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Love
leads Masters after first day AUGUSTA, Ga. — Augusta National wasn't the clear-cut winner everyone expected at the Masters, but it was enough of a brute to make Arnold Palmer call it quits after 48 years.
It was plenty tough for Tiger Woods, too. On what might be the players' easiest day all week on the longer, more difficult course, Davis Love III shot a mistake-free 5-under 67 to take the lead Thursday after one round. Love, who hasn't finished higher than 16th all year, had his best opening-round ever in the tournament, although it wasn't the kind of scoring that typically accompanies such friendly conditions. As for Woods, he has never shot better than 70 in the first round of the Masters. Only this time he was pleased after escaping from a forest of pines to make par on the final hole. “The way the golf course is playing, 70 is a lot better score than it would have been last year,” Woods said. “Even par or better today is going to be a good round.” Woods, trying to become only the third player to repeat as Masters champion, looked as if he might be in great shape when he birdied three straight holes early on and was leading the tournament. He gave them all back — hitting over the green on Nos. 6 and 10 and hitting his tee shot into the trees on No. 14, one of the nine holes lengthened at Augusta. Two birdies on the final four holes put him at the same first-round score as when he won his two green jackets, in 1997 and last year. “I just wanted to shoot even par or better,” Woods said. “It's not one of those golf courses where you can just turn it on. You've got to keep plugging.” |
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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
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