ADAM Scott’s worst start to the Masters in 12 years may already have scratched him from contention for another green jacket but he is determined to fight his way back into the reckoning.
The 2013 champion cursed his erratic iron play in his four-over-par 76 which was magnified by wind gusts of up to 50km per hour on a brutal day at Augusta National.
Scott’s round already has him 10 shots adrift of defending champion Jordan Spieth, who produced a superb six-under 66 that was without a bogey blemish.
“It was a tough day and I need a solid one from the first hole in the second round,” a disappointed Scott said.
“I found myself a lot without a perfect yardage with my irons and my lines were no good so I left myself a long way away on the greens.
“I was just not sharp enough from the fairways and you have to be around here.”
Adam Scott, of Australia, reacts to his shot to the ninth green during the first round of the Masters.Source:AP
Scott needs a 68 to fight back to even-par and get himself somewhere into the picture although Spieth may not let anyone into the race. He is leading from the front as he did with his imperious 64 to launch last year’s record scoring.
Not since an ugly 80 in 2004 has Scott scored so poorly in the opening round but the big wind factor kept him far better off in the scoring charts than a 76 on a still day.
“I’m super patient and it is a long week here at Augusta,” Scott said.
“I would find it hard to believe that with the wind predicted for the first three days that the leader is going to have three hot rounds. Fair play to him if he does.”
Scott was just one-over standing on the 12th tee. He settled on a seven iron with the wind into his face.
“I hit a beautiful shot, the wind stops and I’m in the back bunker making a really good bogey from there,” Scott said.
“If the ball comes down seven foot away I’ve got a birdie and some momentum with some scoring holes to come.
“It is such a fine line around Augusta.”
Scott cursed his bogey start on the first hole, his nemesis at Augusta. He was 21-over par for his 52 efforts on the uphill par four before today.
He found the left side of the fairway off the tee well enough but his iron ended up just short of the green on the right hand side.
Even after watching Kevin Kisner’s chip come up short, Scott left his short too and took a bogey when he missed his par putt.
Birdies on the sixth and the 11th were his only ones of the day.
Fellow Aussies Marc Leishman (74) and Cam Smith (74) are better placed and Steve Bowditch (79) is well back because of his misbehaving driver and two visits to rae’s Creek on the back nine.
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét