This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/sports/golf/masters-jordan-spieth-jason-day.html

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Nostalgia at Augusta Goes Back a Year as Jordan Spieth Takes the Early Lead Ah, Those Augusta Memories (of 2015): Spieth Races to an Early Lead
(35 minutes later)
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Nostalgia had its moments on the first morning of the Masters on Thursday.AUGUSTA, Ga. — Nostalgia had its moments on the first morning of the Masters on Thursday.
Arnold Palmer — frail but still game — made it back to the first tee at Augusta National Golf Club at age 86 even if he did not take a swing, opting to watch from a chair as his fellow honorary starters, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, made their ceremonial tee shots.Arnold Palmer — frail but still game — made it back to the first tee at Augusta National Golf Club at age 86 even if he did not take a swing, opting to watch from a chair as his fellow honorary starters, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, made their ceremonial tee shots.
“To come here today and to be on the tee, with Arnold being a part of us, it was gratifying and sad, because everything shall pass,” Player said. “To come here today and to be on the tee, with Arnold being a part of us, it was gratifying and sad, because everything shall pass,” Player said more than a little poignantly.
Once the first round was underway, Tom Watson, playing early and playing in his final Masters, birdied the third hole. He will forever be able to say he held a share of the lead at age 66. Once the first round began, Tom Watson, playing early in his final Masters, birdied the third hole, and he will forever be able to say he held a share of the lead at age 66.
But youth soon asserted itself as the defending champion, Jordan Spieth, cranked back the clock — if only a year — and resumed his mastery of the lush and historic course that made him a star. But youth soon asserted itself as the defending champion, Jordan Spieth, cranked back the clock — if only by a year — and resumed his mastery of the lush and historic course that made him a star.
Spieth’s deliberate and very resourceful opening round of 66 gave him the first-round lead in at six under par, with the sun shining and an often firm breeze blowing at the place Augustans simply call the National. Spieth’s deliberate and resourceful opening round of 66 gave him the first-round lead at six under par, with the sun shining and an often firm breeze blowing at the place Augustans simply call the National.
Danny Lee, a 25-year-old from New Zealand who had not played the Masters since missing the cut in 2009, was two shots back with a 68. He was tied with Shane Lowry, a bearded 29-year-old Irishman who was five under on the front nine. Danny Lee, a 25-year-old from New Zealand who had not played the Masters since missing the cut as an amateur in 2009, was two shots back with a 68. He was tied with Shane Lowry, a bearded 29-year-old Irishman.
“I’m just very pleased with it,” Spieth said of his 66. “I put it up there with one of the best rounds I’ve played, one of the best rounds I’ve scored.” “I’m just very pleased with it,” Spieth said of his 66. “I put it up there with one of the best rounds I’ve played.”
Spieth tied for second in his first Masters, in 2014, and led from wire to wire in 2015, finishing with a record-tying 18-under 270.Spieth tied for second in his first Masters, in 2014, and led from wire to wire in 2015, finishing with a record-tying 18-under 270.
Thursday’s poised performance means that he has now gone wire to wire to wire, which is quite a coup given all the life changes and pressures that great and precocious success can generate. But Spieth, only 22, did not play as if he were carrying the burden of last year’s breakthrough over the undulating terrain of what is understandably at this stage his favorite course. Thursday’s performance means that he has now gone wire to wire to wire, which is quite a coup given all the life changes and pressures that precocious success can generate. But Spieth, only 22, did not play as if he were lugging the burden of last year’s breakthrough over the undulating terrain of what is, understandably, his favorite course.
After setting a Masters record with 28 birdies in 2015, he produced six in the first round this year with nary a bogey to clutter up his scorecard or his sense of manifest destiny. After setting a Masters record with 28 birdies in 2015, he produced six in the first round Thursday with nary a bogey to clutter his scorecard or his sense of destiny. His 66 tied him with José María Olazábal for the best opening-round score by a defending Masters champion.
World-class scrambling and putting were required, however, as Spieth managed to escape with pars from compromised positions on the fourth, the 11th, the 12th, the 14th and the watery par-3 16th, where — in a sequence that reflected his round — he missed the green, made a perilous chip downhill and holed a midrange putt to save his 3. World-class scrambling and putting were required, however, as Spieth escaped with pars from compromised positions on the fourth, the 11th, the 12th, the 14th and the watery par-3 16th, where — in a sequence that summed up his round — he missed the green, made a perilous chip downhill and then coolly holed a midrange putt to save his 3.
“With these conditions and a western wind, it makes these holes very challenging, a lot of into-the-wind shots,” said Spieth, who shot a 64 in last year’s opening round. “I hit the ball in some tough spots: No. 1, No. 4 and No. 16. Those chips and putts were key to a no-bogey round.” Spieth shot 64 in the opening round of last year’s Masters.
“To be honest, I think the round today, in my opinion, may have been better than the first round last year even though it was two strokes better,” said Spieth, citing Thursday’s challenging conditions. “To be honest, I think the round today, in my opinion, may have been better than the first round last year even though it was two strokes better,” Spieth said, citing Thursday’s challenging conditions.
“It plays with your head a little,” he said of the wind.“It plays with your head a little,” he said of the wind.
It has not been an all-conquering start to 2016 for Spieth, but on Thursday he appeared to have recovered his putting touch at just the right moment. It has not been an all-conquering start to 2016 for Spieth, although he might argue that his one missed cut this season has warped some perceptions.
