AUGUSTA – One by one they trudged off the ninth and 18th greens, most of them wearing the beaten look of defeat and facing the horror of more abuse to come. Mother Nature tortured the world’s best golfers with rain for most of the week – now Augusta National was adding to their misery with its exhausting distance and maddening greens.
It would have been challenging enough to play 18 holes of major-championship golf as difficult as this storied course was playing yesterday. The prospect of surviving 36 holes on the opening day of the 2003 Masters amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. Though only 18 of 93 players would complete the first two rounds, all will wake up today with soreness in their body and mud on their shoes.
“This is as tough as I’ve ever seen it,” said 1971 winner Charles Coody, playing in his 37th Masters. “It’s the toughest I’ve ever seen it because of the distance and because of the conditions.”
Golfers are accustomed to playing in pristine conditions, but 4 inches of rain throughout the week, combined with a see-your-breath chill during the morning round and a tricky wind in the afternoon, turned the most personable golfers into a group of grumpy men.
Few players had the time to chat between rounds as they hustled to change clothes and grab a quick bite before heading out for more abuse.
“I’m going to play it safe and not say anything,” grumbled normally chatty Scott Hoch, who shot 77-73 and likely will miss the cut.
Players of all skill levels were tortured, including Tiger Woods. His attempt to win an unprecedented third straight Masters was put in peril with an opening round of 4-over-par 76. In his 37 PGA Tour victories, including eight majors, Woods never shot worse than 72 in the opening round.
Woods wasn’t the only player to struggle in the morning chill. Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard each shot 82. David Duval, Ernie Els and Fred Funk shot 79. Davis Love III shot 77, one behind Woods, whose first round lasted 5 hours, 40 minutes. Jack Nicklaus, playing in the Masters after a one-year absence, shot an 85, his highest round ever at Augusta National.
For the older past champions, rescinding the age-65 limit was more a curse than a blessing. Arnold Palmer, age 73, managed an 83; Tommy Aaron (age 66), gutted out a 92-80; and Coody (age 65), an 83-81. With club chairman Hootie Johnson all but demanding each competitor play at least 36 holes, the old guard wasn’t about to quit.
“I’d like to keep going,” Coody said after his first 18 holes. “I’m afraid if I sit down, it’ll be hard to get up.”
The elements were as difficult for those watching the golf. Standing water, thick mud and slippery slopes made for treacherous conditions. Men walked with their pants pulled up by the pockets and ladies abandoned their normal fancy footwear.
Tiki Barber, one of the patrons here today, makes his living rolling around in dirt. But the Giants running back, attending his first Masters, also had trouble keeping his footing. “This is a mess,” Barber said. “It’s hard to walk.”
Admitted Brad Faxon: “It’s better inside the ropes than outside the ropes.”
Conditions should be more comfortable today, even for Martha Burk and her protesters, who will be confined to a field about a half-mile from the gates.
After completion of the protests and the second round today, the tournament should return to normal, something it hasn’t been all week.
***
Masters
Play was stopped before all golfers could finish the second round.
Player // To Par // Through
Mike Weir // -6 // 3 *
Darren Clarke // -4 // 10
Phil Mickelson // -2 // 11
Ricky Barnes // -1 // 1 *
Brad Faxon // E // 17
Paul Lawrie // E // 11
David Toms // E // 11
Vijay Singh // E // 4 *
14 players tied at // 1
* started round on Hole No. 10
