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A healthy 68 helped ease Schlee's pain
Posted: Monday April 07, 2003 9:24 PM
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John Schlee blasts out of a sand trap at the 1978 Masters, which he led after a first-round 68. The tall Texan, whose career was marred with health problems, had put in long hours of practice for the '78 tournament. File/AugustaChronicle |
By David Westin
The Augusta Chronicle
For a year, John Schlee practiced for this day, and the steady work paid off. The wiry Texan was the surprise first-round leader of the 1978 Masters Tournament with 4-under-par 68.
A string of health problems, starting with back surgery in 1975 and followed by knee surgery in 1976, had made the 38-year-old Schlee a part-time PGA Tour player by 1978.
His best finish in 1977 had been a tie for eighth place in the Masters, which earned him an invitation to the 1978 event.
Because he'd lost his exempt status on the PGA Tour, the Masters was one of just two PGA Tour events in which the 1966 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year could play.
Schlee had taken a club pro job in Rancho Viejo, Texas, in June 1977, after deciding he couldn't play regularly with his latest ailment, a painful injury to his left thumb. That left him time to prepare for the 1978 Masters.
"Believe me, I've played it (the Masters) 1,000 times over the past year," Schlee said after the first round. "I really was prepared. Every practice shot I hit, I would go through Augusta in my mind. When I got here, it was no surprise to see the holes."
Schlee, who said he was "a little longer than your average bear" off the tee, dominated the par-5s in the first round, but his most impressive shot of the day came with an iron, on the par-3 12th hole.
He was one of only eight players to birdie the devilish hole, which was playing even more difficult than normal because of a swirling wind.
On No. 12, Schlee hit a 7-iron to within 12 feet of the hole and ran in the putt. It helped that he knew the exact yardage on the tee shot.
"I was here early last year and stretched a piece of rope across from the ball washer to the right rear of the green," Schlee said. "It's exactly 155 yards. The only reason I did it was because of the diagonal shape of the green and all that water. I just haven't been too comfortable on that hole."
The birdie on No. 12 jump-started Schlee's round. He followed it with three straight birdies and ended up with a one-shot lead over Joe Inman, Bill Kratzert and Lee Trevino.
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