Steve Stricker , the fourth-ranked player in the world, appeared en route Thursday to his best Masters Tournament start since 2001.

Stricker, who shot a first-round 66 and posted a tie for 10th seven years ago, birdied two of the first four holes before running into trouble and finishing at 1-over-par 73. He is tied for 33rd.

"I got off to a good start, and the middle of the round got kind of shaky," he said. "One over is not a bad start. Hopefully, I'll get something going tomorrow."

Stricker, who needed just 26 putts, rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the 240-yard par-3 fourth -- one of nine birdies on the hole -- to get to 2-under par.

He later found disaster at the uphill par-5 eighth when he went left into a hazard and finished with double bogey. He added another bogey at No. 9 to move to 1-over for the day.

WESTWOOD WARRIOR: Lee Westwood finished off an opening 69 with a par in fading daylight.

The 34-year-old Englishman posted seven birdies in his best Masters start in nine appearances. He recorded one of just eight birdies at the 505-yard, par-4 11th hole.

Westwood is tied for third place, one shot behind leaders Justin Rose and Trevor Immelman .

STAYING PATIENT: Two-over through five holes, Jerry Kelly remembered what he picked up in his five previous Masters appearances.

"I've learned to take your lumps around here and just keep going," he said. "I knew I was hitting it well; I knew I was putting it well. All you can do is keep working."

Kelly birdied three holes on the back nine to finish at 72.

THAT'S OK, REALLY: North Augusta doctor Dale Gordineer caught "the ball that lost the British Open" last summer when Sergio Garcia tossed it into the stands after missing the potential winning putt on the 72nd hole. Garcia eventually lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington .

Gordineer brought the ball to Augusta National Golf Club on Wednesday to try to get Garcia to sign the ball for him. When Garcia said he didn't sign golf balls (a common practice for many golfers), Gordineer explained the story behind the ball and how it got here.

Needless to say, it was a reunion Garcia wasn't interested in.

"I do not want to sign that ball," Garcia said.

Gordineer wasn't too surprised.

"Can't say I really blame him," he said.

On a brighter note, Gordineer did get an autograph on the golf ball given to him when he was 12 by Arnold Palmer.

"When I told him he gave me the ball 40 years ago, he stated it looked like it had been around 40 years," Gordineer said.

'ARNIE AND JACK': Ian O'Connor will sign his new book, Arnie & Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus and Golf's Greatest Rivalry , beginning at 7:30 tonight at Barnes & Noble at 1336 Augusta West Parkway.

O'Connor, a Foxsports.com columnist and writer for The Record , in New Jersey, will discuss the book and take questions at the signing.

The book ($26), which was released a week ago today and published by Houghton Mifflin, was two years in the writing. O'Connor did more than 200 interviews and had the cooperation of Palmer and Nicklaus and their families.

"It shows the complexity of their relationship," said O'Connor, who is covering this year's Masters. "It chronicles their 50-year rivalry on the course and their business rivalry."

PAINFUL ROAR: Par-3 Contest winner Rory Sabbatini fell to 3-over par after a double bogey on No. 8. His ninth hole was even more painful, but not for him -- Sabbatini's approach shot struck a patron on the forehead.

Dr. Daya Gupta, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was the unlucky recipient of the wayward shot.

Gupta received medical attention and an ice bag immediately, and Sabbatini's wife, Amy , tracked the patron down to apologize. She asked for the visitor's name and address and promised a souvenir from Sabbatini after the tournament.

Sabbatini chipped out of the gallery and managed to save par on the hole. He finished with 75.

CAN I GET A WITNESS?: Amateur Trip Kuehne and 1998 Masters winner Mark O'Meara were both witnesses to the shot of the day. The two friends were in a threesome with Ian Poulter, who aced the par-3 16th.

"He did exactly what you had to do. That's what I tried to do. I tried to aim it to the right over there, hit a solid shot and draw it in there. He hit it and it rolled up there perfect," Kuehne said. "It was pretty sweet watching it go in. The roar was awesome."

Poulter finished with 70.

GOING OUT STRONG: Arron Oberholser said after shooting 72 that this will be one of his last tournaments for a while. The 33-year-old Scottsdale, Ariz., resident is planning to take a long layoff to heal from an assortment of injuries.

In 2007, he played in 21 tournaments and earned almost $1.8 million, despite suffering through back and wrist injuries. On Oct. 31, he underwent surgery to remove a loose fragment of the hamate bone in his left hand. The hand has not completely healed, and he said his shoulder is injured and his neck is bothering him.

"Other than that," Oberholser said, "I'm great."

One week ago, Oberholser was granted a major medical extension by the PGA Tour, allowing him to leave the game indefinitely to return to good health.

Next season, he'll have to play 22 or 23 events to regain his fully exempt tour status.

"I don't play more than 22 events a year anyway," he said. "I'll be fine."