Posted on 04/07/2005 1:36:20 PM PDT by ZGuy
Former winner Billy Casper hit five balls into the water on his way to a record 11-over 14 at the par-three 16th in the U.S. Masters first round on Thursday.
The 73-year-old American, Masters champion in 1970, was successful with his sixth attempt off the tee before running up the highest score ever achieved on a single hole at Augusta National.
The 170-yard 16th, named Redbud, requires an exacting tee shot played entirely over water.
American Tom Weiskopf produced a 10-over 13 at the par-three 12th during the 1980 Masters while Japan's Tommy Nakajima ran up an eight-over 13 at the 13th during the 1978 tournament.
Casper, playing at the Masters for the first time since 2001, was eight over for his round before his tale of woe at the 16th hole.
A winner of 51 titles on the PGA Tour between 1956 and 1975, he last made the cut at the Masters in 1987 when he tied for 50th.
Let's see....
Five balls in the water, then put the eleventh shot on the green. A simple three-putt and there's your fourteen!
Guess he won't be making the cut!
There ought to be a rule that once you got a 10 on a hole, you are automatically out of the tournament.
What an embarassment!
The guy is 73 years old, for gosh sakes. Can't we give him a break? It isn't a simple hole to play. I would imagine a lot of us young-uns would put a few in the water on that hole.
I wonder how close he came to running out of balls for the round......
That guy must be really bad. I've scored a 20 on a par 3 before and I'm not even a pro!
I've always wanted to play like a Masters Champion. Now I do.
My understanding is that any previous Masters champion is eligible to play, and that's why Casper is allowed to play in the tournament, regardless of his age.
This is a symptom of a problem the Masters has. The number of older past winners playing is growing, and it means players with would be a reasonable chance to at least make the cut can't play.
I expect a change to the rule about former champions soon.
Or he can take a Mauna Loa for such a volcanic performance!
"The guy is 73 years old, for gosh sakes. Can't we give him a break? It isn't a simple hole to play. "
Please. It's a 7 or 8-iron. And that's only the tee shot. The drop area is no more than 110-120 yards. I could go out there right now and make no worse than a 5, and that only due to not being used to the blazing putting surface.
The guy shot a 106. This is disgraceful and insulting to the hundreds of other golfers slighted by non-invites so that past champions like this can go out there and embarrass themselves.
Keep the past-champion invites - fine. But open the field to other deserving golfers too, if you're gonna let guys hack their way to the embarrassing scores the senior past champions usually post.
I mean, c'mon - 106!?
Yeah...no kidding.
Anybody talking smack about Billy Casper is a tool.
He is 73 and was playing from the tips in wet and windy conditions at Augusta.
Let's see the people talking smack take that on....
And then let the people talking smack look in their closet and realize that they DONT have something that Billy DOES have......A GREEN JACKET.
Oh...and he has two other major championships as well.
The good thing about the Masters is the tradition. And Billy is part of that.
There are too many people who took up golf in the big recent trendy years who simply do not understand the traditions and gentleman attitude of the game.
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