AUGUSTA – At 7:40 a.m. tradition was served at the Masters – like, when is it not? – as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player took their ceremonial tee shots and thus signaled the start of the 78th edition.
Once again, they will have the low score of the week – each took their “1” and picked up.
“I think Jack out-drove me by a yard or two, but it’s not bad when you think he used to outdrive me by 50,” Player said.
Right behind the titans, in the first competing group, was Duluth’s Stewart Cink, on his final year of an automatic Masters invitation (for his 2009 British Open victory). He was coasting along nicely at one under until a double bogey on 14. He finished the day at one-over 73.
Seizing the top of the leaderboard was a Masters first-timer, Jonas Blixt, a Swede by way of Florida State. Blixt blitzed the front nine in three-under 33, and was three under through 15 holes. Sharing the early lead was Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Mild temperatures and little wind greeted the morning groups, beckoning them to try to go low. Few were taking advantage of the opportunity. Among them was 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, who started birdie-birdie-birdie.
Among the first-day curiosities will be the fates of the first father and son to play in the Masters. That was going about how you’d expect in our youth-oriented culture: The son, Kevin Stadler, was 2 under after 15 holes while his father, 1982 Masters champ Craig, was struggling mightily — eight over after 12 holes. Former two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw bogeyed five holes in a row on the front nine and was headed for a big number.
About the Author
