Couples leads intriguing opening day
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 US Masters | Round One | 09 Apr 2010
An ageless Fred Couples leads the 2010 Masters after day one, continuing his amazing record at Augusta National. His opening round of 66 leaves him with a one shot lead over Tom Watson, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Y.E. Yang and K.J. Choi.
The 50 year old made a record equalling 23 of his first 25 cuts at Augusta National before missing his last two but a superb start to his Champions Tour career in 2010 it seems has given him renewed confidence translating today into his best ever round at Augusta National.
“Today I putted well and that is what I have been doing on the Champions Tour,” said Couples after his round. “I have also been driving it very long and very straight.”
“I was hoping to get to 7 under but I hit the putt at the last a little soft and a little weak but it was a fun day for me. I hit a horrible pull hook on the 10th but got it up and down from the shrubs which was huge. Just to make 5 would have been good. I did hit the ball well however.”
“It was windy early and very tough and when it blew sideways I just wanted to get the ball on the green,” added the leader referring to the fact that the early wind died off to present good conditions over the last hour of his round.
Couples’ only blemish came at the 5th which he bogeyed but in every other respect it was an astonishing performance, scrambling beautifully when he needed to and requiring only 24 putts.
Couples final birdie of the day at the 17th moved him one clear of a group of players who had all played in the morning with two exceptions, K.J. Choi. Choi played in the second to last group of the day with Tiger Woods and so his effort was meritorious in more ways than one.
Woods missed a couple of good birdie chances late in his round but he will be delighted with his impressive return. A round of 68 is his best ever in an opening round at Augusta National and very quickly established that it was ’business as usual’.
Woods recorded two eagles in his round at the 8th and 15th but he missed a great chance for another also from 10 feet at the 13th. The shots to set up those eagles were brilliant but his shot of the day would come at the 9th. His drive found the rough left and he was forced to hit a low ropey hook that carried up onto the green and finished 11 feet behind the hole. He was able to convert and he headed to the 10th at 3 under. He was well and truly back.
“It felt good – really good just to get out there and get into the rhythm of my round and just go about my business,” said Woods after his round. “The reception was just unbelievable and that helped keep my spirits up as I was certainly missing a bunch of putts out there.”
“The golf course could be had a little more today. The tees were up, the only tee that was back was at the 4th and that made the second shots a little easier.”
Special mention needs to be made of the round of 67 by the 60 year old Tom Watson. After his heroics and disappointment when runner up at Turnberry nine months ago here he is back contending in his very next major championship. Watson birdied three of his last four holes top put the icing on what had already been a solid day for the two times champion and three times runner up.
The leading Australian after day one is Adam Scott who started badly with two bogeys in his first three holes but through the middle of his round birdied five of eight holes. He finished with a round of 69, his best start by two in now nine attempts.
John Senden, playing in his second Masters, recorded a round of 71, Robert Allenby and debutantes Marc Leishman and Nathan Green had 72 and Geoff Ogilvy 74.
There are currently 44 players at even par or better suggesting a cut score of perhaps 1 over tomorrow depending on the conditions which at this stage are predicted to be fine. The leading 44 players and ties make it through to the weekend.
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