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Stricker, Cabrera find games
Posted: Thursday April 05, 2001 9:58 PM
Updated: Tuesday March 26, 2002 7:21 PM
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Angel Cabrera reacts to his drive on No. 12. Despite his expression, Cabrera parred the hole on his way to a first-round 66. Jonathan Ernst/Augusta Chronicle |
By Rob Mueller
The Augusta Chronicle
In the weeks leading up to the Masters Tournament, the demons of Steve Stricker's past were haunting him again.
The magic he found at the season-opening World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship long since had vanished. The inconsistency that plagued his four-plus years on the PGA Tour had crept back in.
The 34-year-old Stricker exorcised those demons with a 6-under-par 66 during Thursday's first round of the 65th Masters Tournament.
Fueled by six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 13th hole Thursday, Stricker fired his best round in five Masters appearances and begins today's second round tied for second with Angel Cabrera, one stroke off the lead held by Masters rookie Chris DiMarco.
``I never really know what to expect coming in here,'' said Stricker, whose best Masters finish came last year with a tie for 19th. ``My game has not been too well and I've been putting in a lot of time, working on a lot of things. Hopefully, it's starting to pay off. I'm starting to see some better things out there.''
Stricker couldn't have asked for a better start in 2001 with his win at the World Golf Championships in Australia. Three weeks later, he followed with a top-10 finish at the Phoenix Open.
Steve Stricker lines up a putt on the 15th green. Stricker, who has struggled in recent weeks, shot a 66 on Thursday. Chris Thelen/Augusta Chronicle |
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It was all downhill from there. Stricker missed the cut at the Buick Invitational in early February and continued to struggle in his next four starts. His best finish since Phoenix was a tie for 34th at Doral, and he missed the cut at The Players Championship two weeks ago.
Stricker's career-long battle for consistency off the tee has been at the root of his problems. He entered the Masters ranked 189th on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy, finding the fairways at a dismal 49.3 percent rate.
As usual, though, his trusty putting stroke has been his saving grace. He returned to the Odyssey putter that helped him to two wins in 1996 - his first PGA Tour victory at the Kemper Open and win No. 2 at the Western Open.
On Thursday, the Madison, Wis., native hit 10 of 14 fairways and a respectable 15 of 18 greens in regulation. He needed only 29 putts.
``I hit a lot of good iron shots into the greens, especially early on,'' said Stricker, whose wife, Nicki, is working as his caddie. ``I guess I just played smart, and putted well, too. Something that I've been doing well all year is putting well, and I continued that today.''
Playing in his second Masters, Cabrera also enjoyed a breakthrough round. The 31-year-old native of Argentina missed the cut in his Masters debut last year.
Cabrera got off to a hot start on the front nine, making the turn in 4-under 32. On the back nine, he birdied both of the par-5s to complete his bogey-free round.
``I think every time I have a hope to have a very good round, but I hope it won't be my best round,'' said Cabrera, through his interpreter. ``I think I might get one that's better.''
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