Wednesday Masters Notes
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Art Stricklin
"Amen Corner Live"
For the first time ever, visitors to masters.org, the Tournament's website, will be able to see every golfer play Amen Corner live prior to the start of the daily television broadcast.'
The free service will be available Thursday through Sunday. Approximate web cast times are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Times Saturday will be from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For Sunday's fourth round live Amen Corner action will run from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
"The importance and use of the Internet continues to grow and we think this is another service to our patrons," said Hootie Johnson, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. "The ability to see live action at Amen Corner is something very special."
Drew Does Football
Dallas Cowboy starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe was a Wednesday Masters visitor. He came to see his North Texas State friend Ben Crane play the Par 3 Contest. But by the end of the day, Bledsoe had a bird's eye view of Crane's winning performance in the Par 3 Contest. Bledsoe ended up caddying for his friend who shot 23 over the nine-hole course to win the competition.
Nantz & Golf
CBS announcer Jim Nantz has completed his college basketball duties and said he was eager to concentrate on the 70th Masters.
"I've just been sitting on the practice green getting stories from the players to share on the air this weekend," Nantz said. "This is such a great course and I was here earlier this year (that) I don't need to go out and see the holes. I just wanted to get with the players and see what stories they have about the Masters."
His most unique interview Wednesday was with Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, the second player from his country to play in the Masters Tournament. While he used a translator for the brief interview, Nantz didn't need extra help when he asked Jaidee if playing in the Masters was the highlight of his career. The former parachute trooper in the Royal Thai Army smiled broadly and vigorously nodded his head.
Nantz also said he agrees with Jack Nicklaus that another 46-year-old player could win a Masters title as the Golden Bear did in 1986.
"I was 26 years old when Jack won in 1986 and I thought that was really old," said Nantz, turning back the years. "Now, I'm 46 and it doesn't seem old at all."
Name Game
Arron Oberholser qualified for his first Masters this year and captured his first PGA Tour title earlier in the season. He said the newly found success has had some good and not so good benefits.
"A lot of more people know my name now, but they still have absolutely no idea how to pronounce it," he said.
NFL Moves
Former British Open champion Ben Curtis has a contact to wear the colors of the local NFL team in the town where he's playing. But Wednesday, he seemed a bit challenged geographically. He was wearing the blue and silver of the Carolina Panthers, not the red and black of the Atlanta Falcons.
"I just wanted to rotate with the Panthers today, " Crane said, "but we'll be back to the Falcons soon."
Andrews to Augusta
Chad Campbell is playing in his fourth Masters, but he still remembers the distance from his tiny West Texas hometown of Andrews to the revered Augusta National Golf Club.
"It's still a thrill every time I come here," Campbell said. "It's a long way from Andrews to Augusta."
Faces in the Crowd
Among faces in the crowd was former PGA Championship winners Bobby Nichols and Don January along with past Masters champion Jackie Burke and newly named PGA of America Executive Director Joe Stranka.
http://www.masters.org/en_US/news/articles...4257298063.html
live leaderboard from SI.com
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/golf/pga/...ds/the_masters/
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The Masters Golf
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Posted 06 April 2006 - 04:25 PM
On-song Singh claims Augusta lead
World number two Vijay Singh, the 2000 champion, carded four birdies in five holes to claim the lead after the first round of the 70th Masters.
"The 43-year-old Fijian posted a five-under 67 to pip unheralded American Rocco Mediate, who shot a 68.
One behind Mediate is Augusta debutant Arron Oberholser, a shot clear of four men - Geoff Ogilvy, Phil Mickelson, Tim Clark and Retief Goosen - on two under.
David Howell and Ernie Els are on one under, with Tiger Woods on level par.
Having reached the turn on one under, Singh birdied the 11th, the hardest hole on the course, and followed that with birdies at 13, 14 and 15.
"It wasn't difficult for me to shoot 67 - I left a lot of shots out there"
Vijay Singh
Among the 11 players on one under alongside England's Howell - the best-placed European - and South African Els are 2003 champion Mike Weir of Canada, 1992 champion Fred Couples and two-time Masters winner Ben Crenshaw.
Singh's effort was his best first round at Augusta - he carded a level-par 72 in his Green Jacket-winning year.
