Scoring, Roars Suffer in Difficult Conditions

Apr 06, 08:49 AM

Current Headlines: By Rick Nolte, The Macon Telegraph, Ga.

Apr. 6--AUGUSTA -- Dean Wilson may be playing in his first Masters, but he still knew something was missing in Thursday's first round at Augusta National Golf Club.

"You don't hear any roars out here," Wilson said.

Gallery roars through the pines are legendary at the rolling course in the tournament's 71-year history, but few are the result of pars, unless they come in spectacular fashion. Masters roars are reserved for all eagles or pivotal birdies, and both were in short supply in Thursday's first round.

"You were happy to make pars out here (Thursday)," said Wilson, who wasn't complaining too much after scoring 15 of them in a 3-over-par 75 that leaves him six shots behind co-leaders Justin Rose and Brett Wetterich, but still tied for 28th in the 96-player field. "It's so tough."

Rose and Wetterich were among only nine players able to break par on the 7,445-yard course, which usually yields at least twice that many and sometimes more in most opening rounds. But this wasn't a normal first round in the season's first major.

The average score for the first round was 76.187. There were only two eagles, and just 208 birdies as Nos. 3, 8 and 13 played below par. By contrast, there were 468 bogeys, 56 doubles and a dozen other scores of triple or higher.

Unseasonably cool temperatures under sunny skies, a measure of wind and greens with tough hole locations put a premium on being precise with approaches or owning lots of nerve on chips and putts.

Only a few players had both most of the day.

"You feel like you have a small bucket to land it in, and if you don't you're going to have a tough putt or chip," said Vaughn Taylor, an Augusta native who had 71.

Added veteran Scott Verplank, whose 73 included four birdies and five bogeys: "It's the fastest I've seen the greens since I've played them here and this is my 12th Masters. Today, par is a good score."

More than a few players would've been satisfied with bogeys -- or in some cases doubles.

Masters rookie Casey Watabu had the highest of those "others" when he made "8" on the par-3 12th. Johan Edfors was next with "8" on the par-4 11th.

"There are no easy holes out here," said Davis Love III, who managed par by making 10 pars, four birdies and four bogeys.

Added Augusta native Charles Howell III, who was among those at 75, "Every shot is such a grind around here."

Rich Beem figured his 71 in Thursday's conditions would've been worth a handful of shots in anything but a major.

"I'd certainly be in the mid-60s on a regular Tour course," said Beem, who had one of the day's two eagles. "That (Thursday) was about all we could handle."

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