Friday, April 12, 2002
Masters Notebook:
Snead clobbers spectator
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Sam Snead participated in his 62nd straight Masters on Thursday, hitting a ceremonial first tee shot that flew right into the gallery and broke a spectator's glasses. But Snead, 89, who is recovering from stroke-like symptoms that surfaced about six weeks ago, wasn't discouraged.
“I got it off the ground,” Snead said after walking off the first tee.
Snead has hit the opening tee shot every year since 1984. The three-time Masters champion, who holds the PGA Tour record with 81 victories, did not stop for interviews, but his son and caddie, Jack Snead, said he suffered a ministroke six weeks ago and is still recovering.
“He's really not capable of doing interviews,” the son said. “He should be up and ready to go in another week.”
Snead, the man reputed to have the sweetest swing in golf, made clean contact in more ways than one. The drive sailed to the right about 100 yards and hit a man in the face. The spectator, whose name was not immediately available, was treated for an abrasion on his nose.
SUTTON WITHDRAWS: Hal Sutton withdrew because of a pulled muscle on his right side. He warmed up but realized he couldn't play before his 9:03 a.m. tee time.
WOMEN AT AUGUSTA One of the few black members of Augusta National says the club should admit women and he will lobby for the change.
The call by Lloyd Ward, the first black CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee and an Augusta National member for two years, brought silence from club officials Thursday. Masters chairman Hootie Johnson declined comment, and spokesman Glenn Greenspan said the club would not have an official response.
Ward told USA Today in comments published Thursday that he will ask club members to begin admitting women.
“I want to have influence from the inside,” Ward said. “I want to talk to members of Augusta and say, quite frankly, that's simply not enough. You've got to have a broader membership, and that includes women.”
Augusta National does not make its membership public but reportedly has four or five blacks and no women among an estimated 300 members. It accepted its first black member in 1990, 58 years after it opened.
BRO ON BAG: Chris DiMarco didn't have to look far to find a backup caddie.
When his regular looper, Pat O'Bryan, fell sick this week with the stomach flu, DiMarco turned to his brother, Rick.
“It was nice out there,” said DiMarco, who shot 2 under.
He told O'Bryan not to even try if he wasn't feeling good in the morning, and when the regular caddie said he couldn't go, DiMarco made a quick change. Both his brother and brother-in-law have carried the bag for him in a pinch.
“So, I've got three guys I feel pretty comfortable with,” he said.
DiMarco said he'll stick with Rick even if O'Bryan recovers before the end of the week.
Caddies normally make a base salary plus a percentage depending on how well the player finishes, and DiMarco said the arrangements won't change for his brother.
HOT SHOTS: Toshi Izawa hit his tee shot so far right on the ninth hole, he played the second from the edge of the third fairway. Luckily, there was an open chute through the trees for Izawa, and he got the ball back to the fairway to save bogey. ... On No. 13, Stuart Appleby took his right shoe off and rolled up his pants to hit his third shot out of Rae's Creek. But rules officials determined his club touched the water inside the hazard, which is a two-stroke penalty. Appleby made 8. ... Billy Andrade made a walk of shame on No. 9. He hit his first putt completely off the heavily downsloping green. With his caddie on the other side of the green, Andrade walked over, grabbed his bag, took it to his caddie and then pulled out his sand wedge for the next shot.
DIVOTS: Craig Perks, who qualified by winning The Players Championship three weeks ago, shot 9 over. “It started bad and went downhill from there,” he said. ... Colin Montgomerie stalked off the course and barely looked up after his round of 75. ... Of the nine holes that were lengthened, only No. 10 played easier in this year's first round compared to 2001. ... Asked if the changes are making it tougher, Fuzzy Zoeller replied, “Why don't you just shoot me.” ... Playing in the same threesome, Bernhard Langer and Bob Estes lived up to their notoriously slow reputation. The last group off on Thursday, they finished in 5 1/2 hours, just beating nightfall.
More Masters and local golf coverage at Cincinnati.com/golf
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Masters Notebook: Snead clobbers spectator
