AUGUSTA, Ga. — Beware of the ailing golfer.
Jason Day — who was given treatment for an injured back early in his round, limped around Augusta National, often having trouble bending down to retrieve his ball out of the cup — somehow managed to shoot a 2-under 70. He’s just four shot back of first-round co-leaders Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
“Part of me thinks that that’s nothing new,’’ fellow Aussie Adam Scott said Thursday. “He knows what to do. He seems to have a bad back all the time and plays great. So I’m sure he knows what he’s doing. Hopefully, it’s nothing major and he gets through and then he can play the rest of the week.’’
Corey Connors wasn’t even supposed to be here. And yet, after one round of his first Masters, he’s in contention among some of the biggest names in the game.
Connors went from surviving a six-for-one spot playoff in a Monday qualifier to get into the Valero Texas Open field to winning that tournament and earning the final spot in the Masters field.
Now he’ll wake up Friday morning just four shots out of the Masters lead entering the second round, after shooting a 2-under 70.
“It’s been wild, definitely unexpected, but I’m playing some good golf and really excited to be here and honored to be playing in the Masters,’’ he said. “I’m just trying to keep riding the good play. It’s been a bit crazy the last week, but everything’s been great and just trying to really enjoy the experience.’’
Connors teed off in the group right after the ceremonial tee shots hit by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player early Thursday morning.
“I was able to stand on the back of the tee and watch them tee off and really appreciate what they have done for the game of golf and it was a really cool experience to be part of,’’ he said. “I just tried to soak it in and really enjoy it. He just congratulated me on the win and that felt pretty special. I never thought in a million years that Jack Nicklaus would know who I am and it just felt pretty cool.
“And then being in the first group following them, that was pretty special as well.’’
Connors played the Masters in 2015 as an amateur and shot 80 in the first round, following that with a 69 but missing the cut.
“Yeah, 10 shots better, quite a lot,’’ he said.
He called the last week “crazy,’’ adding, “Everything’s still [on a] high. I’m just having a lot of positive emotions. I didn’t really sleep much the beginning of the week, I felt energized with positive things that have happened. I’m just trying to get back into some golf and have some fun.’’
Reigning champion Patrick Reed began his defense with a 1-over 73.
“I was more nervous than expected, coming back and defending it,’’ Reed said. “I felt good when I woke up, felt good during warm-ups and I was on the first tee and I was good even then. Then about two minutes before they announced my name, it’s all right but I looked over and I saw the ‘1’ next to my name and ‘OK, here we go.’ ’’
Bernhard Langer, at age 62 and winner of 39 Champions’ Tour events, shot a 1-under 71. Langer won the Masters in 1985 and 1993.
“There’s a 61-year-old [actually 62] up there on that board and he knows how to play this golf course,’’ Tiger Woods said. “It’s a matter of missing the golf ball in the correct spots and picking your spots and when to be aggressive.’’