Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 6, 1990 TAG: 9004060360
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Randy King sportswriter
DATELINE: AUGUSTA, GA. LENGTH: Medium
Norman, a heavy favorite going into the tournament, once again pulled his usual first-round Masters fade, struggling to a 6-over-par 78 Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.
"I played bad, that's all," Norman said. "I missed a couple of greens, and I missed them at all the wrong places.
"I was kinda like dead out there. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't seem to get zeroed in. I got in a hole and couldn't get myself out of it mentally."
The Shark's round had no bite whatsoever. He bogeyed four of the first six holes and the bleeding never stopped.
"I never would have expected this the way I've been playing and the way I hit it on the practice tee this morning," said Norman, obviously disappointed. "But I got off to a bad start, lost my concentration and could never get it back."
Jack Nicklaus, Norman's close friend and playing partner, was among the many shocked by Norman's round.
"I was very, very surprised at the way he played," said Nicklaus, who shot 72. "He did not play well at all. He just did not do anything right. He kept saying to himself, `What in the world am I doing?' "
Nicklaus, who like many players picked Norman to win the Masters this year, said he felt "sorry for him because I know he wanted to win the tournament badly."
Norman, whose first-round failures at Augusta have been well-chronicled here this week, claimed he can still win the tournament.
"I'm 14 shots back [of leader Mike Donald]," Norman said. "I've been there before. There are three rounds to go."
Maybe. But he has to survive the 36-hole cut first.
Arnold Palmer, who hadn't broken 80 in the first round of the Masters since 1984, was rather steamed after shooting 76.
Palmer was at par through 10 holes before encountering a long wait on the fairway at No. 11 and at the 12th tee. Palmer bogeyed 11, then made a triple-bogey at the tricky par-3 12th.
"They [workers] were blowing leaves and pine droppings off both greens and we had to wait about 10 minutes both places," Palmer said.
"I was going good until that episode at 11 and 12. I was everywhere at 12 - in the water, in the sand twice.
"Then, I played the last five holes well. I was looking to have a good round. It's been a long time since since I had a good one here."
\ Record practice-round crowds for this week's Masters may force the Augusta National Golf Club to limit practice tickets next year.
"It's very likely," said Hord Hardin, the tournament chairman. "We can't go on this way. It's finally caught up with us.
"We weren't ready for this many people [some 40,000 on both Tuesday and Wednesday]. They are not the normal gallery people and we didn't have adequate control of the crowd.
"We don't want to run out of sandwiches. We felt unlike the Masters in that we failed in some ways. We like to run a first-class show, nothing that's second-class."
With the four-day Masters tournament badge being the toughest ticket in sports, many fans came to see Augusta during the practice rounds played Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
But because of this year's throng, Hardin said the tournament may have to begin selling a three-day practice season ticket or restrict practice-day sales.
"I don't think we can go on selling daily tickets at the gate," he said.
Hardin also addressed another brewing problem - counterfeit tournament badges. On Thursday, the lines of fans moving into Augusta National were slowed as officials hand-checked each badge.
"There could be thousands of fake tickets," said Ron Rohlfs, an agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
"The counterfeiters are not good, they're excellent. But there's enough differences to tell they're counterfeit."
\ CHIP SHOTS: Bill Britton, who shot a 5-under 31 on the back nine to finish with 68, holed a 9-iron from 135 yards for an an eagle-2 at the 405-yard 14th. . . . Clemson's Chris Patton, who tips the scales at more than 300 pounds, was the low amateur, with a 71. If Patton should win, Masters officials may have to sew two jackets together to fit him. . . .
by CNB