Watson can expect quieter audience as defence of Masters gets underway

Defending champion Bubba Watson and Ian Poulter are likely to find the crowd a little quiet for their taste after being paired together in the opening rounds of the US Masters.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Apr 2013, 10:50 BST
Bubba Watson hits off the fifth fairway during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament Monday, April 8, 2013, in Augusta. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings).Bubba Watson hits off the fifth fairway during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament Monday, April 8, 2013, in Augusta. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings).
Bubba Watson hits off the fifth fairway during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament Monday, April 8, 2013, in Augusta. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings).

Watson caused a stir at last year’s Ryder Cup by encouraging the spectators around the first tee at Medinah to break with golf etiquette by making as much noise as they wanted while he teed off.

Poulter gladly accepted the challenge and did the same, but it promises to be a more traditional scene when he, Watson and 
US amateur champion Steven Fox tee off at 10.34am local time (3.34pm BST) tomorrow at Augusta National.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

World No 1 Tiger Woods, seeking his fifth Masters green jacket, is in the group behind alongside England’s Luke Donald and American Scott Piercy, but Rory McIlroy will have to wait until the penultimate match of the day before getting his challenge under way.

McIlroy is out at 6.41pm BST alongside the man he succeeded as US PGA champion last year, American Keegan Bradley.

American trio Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar and Bill Haas are last out 11 minutes later, while 1988 champion Sandy Lyle is in the first group out in the tournament proper at 1pm BST (8am local time) with John Peterson and amateur Nathan Smith.

Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer will again act as honorary starters a few minutes earlier, hitting tee shots on the par-four first before retiring to the clubhouse.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lee Westwood, third last year and second in 2010, has 2003 champion Mike Weir and former US Open champion Jim Furyk for company at 2.06pm BST, while Welsh debutant Jamie Donaldson is out at 4.29pm alongside 1998 winner Mark O’Meara and Scotland’s Martin Laird, who only secured his place by winning the Texas Open on Sunday.

Westwood will hope to mount a strong challenge for the Masters for the third time in four years as he approaches two potentially significant career milestones.

The first major championship of the year will be Westwood’s last before he turns 40, something which prompted Colin Montgomerie to state “time is running out” for his former Ryder Cup team-mate.

“Very few players win or get better in their 40s,” added Montgomerie, who is also a member of the unpopular “best players not to win a major” club.

The 77th Masters is also Westwood’s 60th major championship; in their first 60 majors, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus had both claimed 14 victories.

Tearful Watson: Page 20.

Related topics:MastersRory McIlroy