Masters Round 1 – Kingston Heath too soft?
November 12th, 2009 by Doogs
Finally the pre-tournament hype is over, and the Australian Masters is underway. Tiger Woods is still the man everyone wants to see, the gallery following him was huge, and rightly so, he put on a show eating up the short par 5s. He did have one blemish, a pulled drive on the 9th (his 18th) gave him a first up view of the teatree, and a bogey eventuated. An effortless 66, sharing the lead with James Nitties and little known Sth African Branden Grace. And to think I even posed the question of whether he would make the cut! Hahaha, he has missed 5 cuts in 100 years!!!!
Of the other notables, Matty Goggin is well placed as is Stuart Appleby. Paz handled Tigers Army well and is 4 off the lead, Pampling and Scott are 5 off the pace. Ogilvy didnt have the best of days with an even par 72.
Post game Tiger commented that the greens were soft and holding the ball almost too well. This doesnt sound like a Sandbelt green! Given the hot weather, has the groundstaff taken the conservative approach and kept the greens watered and avoid the debacle of the 2002 Australian Open at Victoria that saw the green so hard and fast that it was like putting on glass. Would expect the greens to dry out over the weekend, harden up and then if the wind picks up, look out.
Birdie goes to the crowd, huge numbers and from all accounts well behaved. Nice one.
Quadruple bogey goes to Channel 9, firstly for the awful coverage of golf during the Today show, sandpits, golf sticks, plus fours and talk about Tigers Butt, plus daring to mention Tiger Woods and Richard Wilkins in the same sentance. Then an unplayable lie to Channel 9 for going hammer and tong to get the rights to the golf, and not showing Tigers first round live! And a lost ball to Channel 9 for Eddie commentating on the golf, enough! Suffice to say, Im watching Fox Sports!