Not all former major champions could say the same. In one of the more excruciating moments in recent Masters memory, Ernie Els required six putts to complete the first hole, even though the first of those putts was from short range. Els ended up with a rare quintuple-bogey 9 that was at least an improvement on the sextuple-bogey 10 that he was credited with initially by the Masters’ live-scoring unit. It was not corrected until Els finished his round. “I’m still trying to figure out why people think I’ve been struggling,” he said.
Rickie Fowler did not have to suffer through anything quite that agonizing, but the 27-year-old Fowler, who had been in promising form heading into the Masters, double-bogeyed No. 1 and finished with an eight-over 80. That was the second-highest round of Fowler’s career in a major and only made Spieth’s performance in the blustery conditions look all the more impressive. On Thursday he appeared to have recovered his putting touch at just the right moment.
“I feel like my game’s been trending in the right direction; I just haven’t gotten scores out of how I felt I’d been playing,” he said. “That normally just comes down to putting. Certainly made a lot of putts today. If I can kind of straighten things out with the iron play, hopefully, we’ll be in business. But I am extremely pleased with that round today. I felt like we stole a few.”
Not all former major champions could say the same. In one of the more excruciating moments in recent Masters memory, Ernie Els required six putts to complete the first hole, even though the first of those putts was from no more than 3 feet. Els ended up with a quintuple-bogey 9 that was at least an improvement on the sextuple-bogey 10 that he was credited with initially by the Masters’ live-scoring unit. It was not corrected until Els had finished his round.
Rickie Fowler did not have to suffer through anything quite that agonizing, but Fowler, a 27-year-old American who had been in promising form heading into the Masters, double-bogeyed No. 1 and finished with an eight-over 80. That was the second-highest round of Fowler’s career in a major, and it made Spieth’s performance in the swirling conditions look all the more impressive.
“That means everything is working,” David Duval said of Spieth on the Golf Channel. “It’s demanding. If you put a dome over this course, it would be hard to play even with no wind, but it is blowing out there and to get out there without any mistake, it means from tee to green, he’s in control of everything he wants.”“That means everything is working,” David Duval said of Spieth on the Golf Channel. “It’s demanding. If you put a dome over this course, it would be hard to play even with no wind, but it is blowing out there and to get out there without any mistake, it means from tee to green, he’s in control of everything he wants.”
Not that Spieth needed to look far for competition. His two playing partners — Paul Casey and the amateur Bryson DeChambeau — were under par for the front nine. While DeChambeau eventually fell back to even, Casey did not, producing back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. Not bad considering that Spieth cracked the head of his driver Wednesday and had to replace it. But Spieth hardly needed to look far for competition Thursday. His two playing partners — Paul Casey and the amateur Bryson DeChambeau — were under par for the front nine. While DeChambeau eventually fell back to even, Casey did not, producing back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 and 16.
That took him to four under, just one stroke back of Spieth. But Casey bogeyed the 17th to finish with a 69. He is tied for fourth with his fellow Englishmen Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark, and Sergio García of Spain. That took him to four under, just a stroke behind Spieth. But Casey bogeyed the 17th to finish with a 69. He is tied for fourth with his fellow Englishmen Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark and Sergio García of Spain.
There were also significant charges from Spieth’s generational rivals — Rory McIlroy and Jason Day — but both eventually dropped back. There were also significant charges from Spieth’s generational rivals atop the world rankings — Rory McIlroy and Jason Day — but both eventually ran out of momentum.
McIlroy, trying complete the career Grand Slam by winning his first Masters, took a low-key, low-volume approach to this tournament in an attempt to reduce the anticipatory load. He made particular inroads on Augusta’s four par 5s, coming away with birdies on the second and the 15th and an eagle on 13th. But he bogeyed 16 and 18 to finish with a 70. McIlroy, trying to complete a career Grand Slam by winning his first Masters, took a low-key, low-volume approach to this tournament in an attempt to reduce the anticipatory load. He made particular inroads on Augusta’s four par-5s, coming away with birdies on the second and the 15th and an eagle on the 13th. But he bogeyed Nos. 16 and 18 to finish with a 70.
Day, the world No. 1, who was five under after 14 holes only to record a bogey on the 15th and a triple bogey on the par-3 16th after his tee shot ended up in the water. Those consecutive 6s knocked him off the leaderboard, and he finished with a 72. Day, the world No. 1, was five under after 14 holes, only to record a bogey on the 15th and a triple bogey on the 16th after his tee shot ended up in the water. Those consecutive 6s knocked him off the leaderboard, and he finished with a 72.
Phil Mickelson, trying to win another Masters at age 45, shot a 72. Bubba Watson, a two-time champion at Augusta, had to settle for a 75. So did Phil Mickelson, trying to win a fourth Masters at age 45. The two-time champion Bubba Watson had to settle for a 75, and the 2013 champion, Adam Scott, recorded a 76.
Their struggles and grimaces were quite a contrast with Spieth’s increasingly familiar look of serenity. Their struggles and winces were quite a contrast with Spieth’s increasingly familiar look of assurance.
“It’s a knowing; it’s a confidence,” Casey said. “It’s the way he walks. It’s the way he stands. It goes all the way through, from the way he speaks and the way he shakes your hand and deals with people as well. It’s wonderful.”
Gracious comments indeed, but — with three rounds to play and Augusta’s greens likely to get firmer — certainly no guarantee of wire to wire to wire to wire.