It's not like Jordan has missed many shots.

He's been a foot or two from having no shot other than a punch out on 3? occasions and was lucky his ball didn't go in the water at 11, so he's gotten some breaks along with making clutch putts.
He's not in the same form as last year..yet.

LOL
Lousy accuracy on Day's approach at 9.

Spuzz Bubba off to the races as well

Bubba's a toolbag. Birdies the par 5, but sucks everywhere else. I think I heard him bitching at his caddie on #12 when he jacked one over the green, saying, "Pitching wedge, huh!?"

I'd last about 30 minutes as his caddie. Just want to punch him in that smart mouth of his. Shut up Bubba! I can't hit the shot for you dumbass!

Bubba reminds me of a guy in my weekend group. If he's playing decently - nicest guy in the world. If he's not - tough to play alongside with.

I'm surprised that the scoring hasn't been a tad better. The wind hasn't been quite as bad as the forecast initially predicted. Some of these guys (including Phil) have let a reasonably fair scoring day get away from them. Then again, just being out of position the slightest degree around those greens makes par no sure thing.

PA-PLAYA This is why you don't let ESPN anywhere near golf coverage. Els posted a 9 on #1 with 6 putts. Not a 10!!! Check the scorecard ESPN!

    PIGDivot This is why you don't let ESPN anywhere near golf coverage. Els posted a 9 on #1 with 6 putts. Not a 10!!! Check the scorecard ESPN!

    To be fair, the Masters website and the Augusta.com website all had his score as a 10 for the entire round.
    My guess is Els recounted his score after the round and made an adjustment.

    edit:
    Masters officials made the correction.

    Interesting first day. Not a lot of fireworks, but a handful of guys keeping Spieth honest after pretty good opening rounds.

    What I found most interesting is how the back nine really slapped a few notable top-10 players around.

    Jason Day played the last four holes @ +5.
    Despite the 2-putt birdie on 15, Rory threw away two strokes over the last three holes.
    Bubba had only one par over the last nine holes in what can only be described as a disastrous meltdown.
    Fowler played the last nine holes @ +8, and a picture of his PGA Tour mugshot is being imprinted on milk cartons all over Georgia this evening.

    Adam played the last 7 holes @ +3.
    Dustin made double on 11, bogeyed the par5 15th and finished with bogey @ 18.

    Just some really bad mental mistakes by the top players, out of position, in no position to really scramble, and the guys who fought their swings really didn't have much of a chance. And the bad news (or good news if you're one of the guys at +4, maybe +5 depending on what Jordan does Friday) for the guys hoping to sneak inside the 10-stroke cut line is that Friday isn't going to be any easier.

    Jordan showed some of his usual major-type poise today, but he'll have to continue scrambling and putting, and as Spuzz accurately related - he'll have to tighten up his dispersion rate tomorrow. The wind will quickly dry the moisture out of the greens and any mistake made on the wrong side of the hole will be enormously exaggerated.

    Side note: after chipping in for birdie in his opening hole his very first go-round at Augusta, last week's winner Jim Herman finished +3 for the day. Not great, but certainly respectable, especially considering the circumstances.

    Post-round interview comment of the day, courtesy of Spieth:

    "Getting put on the clock isn't that big of a deal."

    WRONG, Jordan. It is a big deal. It takes you and several others entirely too long to hit your shots. Jason Day, hope you're listening.

    That's just a stupid comment, and it wasn't taken out of context. It is a horrible comment, in fact, from a young player who has an opportunity to set a great example to young players everywhere.

    But I forgive you. Just get about your business and stop dilly-dallying around. You're getting a reputation and comments like this only validates those criticisms.

      Supp Ernie, Ernie, Ernie . . .

      Ernie? Shoot look at the blow up Jason Day had

      • Supp replied to this.

        PA-PLAYA
        It's no big deal because it's never enforced.
        Once they do start enforcing it, the tune will change.

        IMO, the role model and set an example mantra is good PR for the pros, but they aren't serious about it.
        They play a different game and live in a different world than the rest of us.

        My Pops noticed the slow play ages ago.
        He started picking out the "TV Golfers" on the course with relative ease and accuracy, more than 10 years ago.

          So far Spieth has been playing fast enough to avoid getting penalized. and I expect it would become a big deal once that happens.

            Supp So far Spieth has been playing fast enough to avoid getting penalized. and I expect it would become a big deal once that happens.

            Well, it's been 20 years since the PGA actually enforced the rule as it's written (Glen Day) and the most recent one was picking on a poor 14 year old amateur 3 years ago at the Masters.
            So in reality, it is not difficult to avoid being penalized and I would add, if you are a "name" player, you would have to be crawling around the course to lose any strokes on your card.

              Spuzz new punishment for being put on the clock. Next round you will be paired with Bernhard Langer and Kevin Na. You are guaranteed to be the fastest player in that group and you'll wish you never played slow again.

              Spuzz
              I had no idea it had been that long since that rule had been enforced. It seems there's almost no point to having that rule in the first place.

                Supp

                You have to be put on the clock 10 times in a year and then you get fined 20 grand
                Spieth could pay that right out of his wallet in cash.
                It really is "no big deal" as he said.

                Slow play is obviously not enforced on the regular PGA tour, but there have been notable instances on the European Tour, as well as the example Spuzz mentioned a few years back in the Masters, where slow play is penalized.

                And although (unfortunately) Spieth is ultimately correct that it's not a big deal (because of the non-enforcement mindset on the regular tour) it's still a very poor example to make such a claim openly, especially considering that it's a young player who will likely be in the spotlight for several more years acknowledging as much.

                It's not so much an indictment of one player's indifference, but more so Finchem's indifference and unwillingness to change it, and how that has morphed beyond just what happens in the weekly non-major events.

                Spuzz

                Yeah, I thought that was one instance where the Masters really screwed things up. You've got Jim Furyk who takes an hour to size up a 3 footer, in the field that week, and they opted to make an example out of a young kid who quite frankly couldn't possibly have been as slow as the notorious violators.

                They (Masters committee) generally don't goof like that, but that year they did. I think that same year they also gaffed with Tiger's improper drop, if memory serves.