Masters already a hit with the fans

David Smith13 April 2012

The organisers of the 66th Masters were today forced to issue injury bulletins rather than scorecards as a spectator was pole-axed by the first shot of the opening round and American Ryder Cup star Hal Sutton succumbed to a pulled muscle.

Augusta National Golf Club is steeped in tradition, and one of its most treasured is to have an honorary starter.

"Slammin' Sammy" Snead, a three-time Masters champion who has performed the duty of starter with a variety of partners since 1984, came to the first tee having been introduced to a large gallery as being "purported to have the sweetest swing in golf ".

Alas, it turned sour for local resident Phil Harrison, who took 89-year-old Snead's wildly hooked drive full on the bridge of his nose. The blow broke Harrison's glasses and for a while he lay dazed on the ground before being taken away to a first-aid post to be treated for abrasions.

Sutton never even made the first tee, his withdrawal leaving countryman Frank Lickliter and Britain's Nick Faldo without a third member of their playing group.

After a similarly wayward opening drive, Faldo managed to par the first but a bogey five at the fifth, an uphill dog-leg, dropped him off the early leaderboard behind pace-setters Jerry Kelly, Scott Verplank, Kirk Triplett and Jeff Sluman, all of the United States, who were one under par on the front nine.

Defending champion Tiger Woods was among the late starters.

Meanwhile, Andrew Oldcorn has received a call-up to the Great Britain and Ireland team for next week's Seve Trophy at Druids Glen after David Howell was forced to withdraw through injury.

Howell, 26, had qualified automatically by finishing in sixth place in the points table, but cracked a bone in his left arm after a fall and cannot play.

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