Use the links below to navigate to your desired story
Westwood Leads After First Round at Masters
Donald Still in Masters After DQ Scare
Masters First Round Thursday Scores
Stenson Stumbles From Masters Lead With Bitter end
Tiger Struggles to Even par at Masters
Obama Weighs Into Augusta Golf Club Women row
Player Joins Palmer, Nicklaus in Masters Sendoff
Westwood Leads After First Round at Masters
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - Lee Westwood grabbed the lead under the rain and late in the day in the first round of the Masters on Thursday as he set out yet again on his lifelong quest to win a major title.
The world number three went out in 32 to signal his intentions and two more birdies against one bogey on the back nine, as the bad weather came in, nudged him ahead atop the leaderboard at five-under 67.
It was the first time the 38-year-old Englishman had led after the first round of a Major despite having five top-three finishes in his last nine majors.
Westwood finished the day one shot ahead of South African Louis Oosthuizen, who had four birdies in the last five holes to card a 68, and Peter Hanson of Sweden.
A stroke further back were a group of players comprising Paul Lawrie of Scotland, Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain, Francesco Molinari of Italy and Americans Ben Crane, Jason Dufner and Bubba Watson.
The 2008 winner, Zach Johnson of the United States, was on 70, level with veterans Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk among others.
Favorites Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy both struggled.
Woods battled against a wayward driver to scramble a level par 72 while McIlroy opened with a double-bogey six and splashed into Rae's Creek in front of the 13th green en route to an edgy 71.
Westwood, runner-up here to Phil Mickelson two years ago, said that he had been working at easing the tension involved in playing in the Masters.
"I've taken it very relaxed this week. I've played here enough -- it's my 13th time -- and I know the golf course and that eradicates a lot of the tension," he said.
"I came close recently and I have had a good career and all there is to win is a major championship and that is my primary focus now."
Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, said he was surfing on the wave of recent South African successes at Augusta National, including close friend Charl Schwartzel's four-birdie finish to win last year.
"We play together a lot and I think it's more just watching videos of him winning over and over, and seeing the way he handled himself under the pressure which was brilliant, finishing with four birdies," he said of his fellow South African's influence on him.
Woods, meanwhile, was wayward off the tee and had his short game to thank for salvaging a 72.
"I hit some of the worst golf swings I've ever hit today, and that's all right," he said.
"I just hung in there and grinded my way around the golf course and stayed very patient, stayed in the moment.
"Unfortunately that was about as good as I got right there. I could have shot one, maybe two better, but I got a lot out of that round."
Woods, who is seeking his 15th major title to draw to within three of Jack Nicklaus's record of 18, won his first tournament in 28 months two weeks ago and was immediately installed as Masters favorite with McIlroy leading a strong European challenge.
McIlroy, who blew a four-stroke lead on the Sunday in last year's Masters, seldom looked comfortable after pushing his opening drive into the tall Georgia pines lining the first hole.
But after a mixed bag of a round, he finished strongly with back-to-back birdies to duck under par.
"I'm a lot more pleased coming off the golf course than if I had finished par and to come off under-par is pleasing," the 22-year-old US Open champion said.
"My perseverance and patience paid off and it was nice to finish as I did, but I'm surprised someone didn't go lower than five today."
World number one Luke Donald, meanwhile, survived a disqualification scare after an investigation ruled that an administrative error was to blame for the wrong posting of his score at 73 instead of 75.
But the Englishman's four-over total left him with a mountain to climb as he seeks to win his first Major.
"I’m disappointed. That’s not what I wanted. My irons were a bit off. Here that can eat you up. Maybe I can find something tomorrow," Donald said.
Three-time former champion Phil Mickelson was also left with a battle on his hands just to make the cut.
He stumbled badly with a triple bogey seven at the 10th, where he lost his ball off the tee, and with his driver deserting him, he came in with a two-over 74 that included a long birdie putt at the last.
First-round strugglers also included last year's joint runners-up Jason Day and Adam Scott of Australia, who carded 76 and 75 respectively, and 2008 champion Trevor Immelman of South Africa, who had a 78.
