AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre extended his middle finger in frustration after carding a quadruple bogey on the par-5 15th hole during the first round of the Masters.
MacIntyre was 3-over-par when he reached the 15th hole. His first approach shot ended up in the water in front of the green, prompting him to hold up his middle finger. MacIntyre then dropped another ball and proceeded to watch that attempt spin back and into the water as well.
That led to a quadruple bogey 9 that dropped MacIntyre to 7 over. He went on the bogey the 17th hole as well, finishing the day with an 8-over 80. MacIntyre’s struggles continued as he reached 10 over with a double bogey on the first hole Friday to fall further below the cut line.
However, the damage was really done on what is traditionally one of the easiest holes to score on at Augusta National. And he could face potential disciplinary action for giving the course the middle finger.
Dry and firm conditions led to a 74.65 scoring average on Thursday, and the 15th was the only par-5 to play over par at an average of 5.12 shots. It was still the fifth-easiest hole on the course during the first round, but MacIntyre was hardly its only victim.
Patrick Reed attempted to reach the 15th in two with a 7-wood that he struck well, only to see it bounce off the green and wind up in the water off the 16th hole. He chalked it up to bad luck on a really firm green. Gary Woodland barely escaped the same fate, watching his second shot roll down the hill and stop just feet from joining Reed’s in the water.
Fred Couples arrived at the 15th inside the top-10 at 2 under, only to suffer the same fast as MacIntyre, watching two balls roll back off the front of the green into the water. He also carded a 9, followed it up with a double bogey on the 16th and finished the day with a 78.
“I’ve played I don’t know how many rounds. I’ve never done that, hit it in the water going for the green. Never hit a 90-yard shot in the water and then followed up with another one,” Couples said. “I’ve played 41 years here. I’ve never done that.
“It was kind of like a shot I can handle, but I wasn’t even trying to handle it. I was just trying to hit it 30 feet right. No one is going to hit it in there five feet I don’t think. The greens are like concrete. The course was really, really good.”
Adam Scott also saw his approach on the 15th wind up back in the water. Unlike Couples, Scott opted to use the drop area in front of the water rather than dropping another ball in the same spot. Scott pitched it to the back of the green and salvaged a bogey.
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
