A day like few others at Augusta National
IN: News | US PGA | US Masters (2007) | Round One | by Bruce Young | 06 Apr 2007
After a day unlike another in recent memory at Augusta, the grand old lady held many of the world’s great players at bay and emerged as the victor, at least temporarily over many of golf’s elite.
The leaders after the first round are Justin Rose and Masters debutante, Brett Wetterich, hardly experienced Augusta National campaigners either of them but to some extent that tells the story of the day and the manner in which the course played on day one.
Since the significant changes to Augusta began in 2002 there has never been a time where the course has played quite as firm and fast as it did today and to a large extent those experienced in this event were not at the same advantage as they might otherwise have been. This was a golf course that played in a manner foreign to all.
Rose has played the Masters on two previous occasions, the last of which in 2004 he also led after the opening round, although that time by two over Chris DiMarco. Today he shares the lead with newcomer to Augusta National, Wetterich, but who has failed to make the cut in his three previous attempts in Major Championships. Wetterich was at Augusta for the first time this week but he displayed a calmness and confidence of a player of much more experience. He won his first USPGA Tour event last year at the Byron Nelson and arrived in Augusta with the confidence of a runner up placing to Tiger Woods at the WGC event two weeks ago.
Rose and Wetterich tee times varied by an hour with Rose the first of the two out at 11.07. Rose was an almost flawless round with three birdies and importantly no bogies on a day where many were racking up high scores. He finished off his round with two great par saves at the closing two holes, the first at the 17th coming after his approach looked all over the flag until running through the back. At the last he again saved par after missing the green.
For Rose it is a satisfying return to competitive golf after being sidelined by a lower back complaint in recent weeks. His decision to take the week of the World Golf Championship off in order to be able to play this week has been well and truly justified.
Rose gained access to the event by being inside the top fifty at the end of 2006, gaining that place by virtue of his victory at the MasterCard Masters at Huntingdale and today he reconfirmed the level he has reached in the game in the last twelve months. His round today was highlighted by some brilliant putting but as Rose explained later sometimes the stats can be misleading. “Sometimes statistics don’t always tell the story. On more than one occasion, I felt like I was 10 or 12 feet from the pin putting for birdie, but on the fringe, in the case of a couple of two putts or a one putt that goes down as a zero putt.” He can’t argue however that he had a good day on and around the greens.
“Certainly my short game was unbelievable today and that is why I managed to shoot such a good score and play a bogey-free round. Up-and-down well, controlled my chips well, managed to control the check and trajectory on them. Also, I put myself in spots where you could up-and-down the ball. Only hitting five greens, my course management was good enough that I was not short-siding myself in impossible positions where you can’t get the ball up-and-down.”
Wetterich on the other hand started with a soft bogey at the par five second before the nerves settled. He reeled off four birdies in seven holes from the 7th but for the second occasion on day one he would bogey a par five when was forced to lay up and was through the green with his third at the 15th. He missed a good chace at the 16th but hit a fine approach at to 12 feet at the 17th and made birdie to rejoin Rose in the lead.
Wetterich was keen to play down the fact that he was a rookie at Augusta and that rookies have often struggled. “I tried not to talk to people like that. I didn’t want to get a lot of negative thoughts in my head, you know, how hard it is to play for your first time here. You know, I got some good advice from people and that was awfully helpful. I got to play with Mr. (Ray) Floyd on Tuesday, you know, and he told me an awful lot about the golf course and little different putts, that in my mind, they have to go right, that are dead straight, just little things like that. He gave me a little bit of a chipping lesson, which was awfully helpful. I played nine holes with Larry Mize on Monday and he gave me a lot of information as well.”
“A couple people also came up to me and said before don’t wear yourself out. Don’t go up there early and play 18 every day because you’ll get worn out. I played just nine holes Monday and Tuesday.”
Rose and Wetterich lead by a shot over David Toms, who has missed the cut in his last three visits to this event and David Howell who has shown by producing top twenties in each of his two visits to this event that he might just go on with his great start.
The pre tournament favourite, Tiger Woods, struggled with his game for much of the front nine holes but such is his competitive nature that he was able to stay in touch with the leaders before dropping shots at his last two holes. He will be bitterly disappointed with his finish but at one over he is still very well placed, especially with an earlier time (10.34) on day two.
While Woods avoided shooting himself in the foot, two of the other leading contenders, Phil Mickelson (76) and Ernie Els (78) were not quite as fortunate. Given that the average score on day one was around 76 they are not yet out of it but it will take a Herculean effort for both and especially Els to work his way back into the event.
At one under and going quietly about his business as he usually does is South African, Tim Clark who was runner up to Mickelson last year. He, Vaughn Taylor, Zach Johnson and Rich Beem are at one under and are in the group of just nine players under par on day one.
Of the Australian Adam Scott fared best with an opening 74 and a reasonable start all things considered. Stuart Appleby and Geoff Ogilvy are at three over 75 with Ogilvy recovering from a horror start when he triple bogeyed the second hole. He is not yet out of it and will take heart from his recovery. Appleby was at five over when he double bogeyed the 10th but recovered well with three birdies and a bogey over the closing six holes to post a respectable score.
Nick O’Hern had 76, Rod Pampling 77 and Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby 79 while New Zealander Michael Campbell had 76.
The cut if all things remain equal tomorrow should fall around 7 over.
It was a day where just hanging in there has paid off for many players and given that the golf course is expected to firm up even further during the next few days then it might just be that we witness the highest winning score since the three under produced by Larry Mize in 1987. If that were to be the case then those players at four over or better are still in this up to their necks.
