Masters already weaving its magic

Leave it to the barons who oversee a golf tournament that seemingly makes time stand still to orchestrate things so that an icon from 50 years ago would outdrive by a few yards today’s most heralded name.

Is that to suggest 82-year-old Arnold Palmer hit a better drive at the first hole of Augusta National Golf Club than 36-year-old Tiger Woods?

Well, we could quibble about the exactness of that statement, but it sure appeared as if the 2012 Masters got under way in such a fashion. Palmer was joined by fellow legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to fire the opening tee shots, then the honorary starters made their way to the fun and festivities inside the clubhouse. More than two hours later, all eyes turned on Woods, who promptly snap-hooked his ball into a Georgia pine and saw his ball carom backward onto straw.

The well-heeled crowd up beneath the sprawling oak tree behind the clubhouse gasped in unison and many nearly choked on their lemonade.

Had it been 2010 or 2011, seasons that were punctuated by massive swing flaws and personal-life crackups, Woods would have perhaps stumbled to yet another miserable score at a hole called Tea Olive and one that he has played in 17 over for his 66 Masters rounds.

Ah, but Woods’ world appears to be spinning more neatly on its axis these days. Oh, he’s still prickly off the course and hardly has he embraced a better demeanour, but on the course? He recently won on the PGA Tour for the first time in 27 months and the strut is back, the sneer, too, and when he slammed a shot off the pine straw up near the green and got it up-and-down to save par, Woods was off on a round that at times seemed destined to push him into the lead.

Turning in 35, he pushed to two under with a birdie at the 10th and when you peered up at the leaderboard, Woods was only four strokes behind. But the early leader on the course was Henrik Stenson, last seen as a competitive force while winning the 2009 Players Championship, though largely invisible since.

You told yourself that that picture would change, that Woods, playing two groups behind the Swede, would more than likely be close, if not tied, by round’s end.

You had a chance to be right, too, though only because of Stenson’s stunning ineptness.

Perhaps as if to show people why he’s been an afterthought on the world golf stage in recent years, the 36-year-old Swede played the closing hole like a 16-handicapper. He placed some of the blame on mud that stuck to the ball, thanks to wet and soggy conditions due to heavy rainstorms, but he hardly helped his cause by landing his tee shot into the trees and pine straw.

En route to the dreaded snowman — yes, he made an eight at the par 4 18th — Stenson had two more tries with punch-out shots, took his frustration out on one of his irons, hit a wedge over the green, left a pitch shot short, then missed a six-foot putt.

Well, that’s one way to watch a four-stroke lead evaporate, yet after signing his card and cooling down, the Swede discovered what he’ll embrace as perspective.

“Very disappointing finish,” he said. “But I had great fun out there, with two eagles.”

Now if shooting 71 is “fun,” despite a 40 on the back nine, would posting 72 be only slightly less fun? Not a chance, not when the author is Woods, who probably would have preferred to eat a pimento cheese sandwich than stop and talk to the media. With a bogey-bogey finish to settle in at 72, Woods spoiled what had looked to be a promising day. But after that birdie at 10, he failed to score at either of the shortish par 5s, 13 and 15, and then he drove it wide left at both 17 and 18 to finish like the Woods of 2010 and 2011, a time when he was winless and aura-less.

“Old habits,” he said, when asked about a day on which he conceded “I hit some of the worst golf shots I’ve ever hit.”

Certainly, the one at the first tee was worst of all, but the Masters being the Masters, who cares? Tradition, history, and time frozen are hallmarks here, which makes us ask: Did you see The King drive it beautifully?