"This is one of the better rounds I've played here," Singh said.
"The course was pretty tough from the get-go. I played really good golf. It wasn't difficult for me to shoot 67. I left a lot of shots out there."
The 43-year-old Mediate, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, was delighted with his first-round effort.
There were a few miracles out there
Ben Crenshaw
"It was fun, I had a blast," said the American. "I putted better today than I may ever have putted here.
"It's firm out there and the ball is running. I think the golf course is harder for the longer hitter right now because there's so much trouble out there."
With Singh leading and Mickelson and Goosen in a tie for fourth, golf's "big five" are well represented on the leaderboard.
World number five Els is just four shots behind Singh, while world number one and tournament favourite Woods is only five back after an eventful round of 72.
The 30-year-old had an eagle, two birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey on his card but finished with a birdie at the last and will not be overly concerned about his slow start as he has never beaten 70 in 12 first rounds at Augusta.
Crenshaw, who won here in 1984 and 1995 but has not made the cut at the Masters since 1997, produced a superb display of chipping and putting for his 71.
"There were a few miracles out there," the 54-year-old Texan said after mixing four birdies with three bogeys.
"It's quite a test and one hard course. It's one difficult hole after another. You must hit a long ball here.
"This is definitely a young man's course. But that's where we are with the game right now. We're lengthening courses all over the globe."
Augusta National has been stretched to 7,445 yards since last year's tournament, making it the second longest course in major championship history.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4885280.stm
World number two Vijay Singh, the 2000 champion, carded four birdies in five holes to claim the lead after the first round of the 70th Masters.
"The 43-year-old Fijian posted a five-under 67 to pip unheralded American Rocco Mediate, who shot a 68.
One behind Mediate is Augusta debutant Arron Oberholser, a shot clear of four men - Geoff Ogilvy, Phil Mickelson, Tim Clark and Retief Goosen - on two under.
David Howell and Ernie Els are on one under, with Tiger Woods on level par.
Having reached the turn on one under, Singh birdied the 11th, the hardest hole on the course, and followed that with birdies at 13, 14 and 15.
"It wasn't difficult for me to shoot 67 - I left a lot of shots out there"
Vijay Singh
Among the 11 players on one under alongside England's Howell - the best-placed European - and South African Els are 2003 champion Mike Weir of Canada, 1992 champion Fred Couples and two-time Masters winner Ben Crenshaw.
Singh's effort was his best first round at Augusta - he carded a level-par 72 in his Green Jacket-winning year.
"This is one of the better rounds I've played here," Singh said.
"The course was pretty tough from the get-go. I played really good golf. It wasn't difficult for me to shoot 67. I left a lot of shots out there."
The 43-year-old Mediate, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, was delighted with his first-round effort.
There were a few miracles out there
Ben Crenshaw
"It was fun, I had a blast," said the American. "I putted better today than I may ever have putted here.
"It's firm out there and the ball is running. I think the golf course is harder for the longer hitter right now because there's so much trouble out there."
With Singh leading and Mickelson and Goosen in a tie for fourth, golf's "big five" are well represented on the leaderboard.
World number five Els is just four shots behind Singh, while world number one and tournament favourite Woods is only five back after an eventful round of 72.
The 30-year-old had an eagle, two birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey on his card but finished with a birdie at the last and will not be overly concerned about his slow start as he has never beaten 70 in 12 first rounds at Augusta.
Crenshaw, who won here in 1984 and 1995 but has not made the cut at the Masters since 1997, produced a superb display of chipping and putting for his 71.
"There were a few miracles out there," the 54-year-old Texan said after mixing four birdies with three bogeys.
"It's quite a test and one hard course. It's one difficult hole after another. You must hit a long ball here.
"This is definitely a young man's course. But that's where we are with the game right now. We're lengthening courses all over the globe."
Augusta National has been stretched to 7,445 yards since last year's tournament, making it the second longest course in major championship history.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4885280.stm
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Posted 09 April 2006 - 09:28 PM
Mickelson won.
Over
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Posted 12 April 2006 - 10:54 PM
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! i was watching it and i was hoping Tiger Woods would make a comeback during Round 4 like he always does.... he did but just not good enough... sigh!!!
To be great is to be misunderstood.
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