Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama: the leading amateurs in the Masters field– Golf News
The two amateurs, Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama, among the six participating in the Masters Tournament, have performed impressively in the opening round at the Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday, April 5, 2012.
Both of them were the leading amateurs after carding one-under par 71 each to tie for the 14th position on the leaderboard.
Cantlay carded a total of four birdies against three bogeys. On the other hand, Matsuyama was one behind in scoring each of the birdies and bogeys.
The other amateurs participating in the first major event of the year include Kelly Kraft, Corbin Mills, Bryden Macpherson and Randal Lewis.
For the last two years, only two amateurs have succeeded in making the cut in the Masters. From 2005 to 2009, not a single amateur managed to make the cut.
This year, the story is looking totally different. Currently, there are five players who are in a position to successfully make the cut, as both Kraft and Mills have two-over par finishes and Macpherson is at five-over par.
Lewis is the only player who is way behind on the leaderboard because of a nine-over par 81.
Therefore, the top five can make it to the final two rounds if they keep on performing consistently in the second round too.
“It shows that some of us amateurs can play,” said Mills, a Clemson junior and winner of the U.S. Amateur Public Links. “I know all these guys, and I know all of them are really good players”.
Cantlay believes that he will make it to the final 36 holes while playing his natural game.
He said that most of the amateurs fail in making the cuts in professional tournaments because of the pressure events exert on them.
“I didn’t really have any expectations out there,” Cantlay said. “I just tried to go out there and do my best. But yeah, I’m pleased with a 1-under”.
“It was playing tough today, there were a bunch of mud balls and the winds were swirling. It could have been a bit better – I left a few out there, I three-putted twice – but it was pretty good”.
This year, Matsuyama is the only player to make his appearance for the second time. All the other amateurs are making their debuts at the Augusta National field.
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