Former Masters champ Larry Mize turned back the clock Thursday with a 5-under 67 at Augusta National.
Apr. 9, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM Staff
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Who gets an A and who doesn't? Now that the first-round is over at Augusta National, here are our grades in a few various categories:
• THE MASTERS: Click here for complete coverage of the 2009 Masters
| 2009 Masters: First-round grades |
| Scoring conditions |
Grade: A-plus |
| Favorable pin placements. Soft greens. Minimal wind. Augusta National was about as benign as you'll see it. Consequently, the roars were back. "One of the most generous days ever around Augusta," said Padraig Harrington. |
| Chad Campbell for first 16 holes |
Grade: A plus |
| After opening with five straight birdies -- the greatest start to a Masters in tournament history -- and then a string of four straight birdies on the back side, Campbell was threatening to do something no player in ANY major had ever done ... shoot 62. |
| The 50-and-over crowd |
Grade: A |
| Larry Mize with a 67. Greg Norman and Bernhard Langer with 70s. Ben Crenshaw with a 73. "It just shows that we can still play golf," Langer said. |
| The Teenagers |
Grade: B |
| Hard to grade these youngsters. McIlroy raised the curve with his solid 72 but Ishikawa gets high marks for making third birdies in his last five holes to come in with a 73. Lee was solid, too, making 15 pars, one birdie, one bogey and a double bogey. |
| Tiger Woods |
Grade: B |
| His first major since he won the U.S. Open on one leg last year. He took a while to get untracked, but those three straight birdies on the back nine got our attention. And dare we say it -- he's won the Masters the three times he's opened with 70. |
| The Singhs |
Grade: B-minus |
| Jeev Milka had the biggest challenge -- playing with Tiger Woods for the first time. He did well, too, earning some crystal with an eagle at the 13th and holding his own despite a bogey at the 18th for a 71. Vijay, who hasn't finished out of the top-20 since his 2000 victory, matched the Indian's score more quietly. |
| The Aussies |
Grade: C-plus |
| We all expected Geoff Ogilvy to be the low Aussie but Aaron Baddeley claimed that honor with a round of 68 while his countryman shot 71. The "plus" in this grade goes to 54-year-old Greg Norman, who excited the crowd with his round of 70. |
| Phil Mickelson |
Grade: C |
| An indifferent 1-over 73 means Lefty will need to make up serious ground if he wants to be in the hunt Sunday afternoon. |
| Young Guns |
Grade: C |
| Specifically, we're talking Sergio Garcia, Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim, who collectively shot 5 over on a day in which they should've shot lights out. On second thought, that "C" might be generous. |
| Chad Campbell for last two holes |
Grade: D |
| A bogey-bogey finish ended Campbell's shot at history (although he wasn't the only one to struggle on Nos. 17 and 18 in the first round). "Obviously happy that I'm in the lead," Campbell said, "but definitely never want to finish the round with two bogeys. Kind of leaves a little bit of a sour taste in your mouth." |
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