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| For Masters openers, Ernie Els’s six-putt 9 is one for the books | For Masters openers, Ernie Els’s six-putt 9 is one for the books |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters tournament has been at Augusta National since 1934, and no one had ever made a 9 on the first hole — until Ernie Els, the easygoing South African and four-time major champion, reached the green in three shots Thursday afternoon and proceeded to experience perhaps the most acute, most cringeworthy case of the yips ever seen on these grounds. | AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters tournament has been at Augusta National since 1934, and no one had ever made a 9 on the first hole — until Ernie Els, the easygoing South African and four-time major champion, reached the green in three shots Thursday afternoon and proceeded to experience perhaps the most acute, most cringeworthy case of the yips ever seen on these grounds. |
| After six halting putts — none of them longer than four feet, and most of them shorter than two — Els walked off the green with a quintuple-bogey 9. The fifth of his six putts was an exasperated one-handed stab from perhaps six inches, which lipped out. Els’s score was recorded as a 10 for much of the day until a review of the hole determined it was a nine. | After six halting putts — none of them longer than four feet, and most of them shorter than two — Els walked off the green with a quintuple-bogey 9. The fifth of his six putts was an exasperated one-handed stab from perhaps six inches, which lipped out. Els’s score was recorded as a 10 for much of the day until a review of the hole determined it was a nine. |
| Afterward, Els struggled to explain what had happened, making reference to “snakes” in his head and suggesting only his respect for the tournament kept him from walking off the course. | Afterward, Els struggled to explain what had happened, making reference to “snakes” in his head and suggesting only his respect for the tournament kept him from walking off the course. |
| “It’s unexplainable,” he said. “I couldn’t get the putter back. I was standing there, I’ve got a three-footer. I’ve made thousands of three-footers. And I just couldn’t take it back. . . . I don’t know how I stayed out there [and finished].” | “It’s unexplainable,” he said. “I couldn’t get the putter back. I was standing there, I’ve got a three-footer. I’ve made thousands of three-footers. And I just couldn’t take it back. . . . I don’t know how I stayed out there [and finished].” |
| The previous worst score on the first hole in a Masters round was an 8, which had happened four different times, most recently by Jeev Milkha Singh in 2007. | The previous worst score on the first hole in a Masters round was an 8, which had happened four different times, most recently by Jeev Milkha Singh in 2007. |
| [Spieth holds two-shot lead after opening round of the Masters] | |
| Els, 46, is less than four years removed from his last major title — the 2012 British Open — but he has struggled since golf’s ruling bodies banned anchored (or “belly”) putters at the beginning of this year. His 2012 win at Royal Lytham and St. Annes came with the anchored putter. | Els, 46, is less than four years removed from his last major title — the 2012 British Open — but he has struggled since golf’s ruling bodies banned anchored (or “belly”) putters at the beginning of this year. His 2012 win at Royal Lytham and St. Annes came with the anchored putter. |
| Amazingly, Els rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt at the fifth hole, four holes after his disastrous start, and finished the front nine at 5 over par — having played even-par golf after the first. He went on to shoot 39 on the back, with more trouble on short putts, for an opening round of 80. | Amazingly, Els rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt at the fifth hole, four holes after his disastrous start, and finished the front nine at 5 over par — having played even-par golf after the first. He went on to shoot 39 on the back, with more trouble on short putts, for an opening round of 80. |
| [Boswell: At Augusta National, the demons hover over every shot] | |
| “It’s the first time ever I’ve seen anything like that,” playing partner Jason Day said. “I feel for Ernie. I’ve known Ernie for a long time now. I didn’t realize he was fighting stuff like that upstairs with the putter. You just don’t want to see any player go through that.” | “It’s the first time ever I’ve seen anything like that,” playing partner Jason Day said. “I feel for Ernie. I’ve known Ernie for a long time now. I didn’t realize he was fighting stuff like that upstairs with the putter. You just don’t want to see any player go through that.” |
| A three-putt bogey at the 18th hole cost three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson a chance at a sub-par round, but at even-par 72, he is in a tie for 21st after the first round, six back of leader Jordan Spieth. | A three-putt bogey at the 18th hole cost three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson a chance at a sub-par round, but at even-par 72, he is in a tie for 21st after the first round, six back of leader Jordan Spieth. |
| “I let a lot of opportunities slide by. Not a bad start. Not a great start. Just a decent start that doesn’t help or hurt,” he said. “We’re going to have difficult conditions for the next three days. There’s a lot of difficult golf ahead.” | “I let a lot of opportunities slide by. Not a bad start. Not a great start. Just a decent start that doesn’t help or hurt,” he said. “We’re going to have difficult conditions for the next three days. There’s a lot of difficult golf ahead.” |
| University of Virginia junior Derek Bard, who qualified for the Masters by finishing as the runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau in the U.S. Amateur, opened with a 76, highlighted by a birdie on the famed par-3 12th hole — one of only six birdies in the first round at that hole, which ranked as the fourth hardest on the course. | University of Virginia junior Derek Bard, who qualified for the Masters by finishing as the runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau in the U.S. Amateur, opened with a 76, highlighted by a birdie on the famed par-3 12th hole — one of only six birdies in the first round at that hole, which ranked as the fourth hardest on the course. |
| “There were a lot of [butterflies], just that walk over to the first tee,” said Bard, 20, a native of New Hartford, N.Y. “It was a little nerve-racking. . . . Just being on the first tee of the Masters, that’s kind of a surreal feeling.” . . . | “There were a lot of [butterflies], just that walk over to the first tee,” said Bard, 20, a native of New Hartford, N.Y. “It was a little nerve-racking. . . . Just being on the first tee of the Masters, that’s kind of a surreal feeling.” . . . |
| [Photos: Defending champ Spieth takes an early lead] | |
| DeChambeau wandered out to the first tee just after 8 a.m. to witness Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus hitting the ceremonial first tee shots. Nearly three hours later, he started his round, paired with defending champion Spieth. | DeChambeau wandered out to the first tee just after 8 a.m. to witness Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus hitting the ceremonial first tee shots. Nearly three hours later, he started his round, paired with defending champion Spieth. |
| DeChambeau, 22, didn’t make his first bogey until the 15th hole and shot an even-par round of 72 to rank as low amateur. | DeChambeau, 22, didn’t make his first bogey until the 15th hole and shot an even-par round of 72 to rank as low amateur. |
| “That’s a memory I’ll never forget — to see Mr. Player and Mr. Nicklaus stripe those shots and start this tournament off,” DeChambeau said. “It’s my first Masters. It’s a special experience.” . . . | “That’s a memory I’ll never forget — to see Mr. Player and Mr. Nicklaus stripe those shots and start this tournament off,” DeChambeau said. “It’s my first Masters. It’s a special experience.” . . . |
| The players in second place — New Zealand’s Danny Lee and Ireland’s Shane Lowry — missed the cut in their only previous Masters. | The players in second place — New Zealand’s Danny Lee and Ireland’s Shane Lowry — missed the cut in their only previous Masters. |