Wind, dry conditions give assist to players
Medium-range iron did the job for several on longer Pampas
One of the elongated holes that was pegged as possible trouble at the 70th Masters Tournament wasn't as challenging as it could have been.
Known as Pampas, hole No. 7 played downwind during Thursday's first round. With an accurate tee shot, the longer hitters were within 6- to 7-iron range from the fairway to the green. The short hitters mostly hit 5-irons.
Some, including John Daly and Adam Scott, who made birdies, were even closer, using pitching wedges on their approaches.
"It's all about where you put your tee shot," said Olin Browne, who made par at No. 7, which was lengthened 40 yards.
"I hit 7-iron after a very good drive. You could hit wedge in there in the past," he said. "Thank goodness things are firm here right now and the ball's going somewhere.
"If it rains Saturday, like they're calling for, it could be different."
Leader Vijay Singh birdied No. 7 by using a 7-iron second shot. Fred Couples, Brandt Jobe, Michael Campbell and Stewart Cink also posted red numbers.
The players who didn't hit medium-range irons were normally errant off the tee and into the tree line of the left side.
That happened to South African Trevor Immelman, who was forced to hit 3-iron from the pine straw and bogeyed.
"I wish I had my tee shot back; I just had a bad drive there," Immelman said.
"I'm hitting it longer than I was '84 (his Masters debut), and I'm hitting longer clubs in now than I did then," 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize said.
Reach John Kaltefleiter at (706) 208-2213.
Second shot at No. 7
Which club did your favorite player hit on his second shot in Thursday's opening round?
Player - Club for second shot
Rod Pampling 8-iron
Lucas Glover Pitching wedge
Olin Browne 7-iron
Larry Mize 5-iron
Ben Crane 8-iron
David Duval 4-iron*
Trevor Immelman 3-iron*
Ben Crenshaw 5-iron
Clay Ogden 7-iron
Nick Faldo 4-iron
Miguel Angel Jimenez 7-iron
Rich Beem 8-iron
Vaughn Taylor 7-iron
Raymond Floyd 7-iron
Rocco Mediate 7-iron
Gary Player Heavenwood (similar to 4-iron)
Dillon Dougherty 7-iron
Rory Sabbatini 5-iron*
Charles Howell 5-iron
Paul McGinley 7-iron
Fuzzy Zoeller 7-iron
Michael Campbell 4-wood*
Brian McElhinney 6-iron
Tom Watson 6-iron
Ian Woosnam 6-iron
Tom Lehman 7-iron
Tim Clark 5-iron
Thongchai Jaidee 7-iron
Mark Calcavecchia 6-iron
David Howell 6-iron
Mike Weir 8-iron
Retief Goosen 7-iron
Todd Hamilton 2-iron*
Jose Maria Olazabal 8-iron
David Toms 8-iron
Luke Donald 6-iron
Vijay Singh 7-iron
Henrik Stenson 3-iron*
Arron Oberholser 7-iron
Tiger Woods 7-iron
Edoardo Molinari 6-iron
Robert Allenby 6-iron
Jim Furyk 7-iron
Fred Couples 9-iron
Shigeki Maruyama 7-iron
Charles Coody 3-iron
Ted Purdy 7-iron
Brandt Jobe 8-iron
Tim Herron Pitching wedge*
Nick O'Hern 7-iron
Mark Hensby 7-iron
Sean O'Hair 7-iron
Stephen Ames 5-iron
Justin Leonard 7-iron
Bernhard Langer 7-iron
Zach Johnson 3-iron
Bart Bryant 7-iron
Scott Verplank 8-iron
Colin Montgomerie 8-iron
Joe Ogilvie 8-iron
Shaun Micheel 7-iron
Lee Westwood 4-iron
Ben Curtis 8-iron
Sandy Lyle 9-iron
Billy Mayfair 7-iron
Peter Lonard 4-iron
John Daly Pitching wedge
Carl Pettersson 5-iron
Jason Bohn 7-iron
Mark O'Meara 7-iron
Thomas Levet 8-iron
Darren Clarke 7-iron
Fred Funk 6-iron
Stuart Appleby 9-iron
Chad Campbell 9-iron
Stewart Cink 7-iron
Thomas Bjorn 7-iron
K.J. Choi 7-iron
Chris DiMarco 6-iron
Sergio Garcia 9-iron
Geoff Ogilvy 9-iron#
Craig Stadler 5-wood
Kevin Marsh 8-iron
Padraig Harrington 8-iron*
Phil Mickelson 9-iron
Shingo Katayama 8-iron
Ernie Els 9-iron
Davis Love III 8-iron
Angel Cabrera Pitching wedge
Adam Scott Pitching wedge
* - Denotes errant tee shot
# - His second shot was a chip into the eighth fairway out of the trees to set up his third shot onto the green.
- Jeff Sentell, John Kaltefleiter and Steve Sanders
