Golf

Singh pokes holes in Mickelson's round

By BOB HARIG
Published April 9, 2005

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Play was brief Friday, but there was plenty of time for a tiff between two of the top players in the world, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson.

Singh, who played a group behind Mickelson during the completion of the first round, apparently was miffed at encountering spike marks on the greens. Singh asked officials to check Mickelson's spikes, and two approached him on the 13th hole.

"I was extremely distracted and would have appreciated if it would have been handled differently or after the round," Mickelson said in a statement.

He went on to bogey the 14th hole and did not make another birdie, finishing with 70.

Mickelson recently started wearing longer spikes and said he would have been glad to change if they were a problem.

Will Nicholson, chairman of the Masters competition committee, said the officials determined there was no problem with Mickelson's spikes. "If there were those spike marks, it was created by a person or persons unknown," Nicholson said.

The story did not end, however.

"After sitting in the locker room for a while, I heard Vijay talking to other players about it and I confronted him," Mickelson said. "He expressed his concerns. I expressed my disappointment with the way it was handled. I believe everything is fine now. ... Given the wet and slippery conditions, more than a third of the field is using steel spikes. And again, I will make every effort to tap down whatever spike marks I may leave."

Singh, who shot 68, was unavailable for comment.

WHY NOT EARLIER?: Several players wondered whether the conclusion to the first round could have been started earlier Friday. Officials waited until 9:45 a.m., wasting at least an hour of daylight that could have helped players complete more holes before weather suspended the second round.

"Our primary consideration was to have the course as playable as it could be for the players," Nicholson said.

Asked if TV considerations had anything to do with the late start, Nicholson said: "Our primary concern is the players and the condition of the course for them to play the game we are here to see."

SUBAIR: Imagine what the situation at Augusta National might be like without the suction systems located beneath the greens. Each has a SubAir, which helps suck the water out of the surfaces. The first one was installed at the 13th green in the mid 1990s, and now there are permanent SubAirs under every green. There are also SubAirs at crosswalks for the first, second, third, eighth and ninth holes, as well as the No.18 green. Portable SubAirs are located at the fifth, seventh, 11th and 18th holes.

SINGH-ING IN THE RAIN: Singh's first-round 68 was his best start at the Masters and put him one stroke behind leader Chris DiMarco. Singh had twice shot 69 in opening rounds. He led the field, hitting 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

TIGER WOES: Tiger Woods' first-round troubles continued. Since winning in 2002, Woods has failed to break par in three subsequent first rounds, putting himself in a huge hole. He shot 74 with bogey at the par-5 eighth hole, his second on a par 5. The 74 was Woods' ninth straight score in the 70s on the PGA Tour, his longest stroke-play streak since he went 15 consecutive rounds in the 70s in 1999. In each of his eight major-championship victories, Woods never opened with worse than 70.

AROUND AUGUSTA: For the second time, DiMarco was the first-round Masters leader. No first-round leader has won since Ben Crenshaw in 1984. ... The threesome of defending champion Mickelson, U.S. Amateur champion Ryan Moore and Stuart Appleby was the only group with all players under par in the first round. ... Appleby's 69 was the first time in 23 Masters rounds that he had broken 70. His best finish here was a tie for 21st in 1997.

[Last modified April 9, 2005, 07:10:29]