Masters Second-Round Pairings
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - Pairings for Friday's second round of the 76th Masters golf tournament at par-72 Augusta National Golf Club (all times local, four hours off GMT):
7:50 a.m. - Scott Verplank (USA), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP), Sean O'Hair (USA)
8:01 - Mark O'Meara (USA), Chez Reavie (USA), Martin Laird (SCO)
8:12 - Sandy Lyle (SCO), Simon Dyson (ENG), Corbin Mills (USA)
8:23 - Ian Woosnam (WAL), Edoardo Molinari (ITA), Kevin Chappell (USA)
8:34 - Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Mark Wilson (USA), Graeme McDowell (NIR)
8:45 - Zach Johnson (USA), Ian Poulter (ENG), Patrick Cantlay (USA)
8:56 - Kevin Na (USA), Fredrik Jacobson (SWE), Ben Crane (USA)
9:07 - John Senden (AUS), Jonathan Byrd (USA), Paul Casey (ENG)
9:18 - Bernhard Langer (GER), Jason Dufner (USA), Charles Howell (USA)
9:29 - Mike Weir (CAN), Brandt Snedeker (USA), Webb Simpson (USA)
9:40 - Vijay Singh (FIJ), Lee Westwood (ENG), Jim Furyk (USA)
9:51 - Open
10:02 - Thomas Bjorn (DEN), Scott Stallings (USA), Rory Sabbatini (RSA)
10:13 - Fred Couples (USA), Darren Clarke (NIR), Ryo Ishikawa (JPN)
10:24 - David Toms (USA), K.J. Choi (KOR), Sergio Garcia (ESP)
10:35 - Angel Cabrera (ARG), Rory McIlroy (NIR), Bubba Watson (USA)
10:46 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Hunter Mahan (USA), Peter Hanson (SWE)
10:57 - Craig Stadler (USA), Brendan Steele (USA), Tim Clark (RSA)
11:08 - Jose Maria Olazabal (ESP), Robert Garrigus (USA), Randal Lewis (USA)
11:19 - Larry Mize (USA), Paul Lawrie (SCO), Anders Hansen (DEN)
11:30 - Ross Fisher (ENG), Ryan Palmer (USA), Harrison Frazar (USA)
11:41 - Ben Crenshaw (USA), Robert Karlsson (SWE), Bryden Macpherson (AUS)
11:52 - Adam Scott (AUS), Bo Van Pelt (USA), Martin Kaymer (GER)
12:03 p.m. - Open
12:14 - Steve Stricker (USA), Padraig Harrington (IRE), Stewart Cink (USA)
12:25 - Aaron Baddeley (AUS), Kim Kyung-Tae (KOR), Lucas Glover (USA)
12:36 - Kyle Stanley (USA), Jason Day (AUS), Bill Haas (USA)
12:47 - Trevor Immelman (RSA), Rickie Fowler (USA), Justin Rose (ENG)
12:58 - Tom Watson (USA), Johnson Wagner (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN)
1:09 - Matt Kuchar (USA), Geoff Ogilvy (AUS), Yang Yong-Eun (KOR)
1:20 - Gary Woodland (USA), Henrik Stenson (SWE), Alvaro Quiros (ESP)
1:31 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Keegan Bradley (USA), Kelly Kraft (USA)
1:42 - Tiger Woods (USA), Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP), Bae Sang-Moon (KOR)
1:53 - Luke Donald (ENG), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Nick Watney (USA)
Donald Still in Masters After DQ Scare
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - World No. 1 Luke Donald of Britain remained in the hunt for his first major title on Thursday at the Masters after an inquiry into what was wrongly feared to be an incorrectly signed scorecard.
The 34-year-old Englishman fired a three-over par 75 in the opening round of the year's first major at Augusta National Golf Club, eight strokes off the pace set by another Englishman, World No. 3 Lee Westwood.
The concern was that Donald had signed for a birdie at the par-4 fifth hole when he in fact took a bogey on the hole. Signing an incorrect scorecard would have resulted in disqualification.
Donald had a birdie posted for his score on the hole after detailing how he suffered a three-putt bogey on the hole.
A smudge on the fax copy of his card caused those who post Donald's score to incorrectly trim two strokes off his score for the hole and thereby the round.
But after an inquiry by Augusta National officials, the club issued a statement on the matter, putting the issue to rest.
"Mr. Donald signed for a correct score of 3-over 75, including a bogey-5 on the fifth hole," the statement said. "Due to administrative error, an incorrect score was entered into our scoring system."
Donald's wife Diane posted a Twitter message of relief, saying: "Just got off the phone with Luke, NOT disqualified. Thank goodness."
