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AUGUSTA, Georgia – Comfortable as he made his 87th round at the Masters, Tiger Woods tracked down Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday with the self-confidence of someone strolling through his living room in search of his recliner, favorite stool and coaster, for the cool drink in his hand. Plan by plane, the path was so familiar that he could have negotiated it in the dark.
Because Woods has won the tournament five times and has been a Masters game for the past 25 years, it is possible that he played golf under these conditions. And probably still broken.
Woods, the reigning champion, was not the leader after Thursday’s first-round game, which was delayed by a nearly three-hour thunderstorm that left dozens of golfers unable to complete their sessions. With a four under par of 68, Woods was tied for fourth and quietly three strokes behind leader Paul Casey.
But Woods’ round of command was the strongest statement of the day. It’s been a year of ups and downs for Woods, but that day he was made up and hardly ever out of position on the evil Augusta National track. It almost looked like he was on cruise control, like he could roll towards a 68.
“I did everything right today,” said Woods, who is not inclined to self-congratulate himself after his turn.
Every other seasoned contender in the field knows Masters history when Woods has a good first round. It is not true that he won every time he shot 70 or better in the first round. This has happened four times, however. He played in earnest the other three times he was two or more under par after matchday one, finishing fourth twice and sixth once.
When asked if he was surprised at the quality of his game given his patchy performance for most of this season, he shrugged.
“Understanding how to play on this golf course is just a big part of playing well here,” he says. “It’s so familiar.”
He knows the territory; he could also find the television remote control in the dark of his living room.
Woods ‘consistent play was a stark contrast to almost everything that went on in the Masters’ first round never played in November. Nothing else looked usual, with the typically treacherous wet and slow greens, spring floral colors missing, and galleries missing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“There were a lot of differences today,” said Woods. “There was a drone flying over the green. You don’t hear drones here. There were no customers, no roars. Lots of premieres today. It’s kind of how this entire year has been.
Many players had the same feeling of being in a recognizable, altered, place. Xander Sc Chaudele shot a brilliant 67 to end the day tied for second with Webb Simpson, but he didn’t seem sure what to do on his turn.
“A lot of things looked wrong, in all fairness,” ScHotele said. “The greens are really soft so there isn’t much to worry about. It was really strange. You would play less break on the putts and hit harder, which you never do here.
Casey, who has had five Top 10 seedings in 13 previous Masters games, made an eagle on the second hole with an approach shot he expected to end on the green.
“I hit a 6 iron against a left pin on the No 2, and you can’t hit that shot in April,” Casey said. “Today he just started and stopped instantly. In April, he reportedly jumped on customers. I’m probably doing five, not three.
But when it comes to entertaining and unforeseen moments in this first round of the Masters, it would be hard to beat the sight of seven chest-high golfers, caddies and officials in the azaleas in search of Bryson DeChambeau’s wayward ball.
After starting his round on the 10th hole, DeChambeau hit his tee shot at number 13 in the trees and attempted a delicate rebound. Instead, he hooked his ball badly and it ended up buried in the bushes behind the green. Then, in case he couldn’t find that ball, DeChambeau hit a provisional shot that landed at Rae’s Creek, short of the green.
“I was really worried about finding that ball,” said DeChambeau, who entered the round as the tournament favorite. “I would have made the wrong number if I hadn’t found it.”
After finding the ball, he declared it unplayable and had to fall down a steep slope. He then knocked over a risky chip and ended up doing a double bogey. DeChambeau rode an impressive rally to end his round two under par and stay in the title race. But his booming workouts, which were to dominate Augusta National, ended up being a factor on just a few holes. Also, he didn’t use the 48-inch speaker – the longest allowed – that he had experimented with.
“My driving was not great,” said DeChambeau. “You know this place can bite you if you make mistakes. But I am very happy with the patience I have shown today.
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