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SPORTS Friday 6 april 2018

Spieth back in his comfort zone at Masters

By DOUG FERGUSON avoid falling to 4-over par. ny day with a moderate
AP Golf Writer Most aggravating was breeze that looked ideal
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — No playing the par 5s without for scoring.
other course makes him a birdie. It was just tough to score,
more comfortable. Even "Seventy-three is fine," with the greens slick and
more familiar than a sharp Woods said. "By the end of firm and several tough pin
short game was his name the week, this will be a pret- positions, mainly toward
atop the leaderboard at ty packed leaderboard the the front of the greens. That
the Masters. way the golf course is set included the par-5 15th,
Jordan Spieth appears to up. They have it right where and no one suffered quite
be back on his game. they want it. It's really hard like defending champion
Tiger Woods? to run away from it, but it's Sergio Garcia.
He has some catching up also really easy to lose it out He hit his second shot into
to do. there." the water, and then had
Spieth took only 10 putts on Spieth nearly managed to his next four shots with a
the back nine Thursday at pull away when he began wedge roll back into the
Augusta National, includ- the back nine with three water. He made a 10-foot
ing five straight birdies. The tough par saves, ran off five putt — close to the same
last one was from tap-in straight birdies and over- length of his eagle putt
range after another superb came a wild drive left into when he won last year —
pitch, from the left gallery the trees that left him some to make a 13, the highest
to escape with bogey for a 250 yards for his third shot. score ever recorded on
6-under 66 and a two-shot The best comeback? That No. 15. He wound up with
lead over Matt Kuchar and might now belong to Finau. an 81, the highest score in
Tony Finau. On the eve of his first Mas- the opening round by a de-
It was the eighth time in his ters, he made a hole-in- fending Masters champion.
last 13 rounds at the Mas- one on the seventh hole "It's the first time in my ca-
ters that Spieth ended a of the Par 3 Tournament, reer where I make a 13 with-
round with the lead. raced toward the green out missing a shot," Garcia
"I know as well as anybody to celebrate and as he said. "Simple as that."
that anything can hap- turned back toward the McIlroy, needing a green Jordan Spieth looks over his birdie putt on the 17th green during
pen at Augusta National," tee, his left ankle rolled. jacket to complete the the first round at the Masters golf tournament Thursday, April 5,
Spieth said, a vague refer- Finau went down, the ankle career Grand Slam, did his 2018, in Augusta, Ga.
ence to the lead he lost contorted, and he popped part to stay in the game, Associated Press
on the back nine in 2016 it into place. He wasn't sure especially with some tough
that kept him from winning he could play until tests par-saving putts down the most of the day until a chip he never got back to par,
consecutive green jackets. showed he was cleared to stretch as Spieth was on his from behind the 15th green losing even more ground
"It's about riding momen- play. run of birdies. came out too strong and around Amen Corner.
tum from last week and this And he played great, McIlroy shot a 69, the first didn't stop rolling until it was In one sense, he was happy
round." opening with a 68 despite time he broke 70 in the headed down the bank to be playing. Just under a
Woods, the main attraction a short par putt that he opening round of the Mas- and into the water, leading year ago, he was going
in his first time back to the missed on the 14th hole. ters since 2011, and joined to double bogey. through a fourth back sur-
Masters since 2015, had a "This is a moment I've a half-dozen other players Woods, dressed all in black, gery.
few bright moments and dreamed of my whole life," at 69 that included Henrik was under par for all of “I played in a major cham-
endless ovations in his round Finau said. Stenson, Charley Hoffman, one hole. His drive on No. 3 pionship again,” he said.
of 73. He felt he played bet- Woods might be right about Patrick Reed and 22-year- nearly reached the green “But also the fact that I got
ter than he scored. He also one thing. Even as well as old Li Haotong of China. until it rolled back down myself back in this tourna-
knows it could have been Spieth looked, it might be Phil Mickelson and Rickie the slope, and he hit a safe ment, and I could have
worse, especially after hard for anyone to pull Fowler were among those pitch to about 10 feet for easily let it slip away. And I
dumping a 9-iron into Rae's away. Spieth was among at 70. So was Marc Leish- birdie. He made bogey fought hard to get it back
Creek on the par-3 12th 10 players who broke 70 man, who played in the from the bunker on No. in there, and I’m back in this
hole and having to make a — a list that included Rory group with Woods and .4. He three-putted from championship. There’s a lot
15-foot putt for bogey and McIlroy — on a warm, sun- Tommy Fleetwood and led long range on No. 5. And of holes to be played.”q