STADLER OUT TO AVOID ANOTHER BEATING
By Phil Casey, PA Sport, Augusta
Click here for tee-times
Former champion Craig Stadler hit the opening shot of the final round of the
67th US Masters on Sunday, hoping to avoid another beating from his partner.
Nothing unusual in that, except Stadler was not paired with Tiger Woods or
another professional, but Augusta National member Jeff Knox.
Stadler was the odd-man out when 49 players made the halfway cut at Augusta,
the 49-year-old therefore paired with a non-competing 'marker' to play the third
round.
Step forward 40-year-old Knox, the youngest member at Augusta and also the
course record holder off the members tees with a 61 - the tournament record is
63.
Considered one of the best amateur players in the area, Knox's job was to
write down Stadler's scores and keep him company, but he ended up comfortably
beating Stadler's score of 79, holing his third shot from 115 yards on the
eighth for an eagle.
Although Knox's total was not officially recorded, Stadler admitted: "He
kicked my butt. He played very well."
The two were paired together again on Sunday with Stadler propping up the rest of
the field, a birdie on the third and a bogey on the fifth leaving him 12 over
par.
Click here to send us your sporting feedback
|
