Australia’s main golfers are making ready for Augusta Nationwide to start baring its enamel on Friday with situations on the Masters anticipated to quicken because the weekend progresses. And that might play into the arms of a participant like Cameron Smith.
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The 2022 British Open champion sits in a tie for eleventh at 1-under, six photographs behind in a single day chief Justin Rose, however feels he has lots of enchancment in his sport regardless of ending with a flourish with a birdie on the 18th gap.
“It was good for that putt to go in on the final. That felt somewhat bit higher. I haven’t left myself an excessive amount of work,” Smith instructed reporters.
“For the way I felt on the market, it felt prefer it was going to be a little bit of an extended day. All in all, fairly happy with the rating. (However) if I’m going to win this factor, I undoubtedly must do higher than that.
“Golf is such a bizarre sport. I really feel like my final spherical final week at Doral was most likely the perfect I’ve hit it in a very long time, and popping out right here immediately might be the worst I’ve hit it in a very long time.
“It’s simply such a bizarre sport typically. I felt actually good firstly of the week, (so I) just a bit little bit of clean-up on the vary, and we’ll be good.”
What may stand Smith and his fellow Australians beneath par in Jason Day and Min Woo Lee in good stead is that the greens are anticipated to firmer, which can go well with golfers with good arms across the course.
Fox Golf’s skilled analyst Paul Gow stated that Smith’s brief sport got here to the fore because the 2022 British Open champion long-established a spherical that retains him in rivalry.
He highlighted a chip on the ninth when he felt the Queenslander had “no probability of him getting this up and down” however managed to get the ball to inside “5 to 6 ft” of the tee.
“He’s a wizard round right here, that’s for positive,” Gow stated.
Smith, who attributed his resolution to put on a blazer through the Par 3 contest on the eve of the Masters to an settlement made with Charlie Schaefer, the proprietor of the Greyson Group, whereas having fun with a “few beers”, has little question the situations might be trickier on Friday afternoon.
“It might be good enjoyable on the market tomorrow afternoon I believe, notably if we don’t get any rain. It’s a good enjoyable check out right here and it’s simply going to maintain getting tougher,” Smith stated.
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Whether it is true {that a} golfer must be sitting within the high 10 after the opening day to be able to win the Masters, Day stays an opportunity of being sized up for the inexperienced jacket after a stable opening at Augusta.
The previous world No.1 is the perfect positioned of the Australians at 2-under, Smith and up to date PGA Tour winner Min Woo Lee a shot additional again at a match led by Rose, who isn’t any stranger to zipping out to an early lead at Augusta.
Cameron Davis additionally loved some fantastic prospers however endured a tough end to shoot 2-over, whereas 2013 champion Adam Scott began slowly in harder situations within the afternoon and faces a activity to make the minimize after scoring a 5-over 77.
Eighteen of the final 20 Masters Champions have been positioned within the high 10 after the primary spherical and Day, who sits in a tie for seventh after a high quality spherical, stated; “It was a really, excellent begin to the week, so I’m very pleased with it.”
Having toned it down on the style entrance after the storm he created final 12 months at Augusta, Day narrowly missed a prolonged putt for birdie on the 18th that might have put him in an excellent stronger place, however he accomplished the primary bogey-free spherical of the match.
Outdoors Rose, the leaderboard is compressed, with Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg and Corey Connors at 4-under.
Day stated Augusta is in excellent situation however that the shifting winds made it a difficult check all through the day. He expects Augusta Nationwide, which turned extra testing within the late afternoon, to toughen up farther from Friday.
“In the mean time, (it’s) excellent. It’s actually enjoyable to play. The greens aren’t too agency and quick. They’re very receptive nonetheless. They’re not loopy fast,” he instructed Fox Sports activities Australia.
“They’ve acquired a ok velocity to them however that’s clearly going to alter because the week goes on. I believe tomorrow goes to be somewhat bit tougher after which, clearly, Saturday’s normally the exhausting one (earlier than) they attempt to soften it off in Sunday.”
