Augusta, Georgia – Relaxed as he played his 87th Masters Tour, Tiger Woods chased the Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday with the confidence of someone wandering around his living room in search of his favorite chair, footchair and ship, the cold drink in his hand. The path was so familiar, he could negotiate it in the dark.
Since Woods has won the championship five times and has been one of the leading teams over the past 25 years, it is likely that he has played the golf course in these conditions. It may still break the equality.
Woods, the current champ, was not the leader after Thursday’s first-round match, which was delayed by a three-hour thunderstorm that left dozens of golfers unable to finish their tournaments. With four under 68, Woods was tied for fourth place and three strikes quietly behind Captain Paul Casey.
But Woods’ leadership tour was the loudest statement of the day. It was a year of ups and downs for Woods, but on this day he was composed and never departed from his position in Augusta National Diagram Satanic. It looked like he was in cruise control, as if he could hit 68.
“I did everything well today,” said Woods after his tour.
Every seasoned competitor knows the history of the Masters when Woods has a good opening tour. It’s not true that he won every time he shot 70 or better in the first round. However, this has happened four times. He seriously competed on three other occasions when he ran into two or more below par after day one, finishing fourth twice and sixth once.
When Woods was asked if he was surprised at how well he was doing given his uneven performance during most of this season, he ignored that.
“Understanding how to play the golf course is just a big part of playing well here,” he said. “He is very familiar.”
He knows the area. He can find a TV remote control in his living room darkness, too.
Woods ‘steady playing was a stark contrast to most of the other things that happened during the First Masters’ round that was contested in November. Nothing else seemed normal, the treacherous greenery was wet and sluggish, the colors of spring flowers were missing and the galleries were absent due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
“There were a lot of differences today,” Woods said. There was a drone flying over the Green Zone. You don’t hear drones here. There were no shepherds, no roar. Lots of early adopters today. That’s kind of the way it’s been this whole year. “
Many players had the same feeling of being in an identifiable place, but that has been changed. Zander Shavili hit a superb 67 ball to end the day with a second draw with Webb Simpson, but he looked unsure of what to do from his tour.
“I felt a lot of it was wrong,” said Chaville. “The Greens are really soft, so there’s not much to be afraid of. It was really weird. You’ll play less break on shots and hit them harder, which is something you don’t do here.”
Casey, who had scored 5 in the top ten in 13 previous Masters matches, had made an eagle in the second hole with an approaching shot he was expected to end up over the green.
Casey said, “I got a 6 iron pin into the left pin on the number 2, and you can’t hit that bullet in April.” “Today, I got off and stopped right away. In April, I should have jumped to the shepherds. Maybe I earn five, not three.”
But when it comes to the amusing and unexpected moments in this first round of the Masters, it will be hard to beat the sight of seven golfers, sacks, and high officials in azaleas in search of Bryson Deschambeau’s stray ball.
After starting his tour into the 10th hole, DeChambeau fired his shot at No.13 into the trees and attempted a delicate recovery. Instead, he hung his ball badly and ended up buried in the bush behind the green. Then, in the event that he could not find that ball, Deschambeau hit a temporary shot that landed at Ray Creek, just a short distance from the green.
“I was really worried about finding this ball,” said Deschambeau, who entered the role as the tournament’s favorite. “I would have made a bad number if I hadn’t found it.”
After finding the ball, he declared it non-playable and had to fall off a steep slope. Then he mistook a suspicious chip and ended up making a double ghost. DeChambeau assembled an impressive crowd to end their tour at two below par and stay on the title hunt. But his burgeoning bid, which was expected to outrun Augusta National, ended up being a factor in just a few holes. Also, it didn’t use the 48in driver – the longest allowed – that it was trying.
“My leadership wasn’t great,” Deschambeau said. “You know, this place can bite if I make mistakes. But I am very happy with the patience I showed today.”
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