Langer rolls back the years

Bernhard Langer
12 April 2012

After Greg Norman and Tom Watson at the last two Open Championships, Bernhard Langer struck another blow for the golden oldies when The Masters began at Augusta today.

Hours before Tiger Woods set foot on the course for his first event in nearly five months, 52-year-old Langer, champion in 1985 and 1993, went to the turn in a three-under-par 33 to lead the field.

And Watson, runner-up at Turnberry last year at 59 and now 60, was on the leaderboard too. Twelve months after crashing out with a second-round 83, Watson was two under after six holes.

At the other end of the age scale, 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, the youngest player ever to appear in the event thanks to his British Amateur victory last June, kicked off with a birdie.

That was a dream start for the youngster - he makes his professional debut in his home country next month - but he did then fly over the green at the short fourth and with a bogey returned to level par.

Manassero, 13th in the Open last year, was partnering Europe's top player Lee Westwood and the world number four made his presence felt too by getting up and down from a bunker on the 575-yard second and making a 15-footer for another birdie at the next.

However, Westwood three-putted the fourth and, with Langer starting for home with a bogey four, it was American Steve Marino who was setting the pace. He eagled the second - something Woods has never done in his Masters career - and then made a two on the 180-yard sixth.

There was a freshening wind and a storm was predicted for later in the day - probably when Woods was on the course - but there was some good scoring going on from the early starters.

There was also some bad scoring. Ian Woosnam, the same age as Langer and 19 years on from his victory, dropped seven shots in the first seven holes, birdied the next two to turn in 41, but then bogeyed the 10th and 11th as well.

Ulsterman Graeme McDowell two-putted the second for birdie, but double-bogeyed the fourth and seventh, let another stroke go on the sixth and was out in 40.

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