Tough Grind: Amateurs Have Work Cut Out At Masters


April 10, 2008

By Alex Davidson

Augusta, Ga. – The ability to find a kick at the finish meant the difference between a good round and a disappointing one for the three amateurs playing Thursday in the 72^nd Masters Tournament.

U.S. Amateur runner-up Michael Thompson played the final four holes at Augusta National golf Club in one under par and managed to card a 1-over 73 on a sunny, warm and calm day. “I was pretty happy with what I did. I feel like I did real well,” said Thompson, a senior at the University of Alabama who turns 23 years old next week.

Meanwhile, Trip Kuehne and Drew Weaver walked off disappointed as each bogeyed the last hole to drop into the second tier of the standings. Kuehne, winner of the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur and playing in his second Masters, actually struggled in with bogeys on each of the last three to shoot 78. Weaver, the British Amateur champion from High Point, N.C., came home in 76.

The highlight of Thompson’s round came at the ninth when he holed a 30-foot putt for birdie. That offset three bogeys on the outward nine and gave him a shot of confidence.

“It was awesome,” said Thompson. “I was hoping I'd make at least one long putt today, but it was great that it came on 9, right in front of the clubhouse and a whole bunch of people around out there. It was an awesome feeling.

“The putt on 9 made me realize, ‘Man, I can play it with these guys. I can make putts out here.’ It made me feel like a pro when I made that putt. I raised my putter up when it was about to go in, and everybody was cheering and stuff.”

A native of Tucson, Ariz., Thompson also heard a lot of cheers of “Roll Tide” from the gallery in salute to his Alabama ties, where he is an accounting major. “There were more than I could count,” he said, smiling.

For Kuehne, 35, of Dallas, he had too many shots to count.

“The way I played is not how I scored,” said Kuehne. “I made enough mistakes to last a lifetime. My chili is running hot right now.”

Kuehne missed the cut in the 1995 Masters and also can count another Masters experience when he caddied for his brother Hank, a former U.S. Amateur champion, in the 1999 Masters.

Kuehne, a career amateur, is playing in what he said is his last competitive tournament. “It’s the perfect place for me to go out, given that this is Bobby Jones’ place and what amateurs have meant to this tournament.”

But he’s not ready to go home just yet. “I have my work cut out for me when I could have made it a little easier, but I will go all out,” he said.

On Thursday, he was accompanied the entire round by his brother Hank, who has been sidelined by injury, and sister Kelli, a three-time USGA champion. Both are now professionals.

“He was really close to playing well, but he put himself on the wrong side of the hole in some places and you can’t do that,” Hank said. “I know he is frustrated, but he gave himself a lot of opportunities and he has to do the same thing tomorrow.”

“A few loose shots really cost me,” Trip said.

Weaver, who had prepared thoroughly for Augusta with numerous practice rounds in the last few months, chunked his approach shot into 18 for a disappointing five after getting a shot back with a near ace at the par-3 16^th with an 8-iron that resulted in a tap-in birdie. Other highlights included a big 10-foot par save at the first and a par at the 13^th when his ball skirted the hazard on the left but stayed dry.

Still, the final hole stuck in his craw.

“I have no idea what happened on the second shot. I hit it completely fat. There's no way to explain it, no way to sugar coat it,” said Weaver, 20, a senior at Virginia Tech. “I think overall I ground hard, and 76 is OK. I think it was as bad as I could have shot today.

“You know, I’m glad that I have one round under my belt. Glad that I played decent. You see a lot of guys come out here and really, really struggle. But I feel like I played solid – not good by any means, but it was overly bad for my first round at the Masters.”

Of course, his round Friday will have to be better. And that’s what he expects.

“It was a good first day, I think,” said Weaver. “I got a long ways to go tomorrow, but I feel OK about the way I played. I’ll go work on a few things, and see about doing a little better in a few places.”

Alex Davidson is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on www.usga.org.