Mickelson’s in Masters, but can’t find the course – The Masters Tournament
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Phil Mickelson, two-time champ, was at Augusta National for the Masters Thursday, but couldn’t find the golf course. On a day when 38 out of the 96 players broke par, Mickelson dug around in the Back 40 and came up with a 73 that, in addition to leaving him 10 off the lead, had him gritting his teeth a little. This was Mickelson’s postmortem:
“I drove it terrible.
“I played terrible.
“Putted terrible.
“But I drove it in spots on the critical holes, like 13 and 15, where I couldn’t go for it.
“No. 11, where there’s a birdie pin for the only time there’s a birdie pin, I drove it in the trees and made bogey.
“The eighth, I drive it in the bunker where I could probably get home. [Saved par.]
“Two, I drove it in the bunker and got away with it. [One of his two birdies.]
“And No. 1, I drove it in the bunker.”
From where he started the day with a bogey.
The good news: “It wasn’t far off. I hit them pretty good.”
The bad: “I just hit it in the wrong spots.”
PERHANCE NOT TO SLEEP – Dutch Amateur
Reinier Saxton, 21, in his first Masters off his victor
y in the British Amateur, joined many an elder in a restless night before his debut. “Didn’t have a great sleep, but that was OK,” he said. “I thought I wasn’t going to have a good sleep. I think I saw every hour of the clock.” He shot a 3-over 75, with three birdies, four bogeys, and a double bogey-6 on the 11th. “Hopefully I can shoot a better score [Friday], he said.
LOOKIING AHEAD, IN SPANISH – Argentina’s Angel Cabrera has done practically nothing since winning the 2007 U.S. Open, but he brightened considerably, opening the Masters with a 68 Thursday. “I shot the ball very well all around, and my putting was with me,” he said. “I made a few putts … within 10 feet, and they gave me confidence.” About his chances here? “Well, winning a major is very difficult, but the most difficult one is the first one,” he said. “So now I’m on to the second one.”
16/18ths HAPPY – Sweden’s Henrik Stenson was spared having to strip down to his shorts to hit out of a water hazard, as he did at the CA Championship a month ago, but did manage to hit two bad shots and bogey and last two holes for a 71. He hit a bad drive at the 17th, and hit over the green at the 18th. “Other than that,” he said, “I’m happy with the day. I managed to break
par for a change. That was my first round under par at Augusta over these three years that I played before.” He has four 72s for low, a 77 for high, missed a cut and tied for 17th the last two years.
NEXT STOP, COMEDY CENTRAL – Someone noted that a 79 wasn’t bad for a 73-year-old who’d already announced this was his last Masters. “Yeah,” Gary Player cracked. “I was just saying I think I retired too soon.” Ba-da-boom – but seriously folks …
“No – it was a thrill for me to break 80 around here,” said Player, who birdied only one hole, the par-5 No. 2. “I can’t reach No. 11 in two, and the par-3, No. 4, is a driver for me. So really, par for me is 80.”
REAL LIFE IN FANTASY LAND – Ken Duke, 40, journeyman pro out of Palm City, Fla., birdied the tough 11th and shot a 1-under 71 in his first round in the Masters. “That’s for my mom,” he said. “She’s out here somewhere today.” His mother had surgery for breast cancer in September.
BOBBY WHO? Golf speaks in reverent tones about Bobby Jones, but not everyone gets it.
Japan’s Shingo Katayama opened with a 5-under 67, by far his best in eight Masters and just two shots off Chad Campbell’s lead, and he went par-birdie-birdie through the storied Amen Corner (11-12-13). To which a member of the press corps offered, “Even Bobby Jones might be surprised to see that happening.”
Said Katayama, through an interpreter: “I don’t know about Bobby Jones. I was just playing my golf, so I can’t tell how he feels.”
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