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Players see red

AUGUSTA, GA. — The message is clear: Never, under any circumstances, question the magic of this place.

All week, people wondered whether the Masters could ever be fun the way it used to be. The course was too long, too Tiger-proofed, the greens too cruel. And, hey, where have those patented Sunday charges on the back nine gone?

When challenged, the good folks at Augusta National hunkered down and made a decision. On Thursday, they would move up the tees. They would place the pins a couple of yards closer. They even asked Mother Nature for minimal winds and temperatures in the 70s. You want excitement? You got it.

“They must have felt sorry for us,” clubhouse leader Chad Campbell said.

The players, as a whole, looked as if they’d been let out of prison after a multiyear sentence. All they wanted to do was score. A Masters record 38 of them shot under par in the first round—the previous mark was 35, set in 1992. Of course, that was back before the event felt like a college exam built around a ‘D’ curve.

“This day was reminiscent of how it used to be,” Tiger Woods said.

From the beginning, it was obvious that retro would be in on Thursday. Larry Mize, the 50-year-old 1987 Masters champion, shot a 5-under par 67. He had finished nearly dead last the last two years.

Campbell, the big burly Texan, set a Masters record by birdieing the first five holes. He would later threaten the course record of 9 under par—he hit that magic number at the 15th hole and had a birdie putt for 10 under at No. 16—but ultimately settled at 7-under 65 and led by 1 stroke.

When Campbell reached 9 under, Woods was just beginning his back nine and found himself at even par.

“I didn’t expect it to be that low,” Woods said. “When we went to the golf course we thought probably 5 (under) would be leading by the end of the day.”

Of all the golfers not to enjoy the pristine playing conditions, Woods was the last one you’d expect to stay reserved. But, playing in his first major since recovering from ACL surgery, he didn’t make a birdie until the ninth hole. It was there, on his way to the No. 10 tee box, that Woods grabbed himself a sandwich and reassessed the situation.

“After seeing the scoreboard,” Woods said, “everyone was making birdies everywhere on that back nine, so I knew it could be had with good shots.”

Woods is not one to panic this early in a major championship—especially the Masters. In fact, Woods had never shot in the 60s in the first round at Augusta National (he’s done it 15 times in the other three rounds). After birdieing Nos. 13, 14 and 15, Woods was suddenly 3 under, 4 back of Campbell with three holes to go. Woods uncharacteristically missed a couple of short birdie putts at the 16th and 17th and bogeyed the 18th, finishing tied for 20th at 2 under.

“You’ve just got to stay with it,” Woods said. “It’s not like I haven’t been in this position before.”

Study the data, and Woods should be just fine with his position. The three other times Woods has shot 2 under on Thursday, he has won the Masters. And, in each of his four victories, he trailed by at least 3 shots after day one (in 2005, he overcame a 7 -stroke deficit).

The other factor working in his favor is that he has won the tournament only when the scores are low (12 under is his highest winning score). If the course remains as playable as it was on Thursday, it should only benefit the best player in the field.

As for his competitors, Woods won’t lose much sleep over their collective Thursday charge.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Woods said.

The players are expecting the conditions to toughen. The weather won’t stay this perfect, and those clever men walking around in the green jackets probably won’t be so kind with the course setup again. But no matter what happens the next three rounds, at least they unlocked the magic once again.

“You still feel like a fan sometimes watching the leader boards,” said Hunter Mahan, who finished tied for second at 6 under 66. “When you see 8s and 9s up there, that’s going to get your attention.”