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Day made 15 of the 18 greens in regulation and stated he was happy with how he had fared from tee to inexperienced.
“I didn’t get myself out of place too dangerous, after which once I did get myself out of place, I had a comparatively simple up-and-down,” he stated.
“Sadly, I simply missed a number of too many alternatives for birdies. However sitting at 2-under proper now in fifth place, I’m fairly pleased with it. The higher you begin, clearly, the better it will get so long as you retain that degree of play up.”
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Contemporary from his breakthrough PGA Tour title in late March, Australia’s No.1 ranked man Lee recorded birdies on the 2 par fives on the entrance 9 on path to scoring a 1-under 71 as effectively, together with his size a characteristic in a stable begin.
The Perth native began with a bogey after an errant tee shot with a brand new membership however discovered his rhythm quickly after and loved a bogey-free run house.
“It was simply a type of issues. I simply pulled my drive. It’s a new membership within the bag, a mini-driver and I drew it off a bit an excessive amount of — I hit it off the toe — however I almost made par after which on the subsequent gap I made a very good birdie … hitting an excellent wedge to 5 ft,” he stated.
“Then it was actually regular from there. There was lots of robust holes that I performed effectively. Nevertheless it was difficult immediately. There have been lots of robust pin positions, however I simply performed stable, even on the again 9, and I used to be pleased with the rating.”
He, too, expects Augusta to be trickier on Friday afternoon however is completely happy to be inside putting distance of the leaders.
“(The course is) nothing too loopy but, however we’ll see,” he stated.
“I’m completely happy. You’ll be able to play your self out of rivalry early. It was a type of the place it was a mentally grinding day. You couldn’t make too many birdies. It was fairly robust. However I didn’t have any bogeys, too, on the again 9.”
Gow, who interviewed the Australian golfers for Fox Sports activities Australia, stated that if the 26-year-old can retain his accuracy from the tee, he can feast on the longer holes.
“All of the par fives listed here are gettable. He simply has to get it on the green. He’s driving properly. He’s placing properly. He simply has to make the most of that,” Gow stated.
Davis had a fantastic flourish on the fifteenth when chipping in from about ten metres behind the inexperienced to eagle the par 5, just for his rollercoaster spherical to proceed when he dropped three photographs on the subsequent two holes to complete with a 2-over 74.
“There was a bit of fine and a little bit of dangerous, sadly,” Davis stated.
“Ending up with a few tough holes sort of hurts after getting all of the momentum in a fairly brief stretch as effectively. I do know that is what this place can do to you if you happen to hit it within the flawed spot a few instances.
“It’s a little irritating, however on the similar time, I had some cool moments. I do wish to get myself up that leaderboard, but it surely was somewhat irritating to complete that approach.”
Scott, in the meantime, is in a tie for 82nd. The veteran began with three bogeys on the primary 5 holes after which double-bogeyed the tenth gap in a troublesome opening.
He’ll tee off within the morning on Friday, the place the situations are anticipated to be extra light, and can want a powerful spherical with a purpose to keep away from lacking the minimize at Augusta for the primary time since 2009.
There’s a prospect of sunshine drizzle when Scott tees off, however the consensus from gamers and pundits alike is that Augusta is definite to grow to be tougher to deal with as soon as the climate clears.
AUSTRALIAN TEE TIMES
Davis would be the first off the tee afterward Friday, Australian time, at 9.40pm alongside enjoying companions Rafael Campos and Austin Eskroat.
Scott can even tee off earlier than midnight in Australia at 11.47pm. He’s grouped with Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland.
Smith is scheduled to start his second spherical at 2am alongside Aaron Rai and J.T. Poston. Lee will start his bid to push into the highest 10 at 3.01am in a gaggle that includes Collin Morikawa and Joaquin Niemann.
Day is the final Australian to start out the second spherical at 3.12am in a gaggle that additionally holds Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley.