Hoffman breezes to 65 at windy Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. – If someone ever makes a movie about the first round of the 81st Masters Tournament, here’s a suggestion for the title: “The Howling.”
“I’ve never seen it like this,” said Fred Couples, playing in his 32nd Masters and the winner in 1992.
“It’s brutal out there,” said Andy Sullivan of England. “It’s more like a (British) Open Championship today than anything else. The gusts are just killer.”
The wind didn’t just blow Thursday at the Augusta National Golf Club. It gusted and swirled, snapping pants legs and bending flag sticks. Mini-sandstorms blew out of the greenside bunker on No. 18 every few minutes, causing spectators to turn away and shield their eyes.
It was survival of the fittest. And Dustin Johnson couldn’t even make it to the first tee.
Johnson, ranked No. 1 in the world and coming off victories in his last three starts, officially was a “DNS” (did not start). He with-
drew minutes before his 1:03 p.m. tee time, unable to work the kink out of his back after a tumble down the steps of his rental house Wednesday afternoon.
And so, the first major championship of the year will go on without the betting favorite. D.J.’s next chance to win a major will come in June, when he will try to defend his U.S. Open title at Erin Hills Golf Course in the Town of Erin, Wis.
But Johnson wasn’t the only golfer who was hurting. Plenty of others were licking their wounds. The green coats should have handed out Band-Aids with the scorecards on the first tee.
One golfer, however, was seemingly oblivious to caps blowing off spectators’ heads and 80-foot pine trees swaying in the breeze. And there is video proof that Charley Hoffman actually played Augusta National and not the local Pirates Cove puttputt.
Hoffman made nine birdies and shot a 7under-par 65. Considering the conditions, it ranks among the best rounds played in a major in recent years. The next-best score was a 69 by William McGirt and he was the only other player in the 93-man field to break 70.
Lee Westwood shot a 70 and the group of eight at 71 included three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose. No one else broke par.
“You’re not going to squeeze much out of the round today,” said Rickie Fowler, who shot a 73. “Anything under par was good and even par is still a good score and 1-over’s not terrible.”
Hoffman somehow shot a 31 on the back nine, with birdies on Nos. 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17. He hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation, despite finding only seven fairways, and needed just 25 putts. He led the field in strokes gained-putting (6.133).
Hoffman’s fourstroke lead is the largest at the Masters after the first round since 1955, when Jack Burke led by the same margin over Julius Boros.
“For lack of any better words, it was a dream,” said Hoffman, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour. “I mean, you hit the shots that you’re sort of looking at and then the hardest part is to convert the putts and I was able to do that.”
The Masters committee did a good job setting up the course for the difficult conditions. For instance, on the long par-3 fourth, which played into the wind, the tees were pushed all the way up.
Still, the stiff, swirling wind introduced guesswork into every shot and even many putts. Golfers had a hard time committing to clubs and yardages. They backed off, changed clubs, backed off again, finally pulled the trigger — and then watched as their balls sailed over greens or came up way short.
“You’re trying to hit these small targets and the wind’s going from 15 to 20 to 40,” Kevin Kisner said. “It’s just incredible trying to hit those numbers.”
Asked which shot was the toughest he faced, Kisner said, “Every one I stood over.”
“If you catch the wrong gust at the wrong time, then you look stupid, like I did on 12 (double-bogey),” Thomas Pieters said. “But that’s just Augusta, I guess.”
Adam Scott said it was fortunate the greens were softened by rain Wednesday, or “I don’t know how we would have played.”
The forecast for the second round Friday calls for more of the same: cool temperatures and plenty of wind.
“We are going to be absolutely exhausted at the end of the week if this weather keeps up,” Ernie Els said.
Yes, but someone is going to slip into the green jacket come Sunday evening. It just might not be a breeze.