Garcia’s drama on day one of the Masters

“From Green Jacket to straitjacket.  Never have the hopes of a defending Masters Champion sunk so quickly and so dramatically.” This is how the ‘Daily Telegraph’ so eloquently summed-up Sergio Garcia’s disastrous 13 at the 15th at Augusta National on day one of the Masters.  Yes, your eyes do not deceive you!  The Spaniard hit five consecutive balls into the water on his way to carding an 8-over par on that one hole.  And what is even more remarkable, Garcia says that he didn’t hit a bad shot on the 530-yard par-five.

 

So what happened?  Too much spin on the ball for Augusta’s notoriously slippery-slick greens more than likely.  The nightmare began when his approach shot with a 6-iron did a spin backwards off the green into the water.  He then played his next shot with a sand-wedge from the dropping zone some 75 yards from the green.  The same thing happened – spin, roll backwards, splosh into the water.  And again.  And again.  And again.  In all, an incredible five times.  Every golfer knows that Augusta National can bring even the best of players to his knees, but this was unbelievable!

 

 

“I don’t know what to tell you.  It’s the first time in my career that I made 13 without missing a shot”.

– Defending Masters Champion Sergio Garcia

 

 

When the final ball stayed on the green, Garcia holed the putt for 13 to equal the Masters record for the highest score ever at the 15th.  He signed for an 81 which leaves him with an almost impossible task of making the cut this year.  Unless he has a mighty red-hot putter on Friday, of course.

 

Topping the leaderboard

 

So who is leading the 82nd edition of the Masters?  Jordan Spieth would be a good guess.  And you’d be right.  The 24-year old American, who won his first Green Jacket in 2015, shot a classy 6-under par 66 with five consecutive birdies on the back nine.  The young Texan has a two-shot lead over fellow Americans Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar who both shot 68.

 

Finau, you may remember, had a hole-in-one in the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday and nearly dislocated in his ankle while jumping for joy and running backwards in celebration.  Thankfully he seems to have made a good recovery.  Let’s hope his ankle holds up for the next three days too.

 

Enjoy the thrill of the Masters.  As I told you yesterday, it’s going to be unforgettable!

 

Wendy Hoad

 

 

MAIN PHOTOGRAPH:  Sergio Garcia celebrating his first Masters victory in 2017.