A couple of weeks ago at a well-attended dinner in Beijing, Ernie Els was selling the virtues of an international golf club membership. His sponsor, an owner of courses in China, thanked Ernie for his now infamous six-putt on the opening hole of the 2016 Masters.
‘Every time you miss, Ernie, they show my logo on the collar of your shirt.’
It was long enough ago now for Ernie to see the humor in it.
Surviving the first hour of a round, avoiding the silly, nervous mistakes, is always an important part of any golf tournament.
American Brendan Steele had played one hole when he came to the par-five 11th were he proceeded to donate two balls to the lake on the right and made a nine. A 73 was more than admirable after that horror show.
Cameron Davis, the defending champion and home after a terrific season in the United States, opened his championship from the first tee with an eight, a six and then a bogey at the difficult third.
Antonio Murdaca, the winner of the Asian Amateur in 2014, a win earning him a start at Augusta, made it all the way to double figures at the first hole. Generations old enough to remember her know it as a Bo Derek.
Peter Senior, the winner here in 2012, began with an eight.
The Lakes begins with the most difficult trio of holes in the country. The opening tee shot is across water and with the heavy south wind both into and off the left the drive was a daunting shot. Of course the real trap isn’t so much the water but rather the big, pockmarked dune on the right full of the un-raked footprints of caddies, players and spectators.
Cameron Smith is a possible winner on a course suited to his straight driving and world-class wedge play. He was out with Brandt Snedeker and Anirban Lahiri just after 7am and he was around in 74, but showed off how much he has improved since moving to America a handful of years ago. He looks bigger, probably partly for growing up and partly time spent in the gym. Either way he drives a long way with a low-maintenance swing.
At the pesky 13th, the short four, Smith placed a iron perfectly down the middle of the fairway and from there pitched close for a simple three. Snedeker, left off the tee with an iron, had more to do with the pitch from a problematic angle and he eventually scraped a four out of the back bunker. The Indian Lahiri tried another, more aggressive, tack but flared the driver miles to the right and from there his attempted running shot up the steep bank wasn’t firm enough and five was his punishment.
Snedeker is a fine player, brisk and decisive and if this round was evidence of a scrambler of the highest class. He’d been all over the course by the time they reached the 18th tee. Into the wind the par three is no easy shot and he missed way to the left but a nice putt saved a par.
The drive at the first then flew miles up into the dune and from there five was a result – one Murdaca would happily have taken. Two more drives to the right at the second and third lead to two more fives although in fairness a brilliant escape from the sandy wasteland at the second was followed by three putts.
Perhaps he was stunned by Lahiri pitching into the hole on the full out of the short, right hollow for a birdie. An iron – the mandatory club off the fourth tee because of the sand crossing the fairway at 210 metres – missed the fairway as did the approaching iron but he blasted to a foot.
In what now must have been a tiring procession into the right-side trouble, the American’s tee shot at the fifth found the fairway bunker. With no chance to reach the green he flipped a beautiful little pitch over the bunker to easily save his par.
Lahiri had the best of the group’s scoring until he pulled an into an awful lie left of the ninth green and he made a five for 73, matching Snedeker.
Smith looked like he would sign for the same until he pulled a little par putt down the hill just enough to spin it out of the bottom corner of the hole. It was an annoying way to finish off a difficult day but it’s early.
They can only hope the wind switches, or by end of the week the man who can survive the opening shot and the first three brutal holes will have the best chance.