Masters First Round Thursday Scores
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - Collated scores on Thursday after the first round of the 76th Masters golf tournament at par-72 Augusta National Golf Club:
67 - Lee Westwood (ENG) 32-35
68 - Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 35-33, Peter Hanson (SWE) 35-33
69 - Paul Lawrie (SCO) 37-32, Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP) 35-34, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 35-34, Ben Crane (USA) 36-33, Jason Dufner (USA) 33-36, Bubba Watson (USA) 33-36
70 - Zach Johnson (USA) 35-35, Vijay Singh (FIJ) 36-34, Jim Furyk (USA) 35-35, Scott Stallings (USA) 35-35
71 - Ross Fisher (ENG) 36-35, Steve Stricker (USA) 38-33, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 35-36, Stewart Cink (USA) 35-36, Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 36-35, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 35-36, Matt Kuchar (USA) 37-34, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 31-40, Keegan Bradley (USA) 36-35, Nick Watney (USA) 35-36, Kevin Chappell (USA) 36-35, Patrick Cantlay (USA) 35-36, Kevin Na (USA) 35-36
72 - Martin Kaymer (GER) 34-38, Bill Haas (USA) 35-37, Justin Rose (ENG) 36-36, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 35-37, Tiger Woods (USA) 35-37, Ian Poulter (ENG) 35-37, Jonathan Byrd (USA) 37-35, Bernhard Langer (GER) 36-36, Charles Howell (USA) 38-34, Mike Weir (CAN) 37-35, Brandt Snedeker (USA) 36-36, Webb Simpson (USA) 35-37, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 36-36, Fred Couples (USA) 35-37, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 37-35, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 35-36, Angel Cabrera (ARG) 36-35, Hunter Mahan (USA) 35-37
73 - Tim Clark (RSA) 36-37, Harrison Frazar (USA) 36-37, Bo Van Pelt (USA) 36-37, Yang Yong-Eun (KOR) 37-36, Gary Woodland (USA) 37-36, Scott Verplank (USA) 34-39, Sean O'Hair (USA) 36-37, Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 36-37, Darren Clarke (NIR) 38-35, David Toms (USA) 37-36
74 - Robert Karlsson (SWE) 39-35, Kim Kyung-Tae (KOR) 36-38, Rickie Fowler (USA) 36-38, Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 39-35, Kelly Kraft (USA) 39-35, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) 36-38, Corbin Mills (USA) 36-38, John Senden (AUS) 36-38, Phil Mickelson (USA) 37-37
75 - Jose Maria Olazabal (ESP) 38-37, Ryan Palmer (USA) 38-37, Adam Scott (AUS) 39-36, Lucas Glover (USA) 39-36, Kyle Stanley (USA) 38-37, Bae Sang-Moon (KOR) 40-35, Luke Donald (ENG) 38-37, Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 37-38, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 37-38
76 - Brendan Steele (USA) 36-40, Larry Mize (USA) 36-40, Anders Hansen (SWE) 38-38, Ben Crenshaw (USA) 39-37, Jason Day (AUS) 37-39, Martin Laird (SCO) 39-37, Mark Wilson (USA) 38-38, Fredrik Jacobson (SWE) 37-39, Paul Casey (ENG) 38-38, Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 38-38
77 - Robert Garrigus (USA) 38-39, Bryden Macpherson (AUS) 40-37, Tom Watson (USA) 39-38, Ian Woosnam (WAL) 38-39, K.J. Choi (KOR) 37-40
78 - Trevor Immelman (RSA) 40-38, Alvaro Quiros (ESP) 40-38, Simon Dyson (ENG) 38-40
79 - Johnson Wagner (USA) 37-42, Chez Reavie (USA) 42-37
81 - Craig Stadler (USA) 42-39, Randal Lewis (USA) 40-41
86 - Sandy Lyle (SCO) 46-40
WD - Mark O'Meara (USA)
Stenson Stumbles From Masters Lead With Bitter end
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - Henrik Stenson's cake to celebrate his 36th birthday would have tasted much sweeter on Thursday had he not botched the final hole at Augusta National to squander the lead of the 76th Masters.
Sweden's Stenson, boosted by two eagles on the front nine, was atop the leaderboard by two strokes at the 18th tee, only to take a quadruple-bogey 8 on the closing hole and settle for a one-under par 71.
"It was a very disappointing finish," Stenson said. "But I had good fun out there. I had two eagles and I got it going. I didn't hit a fairway after 11. I hit it all over the place."
