Will History Repeats Itself for Tiger Woods?

But one round doesn't make a Masters champion.

"No one's won anything yet," said Adam Scott, who shot a 71. "We could be here on Sunday and see the same scores at the top of the leader board depending on the weather and how they set up the course."

Woods didn't disagree.

"It's a long week," he said.

"Weather's going to start changing a little bit here. You've got to just keep patient. Stay with it.

"It's not like I haven't been in this position before."

Funny he should say that. He's shot 70 in the first round here three previous times — 1997, 2001 and 2002.

He won each time.

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Tiger's 70 included missed opportunities
by Robert Lusetich

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The cacophonous roars returned to Augusta National — indeed, the patrons were hoarse by day's end, such was the birdie-fest they'd cheered — but for Tiger Woods there were mostly groans and sighs after he missed the chance to post his best-ever first round at a Masters.

After blocking a 6-footer for birdie on 17, then taking bogey upon sailing the green on the last, Woods finished at two under, his 70 good enough for a tie for 20th but five shots adrift of first-round leader Chad Campbell.

"Overall, I'm pleased with the way I hit the golf ball, I just didn't make many putts," said Woods, who tied his previous best first-round score here. "And I let a couple of shots slip away at the end there."

The greencoats who guard the integrity of the National clearly listened to the chorus of complaints from fans and players — led by Woods — alike that the Masters had lost its mojo.

They set up the course so it would rain birdies and — helped by a perfect, windless sunny day — the field responded by setting a Masters record for most rounds in the 60s (19) on an opening day.

More records could've fallen. Campbell, a flat-swinging Texan who's not afraid to go low, had it to nine under par through 16 holes before stumbling with two bogeys.

The tournament record is 63, held by Nick Price and Greg Norman, and with soft, receptive greens, generous pin positions and the field playing what amounted to the forward tees, even the 54-year-old Shark felt he'd left shots out there when he came in with a 70.

"I had a lot of opportunities, really could have shot a nice, mid-60s score today," Norman said.
This was such a change from the dour grinding of the past two Masters that even 50-year-old Larry Mize got in on the act, shooting a five-under-par 67. And this from a guy who's managed just one top-10 finish on the old-timers' circuit this season.

"I guess it turned the clock back a little bit," said the 1987 champion.

"(But) there were definitely some more chances for birdies than there have been in the recent years. And I think that's a good thing and I think they (the tournament committee) do, too, and that's why they did it."

Irishman Padraig Harrington, who's in search of his third major in a row, said the course was so hospitable that he felt anxious that he wasn't keeping up with the Campbells and the Jim Furyks and Hunter Mahans, who both shot 66.

"It was a day for scoring," said Harrington, "Definitely one of the more generous days ever around Augusta."

"There was a little bit of urgency out there when I was level par, one under par."

If he felt a sense of urgency at one under par, after eight holes, Woods must have felt like he was pedaling up a hill while everyone else was speeding past in Lamborghinis. With the leader board awash in red, he had all pars and a bogey on the par-3 sixth. Unlike his modus operandi at Bay Hill, where he was indifferent off the tee but found a way to score, he was hitting it well enough — he finished with 14 greens and 10 fairways — but the putter wasn't his friend.

After mis-reading a birdie chance on the par-5 eighth, Woods clearly decided that if the putts wouldn't fall, he'd just have to hit it closer, which he did on the ninth, setting up a 3-footer for birdie.

"I didn't make any birdies till 9, so it was nice to turn with some kind of momentum going into the back nine," he said.

He threatened the leader board after three straight birdies beginning on the par-5 13th. "After seeing the scoreboard, I knew everyone was making birdies everywhere on that back nine, so I knew it could be had with good shots," he said.

"Basically, I was in position to shoot four under par, and I just didn't get it done."

Another who didn't get it done was Phil Mickelson. The two-time Masters champion wasted a perfect opportunity to challenge Woods for the world No. 1 ranking on what he admitted was a course playing "as easy as I've seen."

"I drove it terrible. I played terrible. Putted terrible," said Mickelson, who shot a 73.
But one round doesn't make a Masters champion.

"No one's won anything yet," said Adam Scott, who shot a 71. "We could be here on Sunday and see the same scores at the top of the leader board depending on the weather and how they set up the course."

Woods didn't disagree.

"It's a long week," he said.

"Weather's going to start changing a little bit here. You've got to just keep patient. Stay with it.
"It's not like I haven't been in this position before."

Funny he should say that. He's shot 70 in the first round here three previous times — 1997, 2001 and 2002.

He won each time.


Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/9437716/Tiger's-70-included-missed-opportunities?MSNHPHMA