two of the big four, Mickelson and Singh, have made good starts but what of the other two.
Woods bogeyed his second hole (the 11th) and then after a beautiful iron second shot which he drew around the trees and onto the par five 13th, he was faced with a treacherous downhill 50-foot putt for eagle. Almost unbelievably he hit that putt on an aggressive line and as it ran past the cup it appeared to be running a long way past. How far past? Well so far that it ran down off the front of the green some twenty feet from the hole and then down the hill into the water. He took a penalty and putted it again from the same spot and this time gave the putt more borrow and a lot less pace and he managed an excellent two putt, given the circumstances, for bogey. He two putted the 15th after finding the green from the rough to get back to one over but a bogey at the first (his 10th) now has him at two over with still six holes to complete of his first round.
Ernie Els appeared out of sorts from the start with three bogeys in his first seven holes, the only highlight coming at the 17th (his 8th) where he chipped in for a birdie to stop the rot. It reappeared at the next however with another bogey and although, given the nature of this event, he is hardly out of it, he is already giving some high quality players a start they cannot afford to be given.
Of the Australians, aside from Hensby and Appleby, yet another first timer in Nick O'Hern made a great start with two birdies early before bogeys at the 7th and 12th holes had him back at even par but still in good shape with five holes to play.
Adam Scott opened with at birdie at the 10th hole then two birdies in the next five holes, including one for six feet at the dangerous 12th had him at one under and going well. At his 10th hole, the par four first of the course, however he caught the fairway trap with his tee shot and he then caught the lip on the way out and left it in there. The resultant double bogey saw him slip to one over but he was back at the next with a birdie at the par five and at even par with seven holes to play he has made a solid start.
Rod Pampling will be satisfied with his first effort at Augusta with an opening 73 but it could well have been better. A bogey at his 17th hole, the par five 8th, was a disappointment for one of his length but he has made a good solid start and importantly has completed his day.
Craig Parry, as we have come to expect from him, is battling away at one over and with five holes still to play he has a chance in the morning to perhaps improve on that position.
Peter Lonard is at two over after being out in even par. Bogeys at the 10th and 11th holes saw him slip back and he did not birdie the 13th. He recommences at the par five 15th tomorrow so he still has a chance to improve before he completes his round in the morning.
Robert Allenby opened with two bogeys and was on the back foot from there. After finding the green at the par three 16th (his 7th), he putted up to three feet. He rammed that putt at the hole, it missed and before he knew it, he had a 30 footer for bogey. To his credit he then reeled off eight pars to remain at four over but he will need something special from this point on to be around come Saturday.
And so day one, if not round one, has drawn to a close. There is an interesting mixture of Augusta experience and inexperience at the top of the leaderboard to date. It is however very early in the piece. In racing parlance the field has really only just left the gates. This is not an event for sprinters but for those who are peaking when the field hits the straight on Sunday.
Photo - Anthony Powter