Stenson still has not cracked 70 in 19 rounds at Augusta National.
"If you can't get the ball in play off the tee you're going to drop shots," Stenson said. "Playing out of the forest most of the back nine, it's going to cost a little bit sooner or later -- disappointing that it cost that much."
Stenson's eight matched the worst score ever recorded at Augusta National's closing hole, the seventh time it had been shot there and the first since Colombia's Camilo Villegas did it in 2007.
Just last year, Stenson took an 8 at the fourth for the worst score in Masters history at that par-3 hole.
"I didn't expect it to cost as much as it did on 18," Stenson said. "That's normally what happens. You make a little mistake and then you compound it with another one and it just keeps on snowballing and I got the snowman in the end."
Stenson eagled the par-5 third and seventh holes with 15-foot putts and birdied the par-4 fourth as well. After starting the back nine with a birdie, he went bogey-birdie on 14 and 15 but had a two-shot cushion at the par-4 18th.
On 18, Stenson hooked his tee shot left into trees and chipped out into a squishy footprint lie.
"It was like in a pretty worn spot in the pine needles where everybody has walked," Stenson said. "If I would have gotten the second shot out on the fairway, it would have been a different story."
He hit into the right rough, went over the green into the green with his fourth shot, then chipped to the fringe.
"The worst part of 18 was really over-hitting the wedge and hitting it up in the crowds behind the green and then it took me four to get down from there," Stenson said.
The Swede ran his downhill putt past the cup, then missed a three-footer coming back before tapping in to end the misery.
Tiger Struggles to Even par at Masters
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - Tiger Woods followed his first victory in 28 months with some of the worst tee shots of his career, struggling to a level-par 72 after the opening round of the 76th Masters on Thursday.
Snap-hooking drives into the pine trees at Augusta National with alarming regularity, Woods stunningly salvaged pars on the first two holes only to suffer a bogey-bogey finish to plunge off the leaderboard.
"I hit some of the worst golf shots I have ever hit out there," Woods said. "I just grinded my way around the course, stayed patient, whatever it took. I just wanted to keep going out there."
The 14-time major champion, chasing the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, seeks a fifth Masters title and 73rd US PGA crown in his first event since ending a win drought that started with his infamous sex scandal.
"I could have probably maybe got one, maybe two more (shots) out of that but that was about it," Woods said. "I squeezed a lot out of that round. Didn't hit it very good at all."
But Woods took heart from the fact no rival pulled too far ahead of the pack.
"This course is playing too difficult to go super-low on," Woods said. "No one was tearing it up."
Woods captured the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month at Bay Hill and seemed to signal a return to form, but admitted that old mistakes were creeping back into his swing during the round.
"Old (swing) patterns. Just old patterns," Woods said. "Some of my old stuff from a few years ago. I have had to work through it and today it popped up. Now I'm struggling with it all the way around with all the clubs."
Woods, who has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and has not won the Masters since 2005, could match Nicklaus for second on the US PGA all-time win list at 73, nine shy of the record 82 won by Sam Snead.
Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, a playing partner of Woods, fired a 69 to share to clubhouse lead and said he thought Woods played well other than off the tee, where he was among the day's worst players at finding fairways.
"He had trouble from the tees," Jimenez said. "If you miss fairway you don't have a chance. The rest he was fine. He was playing very well. If you are not well off the tee, you are not able to find your place here."
Woods said he was "Feeling ready," in a two-word Twitter posting only hours before his round began, but he appeared anything but prepared.
His inaugural shot hooked left off the first tee, smacked a pine tree and rolled halfway back down the hillside toward the players, coming to rest in the pine needles.
Woods blasted out of the mess 10 yards short of the green, pitched to eight feet and sank the par putt.
Another narrow escape followed.
Woods sent his tee shot at the par-5 second even more left, deep into a set of bushes near a pedestrian path. He took a penalty and dropped near a tree, then smashed a shot through small tree branches and leaves that landed short of the green.
Woods, ranked seventh in the world, went up and down from there for another clutch par save even as spectators still scrambled through the bushes seeking a souvenir.
"That was about as good as it got," Woods said of the par saves.
Woods found the fairway and green at the third and sank an eight-foot birdie putt to reach the leaderboard, staying there after a bogey at seven and birdies at the par-5 eighth and par-4 10th.
Woods found a bunker beyond the green at the par-5 13th and parred his way through Amen Corner, but bogeys at 17 and 18 after bad tee shots blunted any notions of challenging for the lead.
