Casey rides buzz of Masters history to 65, early lead
AUGUSTA, GA.» Already seven months behind schedule because of the pandemic, the most unusual Masters was 30 minutes old Thursday when the silence was interrupted by a rumble down by Amen Corner.
No roars this week. Just thunder. And then a weather delay of nearly three hours.
All that, and it was still worth the wait.
Paul Casey matched his lowest score at the Masters with a 7-under 65, giving him a two-shot lead among half the field fortunate to play in perfect scoring conditions. Tiger Woods matched his lowest start, a 68, and kept a bogey-free card in a major for the first time in 11 years.
The course was different than what they expected, a result of the rain and the calendar. The silence was exactly what they expected because majors haven’t had spectators in 16 months.
But it was still the Masters. “So many people like myself are just excited to play this,” Casey said. “This is a treat. It always has been and always will be a real treat.”
No doubt, the absence of roars was as eerie as the sound of a drone that approached the first tee as Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player prepared to hit their ceremonial tee shots. The Masters is
using two drones this year, a first.
“A lot of firsts today. That’s kind of the way this entire year has been,” Woods said. “The fact that we’re able to compete for a Masters this year, considering all that’s been going on, it’s a great opportunity for all of us.”
Casey found energy from the familiarity of the course, from the history, from the mystique. And it was enough to carry him to a round he needed on a day — a partial day — of low scoring. Twelve of the 48 players who finished shot in the 60s.
Woods, a notorious slow starter despite his five green jackets, had one moment where he thought trouble might lurk. It was the fifth hole, which he bogeyed all four rounds last year when he won the Masters. He hit a low fade off the tee that left him 227 yards to the hole.
“Hit a 4-iron to the back edge and it only rolled out a foot,” Woods said. “That doesn’t happen here.”
The biggest crowd — about 100 people in this case — was two groups ahead of Woods watching Bryson DeChambeau smash shots into trees and one shot into the azaleas bushes behind the 13th green. He was lucky to find it because his provisional shot went into the creek. He still made double bogey, though he managed to scratch out a 70.
So much action, typical of the Masters, and so little volume.
And for so many players, they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
“I was vocal earlier in the year about not enjoying golf in a pandemic,” Casey said. “I didn’t know how the fan-less experi
ence would be and so far, I’ve not enjoyed it. I’ve had nothing, or very little, to draw on from being out playing tournament golf. The Masters, though, this week it still has a buzz to it. There’s an energy and a little bit of vibe.
“Yes, it’s clearly a lot less than what we’re used to. But there’s something about this place. I felt excited to be here.”
The excitement for Casey began on the fearsome 10th hole when he hit his approach to a front pin about 5 feet away for birdie. He had eagle chances on both par 5s on the back nine and settled for birdies. He took on a left pin at the par-5 second with a 6-iron and watched the ball plop 6 feet away for eagle.
“You can’t hit that shot in April,” he said. “It pitched and stopped instantly, and that shot in April would have onehopped over into the patrons.”
Webb Simpson played a tidy round, making eagle on No. 2 after the turn and finishing with seven pars for a 67. He was joined by Xander Schauffele, a runner-up to Woods last year, who had seven birdies in his round of 67.
“You’re going at pins that you wouldn’t really feel that comfortable with,” Schauffele said. “There’s so many spots where your ball will stay. It was just really strange.”
Lee Westwood wasn’t sure he would ever make it back to the Masters, earning a ticket back with his tie for fourth in the British Open last summer. The best player without a major showed he still has some life at age 47. He shot 31 on the front and limited the damage on the back for a 68, joining the group that included Woods, former Masters champion Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama and Louis Oosthuizen.