Fred Couples leads, Tiger on track at Masters
Tom Watson recently predicted that Fred Couples would win the Masters this week. The veteran himself didn't reveal that he'd be among those pressing the Champions Tour leader for supremacy after the first round, but that's how things went down at Augusta yesterday.
While Tiger Woods blithely picked up where he left off - did anyone really think the world No. 1's game would have fallen to pieces? - he couldn't topple the leaders, finishing four-under-68 (his best opening round at Augusta). But though the eyes of the world remained understandably locked on Woods, it was the old guard who really deserved the plaudits after some outstanding play.
Couples glided nonchalantly around the pristine Augusta National course, coming home six-under-66 despite gusty conditions that became increasingly noticeable as the day progressed. The 50-year-old hit seven birdies and a bogey on the fifth to overtake then joint leader Watson, who himself has found a new lease of life at the majors since his showing at the Open last Summer, when he lost in a play-off to Stewart Cink.
Many observers - indeed, Watson himself - had suggested that the length of Augusta would prevent the 60-year-old from posing a real threat here. But he hit a flawless round of five-under-67, leading for much of the day before Couples’ show-stopping performance saw the older man in joint second place with South Korea's KJ Choi and YE Yang, England's Lee Westwood and world No. 3 Phil Mickelson. Indeed, in 40 years at the Masters, this round equalled Watson's lowest ever. Westwood was in fine form too, his seven birdies and two bogeys making for the 36-year-old's best round at Augusta in 11 visits.
A shot behind on four-under-68 were Americans Nick Watney, Ricky Barnes, Anthony Kim and Tiger Woods, and England's Ian Poulter. Under the circumstances, the state of Woods' game was foremost in many observers’ thoughts, and the 34-year-old's ability to hit a ball seems to have diminished not a jot in the last few months. At the first tee Woods was well received by the crowd, and duly hit his opening shot safely onto the fairway; as the day progressed, familiar cries of "get in the hole!" rang out, the crowd perhaps more boisterous than usual.
The 14-time major winner's game was possibly more erratic than we've become used to though, eagles on the 8th and 15th balanced with bogeys on the 7th, 10th and 14th. But at times, Woods' game seemed almost as immaculate as his reputation used to be, a great draw shot on the ninth seeming to find the green with laser-guided precision.
Away from Woods' ominous display, there were more elder statesmen in the mix too, with Scotland's Sandy Lyle a shot further back on three-under, and Germany's Bernhard Langer on one-under. Ernie Els was second-favourite going in to the competition and he remains in with a shot, also on one-under, though it could have been better, the South African carding a double-bogey on the 18th.
At 16 years old, Italy's Matteo Manassero is the youngest competitor in the history of the tournament, and the amateur more than held his own, coming in one-under-par. Another promising teenager, the Japanese 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa, came home even after seeing each of his five birdies wiped out by a similar number of bogeys.
Defending champion Angel Cabrera could only finish one-over-par after carding a double bogey on the 13th, while the much fancied Northern Irish youngster Rory McIlroy finished two-over after making four bogeys. McIlroy has endured a difficult few months with a series of anonymous performances, but the 20-year-old felt he played some decent golf yesterday - he just didn't get the breaks.
Padraig Harrington had a similarly disappointing start, carding three bogeys and a double bogey to finish two-over-par. And Paul Casey hit a triple-bogey on the 15th and a double on the 18th to see his earlier hard work go south after racking up five birdies; the Englishman ended three-over-par.
But if Casey's challenge looks to be over before the second round begins, England's Poulter and Westwood are each well positioned to fight for their first major. They just might find themselves having to overcome some wilier, more experienced opposition to do so - and we don't necessarily mean Tiger Woods.
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