"I really stayed committed to what I was doing. I made some bad swings," he said. "I can take some positives going into tomorrow about that. At least I have something to build on."
Obama Weighs Into Augusta Golf Club Women row
WASHINGTON, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - US President Barack Obama believes Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters, should admit women, his spokesman said Thursday as the world's top players teed off for their opening round.
"His personal opinion is that women should be admitted," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, though added it was up to the prestigious club to make decisions on its all male members policy.
Carney said that Obama, an avid golfer who has two young daughters, personally told him of his opinion.
The White House weighed into the controversy a day before hosting a major conference on women and the economy and as polls show Obama is outpacing his likely Republican election foe Mitt Romney among female voters.
Augusta National chairman Billy Payne repeatedly dismissed questions about the club's membership policy at his annual Masters news conference on Wednesday.
"All issues of membership are now and have been historically subject to the private deliberations of the members," Payne said, repeating the statement in the same fashion several times when repeatedly pressed on the matter.
The issue first came to a head in 2003 when Martha Burk, a leader in the National Council of Women's Organizations, conducted a rally across the street from Augusta National, where the first black member was inducted in 1990.
Now the focus is upon IBM chief executive officer Virginia Rometty possibly becoming the club's first woman member. Rometty became IBM's first woman CEO on January 1 and her four predecessors were all given Augusta National membership.
IBM is among the sponsors of the Masters and for nearly 30 years, IBM chief executives have been granted memberships, though not on any certain timetable. And as a private club, there is no legal obligation to have women as members.
Player Joins Palmer, Nicklaus in Masters Sendoff
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 5, 2012 (AFP) - Gary Player joined fellow golf icons Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as a ceremonial Masters starter on Thursday, reuniting the Big Three of a bygone era on one of golf's biggest stages.
"It was a great thrill, having had the wonderful relationship, great friendship, with Arnold and Jack for so many years," Player said.
The 76-year-old South African, clad in trademark black, watched as Palmer, the longest serving honorary starter of the trio, teed off first. Player followed and Nicklaus went last, all to applause from a crowd at the first tee.
"It was appropriate," Palmer said. "We played golf all our lives together. We've had a pretty good run at Augusta."
Nicklaus, 72, won an all-time record 18 major titles, including a record six at the Masters, the last in 1986 at age 46. Player won three of his nine career majors at Augusta. Four of Palmer's seven major titles were at the Masters.
Watching the 1960s legends from the tee box was three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson, on the scene six hours before his scheduled tee time in the opening day's final group.
"It was quite an honor that he came out," Player said. "I thought it was nice," Nicklaus concurred. "I thought it was wonderful," echoed Palmer.
Palmer, 82, was hospitalized two weeks ago on the last day of the US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational and missed giving Tiger Woods the championship trophy that ended his 28-month win drought, but was fit for his Masters duty.
"I'm feeling fine," Palmer said. "I had a little blood pressure scare. They changed medicine on me. They just wanted to be cautious. After two days, I was home and I was fine. I missed being there for Tiger. I wanted to be there."
Asked about who would be the big three from modern golfers, Player offered this year's Masters favorites, 36-year-old Woods with his 14 major triumphs and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who at 22 won his first at the 2011 US Open.
"Who would be the third? Time will sort that out," Player said. "To be fair, you need to give these golfers more time to determine a big three."
Nicklaus paid tribute to Woods' domination until his recent struggles, saying, "There are a lot more players today. Tiger is still the dominant force in the game. There are an awful lot of players that are good."
All three honorary starters hoped their roles helped a new generation of stars appreciate their roles as global golf ambassadors.
"These young people that are coming along will understand if they see us do it," Palmer said.
"There should be a sense of gratitude," Player said. "You should remember where you start from."
While laughing and joking with each other, all three turned serious when dealing with the topic of how to stop a slide in golf participation.
"We have a problem," Nicklaus said. "We've lost 26 percent of the women and 36 percent of the kids. The game is getting too tough and too expensive. We need to keep people in the game, not push them out."
Making the game easier and cheaper to play and limiting golf ball technology rather than revamping courses were unanimous ideas.
"It's vital we slow the ball down," Palmer said.
"Golf balls are very inexpensive to fix," Nicklaus agreed.
"The golf ball is going so far," Player said. "They are going to be hitting the ball so long it's frightening."