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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Presumptive Jaguars No. 1 draft choose Trevor Lawrence was among the many celebrities watching the primary spherical of the Masters Match on Thursday on the Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.
Lawrence was noticed by photographers on the course, carrying a lavender-colored adidas shirt.
Additionally on the Masters have been Kansas Metropolis Chief stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
It was unclear from the photograph what gap Lawrence was watching the motion. The Masters has limited the number of patrons this yr however the three gamers have been there as visitors of adidas.
Jaguars coach City Meyer has been a frequent patron of the Masters up to now, as has been one other former Florida soccer coach, Steve Spurrier.
Again in bloom:The Masters in April restores some normalcy to golf five months after its November date
Rory plunks his father
There wasn’t a lot for Rory McIlroy to seek out humorous about a spherical of 4-over 76, which included six bogeys throughout a nine-hole stretch and solely two birdies.
However he may chortle at his errant second shot at No. 7 from the pine straw to the left of the green. The ball went straight when McIlroy hoped for a low draw onto the inexperienced, and hit his father Gerry on the leg.
Gerry McIlroy was standing by himself to the fitting of the fitting greenside bunker.
McIlroy’s caddie was heard on digital camera saying, “that was your Dad you hit?”
McIlroy responded, “yeah.”
He mentioned later he knew it was his father.
“It was an ideal shot; it was useless straight,” McIlroy mentioned. “However I feel he was okay. He did not limp away. He walked away fairly swiftly, in order that was all proper.”
McIlroy was requested if he would signal a glove for his father, a frequent gesture gamers make when considered one of their pictures hits a fan.
“He simply must go put some ice on [it],” McIlroy mentioned. “Perhaps I am going to autograph a bag of frozen peas for him. “
Elder has emotional day
Lee Elder returned to the primary tee of the Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on Thursday, 46 years after one other historic second on the identical piece of Emerald Inexperienced grass.
Each have been emotional moments however in very alternative ways.
Elder participated within the conventional opening to the Masters Match, with six-time champion Jack Nicklaus and three-time champion Gary Participant. Elder was to have hit a tee shot additionally however is ill and was content material to look at Nicklaus and Participant begin the match but additionally take pleasure in being honored by Augusta Nationwide.
“For me and my household, I feel it was some of the emotional experiences that I’ve ever witnessed or been concerned in,” mentioned Elder, who was the primary African-American to play within the Masters in 1975. “It’s actually one thing that I’ll cherish for the remainder of my life as a result of I’ve cherished coming to Augusta Nationwide and taking part in right here the instances that I’ve performed right here. It is a fantastic honor … and I need to thank the chairman [Fred Ridley] for extending me this nice privilege.”
Elder shot 74 in his first spherical that day. He went on to play the Masters six instances.
He recalled his nerves earlier than that opening spherical however mentioned taking part in accomplice Gene Littler helped calm him down.
“We have been strolling out to the primary tee, and he mentioned to me, ‘Lee, I do know that is going to be a tough day for you, however I simply need you to know that if I get in your approach, simply shout at me as a result of I generally tend to do these issues,'” Elder mentioned. “I had a beautiful spherical that day … I used to be very joyful to shoot the 74 I did that individual day.”
Elder mentioned he additionally remembers getting a heat welcome from the patrons on each tee and inexperienced.
“Large ovations,” he remembered.
Caddie recollections
Get Nicklaus and Participant collectively and there will probably be some tall tales.
On Thursday after they hit their tee pictures, the topic turned to the Augusta Nationwide caddies, which gamers have been required to make use of till 1984.
Nicklaus’ first caddie, when he was an novice, was a person he knew solely as “Pon.” Nicklaus missed the minimize that yr however he returned, he requested the caddie grasp for Pon once more.
Besides Pon was having none of it.
“He mentioned, ‘Effectively, I do not need to caddie for Mr. Nicklaus,'” Nickalus mentioned. “He labored too laborious. He comes too early and he leaves too late. I do not need to try this.”
The caddie masters then requested for volunteers and Willie Peterson raised his hand. Peterson, who has since handed away, then caddied for Nicklaus for his first 5 Masters victories.”
“Willie was a beautiful man,” Nicklaus mentioned. “I cherished Willie, and I miss him.”
Participant’s first Augusta Nationwide caddie was Ernest Nipper, who Participant mentioned stays the perfect caddie he ever had.
“He was an excellent golfer,” Gamers mentioned. “He lived right here … knew his greens inside out.”
Participant remembered one distinction of opinion with Nipper on a putt, at No. 4. Participant learn left edge. Nipper noticed it on the fitting edge.”
After a quick debate, Nipper instructed Participant that if the ball did not go the best way he mentioned, Participant did not should pay him that week.
“Now I am satisfied,” Participant mentioned. “It went proper within the center.”
Sea Island duo first out
After the ceremonial tee pictures have been hit, the primary opponents to play have been Hudson Swafford and Michael Thompson, two former SEC gamers who each stay on St. Simons Island, Ga., and apply and play on the Sea Island Resort.
Thompson, a former Alabama participant, performed the par-5 holes on the second 9 at 3-under, with an eagle at No. 13, to make up for bogeys at Nos. 9 and 10. He then bogeyed No. 17 for a 72.
Swafford, who performed on the College of Georgia, had the lead after early birdies at Nos. 2 and 4 however he had three bogeys in a five-hole stretch on the again 9 and settled for a 73.
Swafford was taking part in in simply his second Masters and mentioned being within the first group out was a bit unsettling.
“I used to be a bit of nervous, I am not going to lie,” he mentioned. “Often I haven’t got too many nerves on the primary tee, however a bit of totally different right here for positive. However hit a great one, so type of bought into my very own early.”
Langer retains going
When Bernard Langer final performed at Augusta Nationwide in November, he turned the oldest participant in historical past to make the minimize on the age of 63, and he went on to complete tied fo twenty ninth in his thirty seventh Masters look.
He distinguished himself in opposition to in Thursday’s first spherical with a 74. On the time he completed, he was solely 5 pictures off the lead.
Langer’s spotlight was a birdie on the par-3 twelfth gap, hitting a fabulous tee shot to inside 6 feeet.
“The course is ideal as standard,” he mentioned. “In April it is a good time for the match to be right here. The grass is rising in abundance, they usually take nice care of each element. It is enjoyable to be again in April. It is a greater time of the yr.”
Langer nonetheless needed to make some concessions to age. He hit a 5-iron into the par-3 sixth gap, whereas taking part in accomplice Will Zalatoris, almost 40 years Langer’s junior, hit 9-iron.
“He is 4 irons longer than the identical gap,” Langer mentioned of Zalatoris, who shot 70 in his first Masters spherical. “It is simply laborious to think about.”
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