Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley in issuing his support for rolling back the golf ball said he did not wish to “turn back time.” Day one of the Masters got underway in picture perfect conditions and the early hours saw some golden oldies roll back the years on a golf course that plays significantly longer than in their respective heydays.
The rumour mill was rife in the Press Building that this might be the last time six-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus takes part as an honorary starter, this was an opinion more from colleagues of my own age who can’t even see our day of reckoning in the rearview mirror. Although in fairness to us, Nicklaus looked shook just six weeks after carpal tunnel surgery.
90-year-old Gary Player makes sure to spring onto the first tee box before Nicklaus and Tom Watson and does his usual kung fu kick after his drive. Next up is Nicklaus (86) who shuffles up to the ball which had been ted up for him by his caddie and manages to manfangle a swing that sends the ball straight left off the heel, but as they say Stateside ‘that’ll play.’
Nicklaus is grey, his left eye bloodshot, but he is still quick with the wit and provides the collective hums of laughter. But while Player manages to defy his age, Father Time has a firm grip on Nicklaus who was unable to bend down to pick up his tee, leaving it in the ground for Watson.
Watson reduces the average age significantly at a tender 76 and he gives the ball a significant thud that suggests there’s plenty of life left in him.
The trio gave an impassioned plea for the golfball rollback, scheduled for 2028, to commence. But with day one still in its infancy some of the greats of Masters past stood up to be counted, briefly defying the challenges of modern golf.
In a world where players can drive par fours and often have short irons or even a wedge into par fives, golf courses are having to be lengthened to keep up with modern driving distances leaving some iconic venues, like the Old Course for example, in danger of being obsolete. Mr Player dropped a fantastic one liner for those of us who are of the ‘some of the best holes are the shorter ones’ brigade – of which I am the President.
According to the South African and three-time Masters winner, the par-3 12th at Amen Corner is a piece of architecture genius and he described it as: “That’s an 8-iron, and it’s crippled more people than polio.” The press room was awash with laughter.
Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal was one of the great if incomplete stories of the morning. The 60-year-old has made the cut just twice since 2014 as the length of the golf course passes him out. He had spoken about how he hits woods into several of the par fours and can’t reach a couple. But for a brief time he stood alone at the summit of these old scoreboards and was bogey-free for 13 holes – the longest streak of the day. He was schooling 21-year-old Aldrich Potgieter and 26-year-old Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen who shot rounds of 84 and 77 respectively.
Unfortunately, the fairytale came to a crashing halt as he dropped a shot on the 14th before taking a seven on the par-5 15th and a bogey on the par-3 16th as he settled for a 74, still very respectable and could give him a fighting chance of making the cut.
Boom Boom Freddie Couples continues to be a fans favourite and after back to back birdies (at the time of writing) to start his round the 66-year-old 1992 champion might fancy making his second cut in eight years. Perhaps a firm and fast Augusta gives him a chance.
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