Notebook

First-round leader Paulson struggles; Garcia starts running

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Posted: Friday April 07, 2000 09:57 PM

Augusta National's ever-changing conditions left Dennis Paulson scratching his head after shooting a 68-76--144. AP

AUGUSTA, Fla. (AP) -- His ball resting against a tree near the second fairway, Dennis Paulson turned the club around and swatted it back into play left-handed.

The day didn't get much better from there.

The first-day leader of the Masters shot a 4-over-par 76 on Friday to enter the weekend at even-par 144, six strokes behind David Duval. No first-day leader has won the Masters since Ben Crenshaw in 1984.

"I put the ball in position to do the right things, but when I thought I had hit the right shot, it didn't turn out to be the right shot," Paulson said.

Part of it was the unusually calm weather and unusually soft greens. Paulson said the course didn't play as it did in the opening round.

For instance, on No. 15, he hit a low, skipping sand wedge to try to get close after his approach shot missed the green.

"It spun back 25 feet," he said. "The same shot worked yesterday. It didn't work today."

One shot that worked came on No 11, when Paulson used his putter to hole a 40-foot shot from the valley to the right of the green. The birdie was reminiscent of the one Larry Mize made to beat Greg Norman in a playoff in 1987.

"That was the only good thing that happened to me all day," Paulson said.

Sergio's sprint

Sergio Garcia had no time for a scissors kick when he sprinted to save his ball from rolling down a hill on the 16th green.

He hit his tee shot on the par-3 hole to the top of the hill, but it sat precariously on the most severely sloped green on the course.

He asked playing partner Freddie Couples for advice.

"He said, `Go for it,' so I said, `OK,'" Garcia said.

So off he went on a 170-yard dash to mark the ball. Right behind him came the 40-year-old Couples, mockingly huffing and puffing his way in an attempt to keep up with a player half his age.

Garcia saved the ball and made birdie on the hole.

"It probably would have stayed up there, but I think it was worth it," Garcia said.

May I see your badge

Former European PGA Tour regular David Feherty was offering putting tips to European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance on the practice green late Friday morning.

Once one of the ubiquitous Pinkerton security guards noticed that neither had proper credentials, he put a halt to the lesson, and led them both off the green.

Arnie's woes

Arnold Palmer knew he wasn't going to make the cut, so he decided to gamble from the bunker at No. 18.

He wound up needing four shots to escape the sand.

Palmer, 70, made quadruple-bogey 8 on his final hole at Augusta National, leaving him with a 10-over 82 for the day and a 16-over 160 for the tournament. He missed the cut for the 17th year in a row.

The trouble began when Palmer hit his second shot into the deep bunker flanking the left side of the green. His first attempt remained grounded, bringing a groan from Arnie's Army. Ditto for the next two shots, prompting one fan to turn away with an anguished, "I can't deal with this."

"I was just trying to get it close," Palmer said. "There wasn't a lot to lose. I decided to take a chance. Once I started, I had to keep going until I got it up."

Standing by during the tortured ordeal were Palmer's two playing partners, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. "Hit it harder," Nicklaus thought to himself, jokingly. "I want to play."

Nicklaus made the cut at age 60, but Palmer's tournament was over.

Standing beneath the towering live oak in front of the clubhouse, Palmer told family and friends, "I'm about ready to check out."

Augusta giveth, Augusta taketh away

Colin Montgomerie was feeling pretty good about himself after holing a 167-yard shot at No. 5 for an eagle.

Two holes later, he gave it all back.

While Monty bounced back from an opening 76 to make the cut with a 3-under 69, he was still shaking his head about a double bogey at the par-4 seventh hole. In perfect position with his tee shot, he plunked the short iron from 69 yards into a bunker and wound up three-putting.

"It's not a bad round, but it could have been, should have been better," Monty said. "Of course, everybody says that coming off this course."

DIVOTS: Sandy Lyle snap-hooked his tee shot on No. 18 and reacted by breaking the shaft over his knee. ... The threesome of Jay Haas, Ian Woosnam and Bob Estes had no problem with the par-3 12th. Each made birdie, with the longest putt belonging to Estes -- 4 feet. ... Ernie Els' wife is once again playing the role of cartographer. Liezl Els is drawing maps of every hole and charting his every shot, as well as the shots of his playing partners each round. ... Amateur Graeme Storm had his mother, Jane, as his caddie. ... Amateur Danny Green shot 4-over to miss the cut by one stroke. ... Els shot 67 to match his best score in the Masters. His previous 67 came in 1994.

 

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