Garcia cannot explain his 13

– Defending champion Sergio Garcia (above) matched the worst one-hole score in Masters history with an octuple-bogey 13 at the par-five 15th hole in Thursday’s opening round at Augusta National.

And the 38-year-old Spaniard says he doesn’t feel like he hit a bad shot on the 530-yard hole, even though he sent five of them in a row to a watery grave in the pond guarding the green.

“I don’t know what to tell you. It’s one of those things,” Garcia said. “It’s the first time in my career where I make a 13 without missing a shot. Simple as that.

“I felt like I hit a lot of good shots and unfortunately the ball just didn’t want to stop. So it’s just unfortunate, but that’s what it is.”

It became a real-life version of the movie Tin Cup with Garcia in the Kevin Costner role of Roy McAvoy, who refuses to quit until he makes a shot even as his chance at victory vanishes with balls rolling off the green into the water.

“I kept hitting good shots with the sand wedge,” Garcia said. “I don’t know why the ball just wouldn’t stop.”

Garcia was level for the worst score on any hole played in Masters history, the other 13-stroke efforts coming from Tommy Nakajima in 1978 at the par-five 13th and Tom Weiskopf in 1980 at the par-3 12th.

It’s the worst Masters score on any hole outside famed Amen Corner – the 11th, 12th and 13th holes that often decide Masters glory.

“With the firmness of the greens, I felt like the ball was going to stop,” Garcia said. “Unfortunately it didn’t want to.”

Garcia won his first Major title on his 74th try at last year’s Masters on what would have been the 60th birthday of his idol, the late Seve Ballesteros. –

Augusta