HOT SHOT
Jamie Donaldson, Wales, hole-in-one: At the par-3 sixth, Donaldson recorded the 24th ace in tournament history. It was the first hole-in-one on the hole named Juniper since Chris DiMarco in 2004. And it was the fifth ace on the hole in tourney history. He said he hit a "soft 7-iron" from 177 yards.
Donaldson describes it: “It’s funny. Like it’s a tough shot, the pin’s high up on the right side, so you don’t know whether to take it on or sort of play just short left, so you got a putt up the hill.
“But my caddie said, listen, you just go straight at it when it’s up there, and that’s what I did. And it was great to see the ball pitch right on line, just short, and it went in.
“So it was pretty special.”
Donaldson kept the ball and said he would probably auction it for charity.
FREE-FALLIN’
British Amateur champion Alan Dunbar lived every golfer’s nightmare: He shot a fat 46 on the front nine with one par, seven bogeys and a triple-bogey 8 on No. 2. He recovered slightly on the back nine with a 37, shooting 83, the worst score of the day.
He was asked to discuss his state of mind while on the train wreck of a front nine.
“I was just trying to stay positive. I didn’t get off to an ideal start. I had trouble at the first and then trouble at the second and then I just kept leaving myself the wrong side of the hole on the front nine.”
When asked if there was a score he feared shooting, he said: “No.”
BY THE NUMBERS
27
The number of cuts made in Masters history by Fred Couples if he survives Friday’s trim. He would be third in tourney history, tied with Raymond Floyd.
73
The lowest score ever shot by a 14-year-old (China’s Tianlang Guan) at the Masters; also, the highest score ever shot by a 14-year-old at the event.
SEEN
Celebrity watch: Skier Lindsey Vonn, now dating Tiger Woods, was spotted in the crowd (see photo gallery on ajc.com). … Darla Moore, one of the two new female members of Augusta National briefly was seen at the media center. ... former Braves first baseman Fred "Crime Dog" McGriff was spotted in the gallery. … former Georgia basketball coach Jim Harrick was noticed in the grandstand near 16th hole tee.
TIGER’S TALE
Woods on his opening round: "Absolutely, it was benign (conditions). Especially starting out. The wind picked up in the middle part of the round. Got a little bit swirly there at Amen Corner, as usual. But overall I think the biggest challenge today was just the speed of the greens. They just weren't quite there. They looked it, but just weren't quite putting it."
IF YOU GO
Forecast for Friday: High of 80 with 50 percent chance of morning showers.
Forecast for weekend: High of 77 and sunny Saturday with zero percent chance of rain; high of 80 and mostly cloudy Sunday with a 20 percent chance of rain.
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