Campbell gets off to historic start
AUGUSTA, Ga. Chad Campbell got off to the best start in Masters history. Larry Mize rolled back the clock to the 1980s. Greg Norman felt the love at Augusta National one more time.
Then there's Tiger Woods, lurking in a very familiar position.
Sure, he botched some easy putts and didn't take advantage of a course there for the taking on Thursday. But Woods has never been a fast starter at Augusta, even while winning those four green jackets, but it's likely he'll be right in the thick of things by the weekend.
"It's a long week," he said. "You've just got to keep patient, stay with it. It's not like I haven't been in this position before."
Indeed, he has.
The first three of his Masters wins were launched with an opening-round 70. And what did Woods shoot Thursday? A 70, of course. In fact, he's never gone any lower on day one, overcoming a 74 to win his fourth Augusta title in 2005.
"We've got a long way to go," Woods said. "The conditions are going to change a little bit, and you've just got to stay patient."
Rest assured, the guys in the green jackets aren't going to let their hallowed course get eaten up the way it was in the opening round. A record 19 players shot in the 60s, including unlikely front-runners like Mize and Todd Hamilton. Another 19 broke par and, yes, that was a record for the first day, as well.
Campbell, who hasn't won on the PGA Tour in a couple of years, blistered the first five holes with birdies, a start unmatched in Masters history. He followed up with four straight birdies on the back side, giving him a shot to equal or break the tournament scoring record.
Alas, Augusta bit back on the final two holes. Campbell failed to get up and down out of a bunker at No. 17, and he three-putted from about 50 feet on 18. Still, a 7-under 65 matched the best opening round of the past 13 years and provided a one-stroke lead over Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan.
"Obviously, I'm happy to be in the lead, but you definitely never want to finish the round with two bogeys," Campbell said. "It kind of leaves a little bit of a sour taste in your mouth."
Mize, 50, the 1987 champion but far past his prime, put up a 67 Thursday, but he quickly suffered a setback when he started today's play with a double-bogey 6 at the first hole.
Hamilton has plunged completely off the charts since his improbable British Open win five years ago he arrived at Augusta ranked No. 373 in the world but he mustered a 68 Thursday day, easily the best round of his Masters career.
Augusta National has gone to great lengths to shield itself against the combined onslaught of stronger, fitter players and the technological advancement in their equipment. Holes were lengthened, trees added, tee boxes shifted around in an ever-vigilant quest to stay ahead of the scoring curve.
It worked, especially the last two years when foul weather made it even tougher to go low. But there was a growing sense the club went too far, wringing all the drama out of its hallowed course by turning it into a survival test, where winning was determined by the fewest mistakes rather than the boldest shots.
Whether they were reacting to all the complaints or simply feeling in a charitable mood, the head honchos at Augusta National set up a course with soft, receptive greens and pin placements that were more inviting than devious. When the day broke warm and sunny, with only the slightest breeze, the birdiefest was on.
"This day was reminiscent of how it used to be," Woods said. "You could go out there on the back nine and make some birdies, and if you caught some good gusts, you could shoot some pretty good numbers."
Expect lots of nostalgia on the course today as Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller play the Masters for the final time.
