Golf: English debutant has to settle for opening 69 after dropping shots on final two holes

Published on Thursday 9 April 2009 23:07

ENGLAND'S Ross Fisher bogeyed the last two holes to take the shine off what until then had been a sparkling Masters debut at Augusta National.

While Padraig Harrington began his bid for a third successive major by covering the front nine in a one-under 35, the 28-year-old from Wentworth grabbed six birdies to lead, but in the end had to settle for a three-under-par 69 that left him one behind Tim Clark.

The pace-setting South African, runner-up to Phil Mickelson in 2006, was trying to become the first player to win both the eve-of-tournament par-three competition and the championship proper.

Fisher is playing only the fifth major of his career, but has already made his mark in the United States this season with a fourth-place finish in the WGC-Match Play in Arizona.

In near-perfect early morning conditions the European Open champion sank eight-foot birdie putts on the second and third, then converted a 12-foot chance on the short sixth.

A 25-footer followed at the 570-yard eighth, but he turned in 33 after sending his approach to the ninth 30 feet long and three-putting for bogey.

It did not take the wind out of his sails at that point, though. Saving par from seven feet at the 10th kept him at three under and then he fired in a wonderful approach to three feet at the difficult 505-yard par four 11th.

After lipping out from 15 feet on the next he was on in two at the long 13th, but from 20 feet he sent his eagle putt six feet past, missed the return and walked off with only a par.

He holed from similar range for another birdie at the short 16th, but as the wind began to pick up he caught the greenside trap on the next and could not recover from driving into another bunker at the last.

Clark also collected six birdies, but his only bogeys came on the fourth and sixth.

It is hard to imagine Tiger Woods giving a television interview just before embarking on a major – Woods was among yesterday's later starters – but Harrington was prepared to as he arrived for his bid for a third successive one.

The Open and US PGA champion said that for him part of the key was "to smile and not get too intense".

"I have to enjoy the challenge and see it as a challenge. I've got to stay patient and see what happens," he commented.

True to his word, he had a smile on his face as he walked up to an opening drive despite having pulled it onto the pine straw.

Short of the green in two, he scrambled a par, promptly birdied the long second and added another on the long eighth.

Mickelson, with a chance to take over from Woods as world No1, was alongside him at one under after seven, while 54-year-old Greg Norman, back in the event after a seven-year gap thanks to his amazing third-place finish at last year's Open, was two under after ten and part of a group which also included England's Justin Rose – incredibly, the leader after the first day on his last three visits to the course.

Twice champion Bernhard Langer turned in a two-under 34 before bogeying the tenth, while fellow 51-year-old former winners Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam shot 72 and 74 respectively.

That was some effort from Lyle given he started with a double bogey six.

Scotland's only representative in the 96-strong field, the 1988 champion hooked his drive into the trees and had to do the same with his second shot if he wanted to find the green.

Lyle managed the shape, but his ball had far too much on it and from over the green he was left with an almost impossible chip.

The flag was on the back shelf of the 445-yard hole, but he went all the way off the front, chipped back to six feet and missed that.

It was the start of a rollercoaster ride. He birdied the sixth and seventh, bogeyed the ninth and 11th, birdied the 13th and 14th, took six down the long next and birdied the 17th.

Rose hit a spectacular fairway bunker shot to four feet for an opening three and birdied again on the ninth for an outward 34.

Lee Westwood was one under after ten and debutant Graeme McDowell was on the same mark after starting with two birdies and then a bogey on the fourth, but Luke Donald played the first 11 in a desperately disappointing four over.

He was even trailing his 73-year-old playing partner Gary Player. In his record 52nd and last Masters, Player was three over after 13 – and that contained a double bogey on ten.

Reacting to his impressive round, Fisher said: "I've been dreaming about playing in The Masters for such a long time and it's an absolute pleasure to be out there.

"The finish was disappointing, but if you score 69 at Augusta National you're obviously doing something right.

"I'm going to cherish every moment this week, but at the same time I'm here to do a job and have come with a feeling that I have a chance of winning."

As he spoke, however, there was a change at the top with American Ryder Cup player Chad Campbell – halfway leader three years ago – starting with five successive birdies.

In addition to that Japan's Shingo Katayama had gone alongside Clark in second place and still had four to go, while Harrington and Mickelson remained one under after 11 and ten.

Woods was about to start – and behind him in the final group was Northern Ireland teenager Rory McIlroy.

Harrington moved into a tie for fourth on three under with birdies at the 12th and 13th, and as Campbell's blitz came to an end with a par at the sixth, he was joined on five under when Katayama had his fifth birdie of the day on the 15th.

Woods and McIlroy both started with par fours, but the 19-year-old had to work much the harder. He went from bunker to bunker, but played a great recovery from a tricky spot.

Mickelson's bogey on the 11th returned him to the same level-par mark.