The opening day of The Masters was so vicious that former major winners compared it to going 12 rounds with Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield

The opening day of The Masters was so vicious that former major winners  compared it to going 12 rounds with Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield |  Business Insider India

Former champion Sergio Garcia voiced what many of the world’s best golfers were probably thinking Thursday after a brutal opening round at The Masters.

Augusta National bared its teeth on the opening day of the first major of 2021, humbling many of the top players on tour.

So tough was the course on the day that Garcia compared it to fighting boxing icon Evander Holyfield.

“I fought hard, but I feel like I just came out of the ring with Evander Holyfield, like a 12-round match,” said the 2017 champion, who shot a four-over-par 76.

“I need to go home and rest.”

Garcia wasn’t the only player who had a tough opening round, with 2019 US Open winner Gary Woodland also using a boxing analogy to describe his struggles, comparing it to fighting Mike Tyson.

In total, only 12 golfers broke par, led by Justin Rose with his seven-under-par 65, while there were five scores in the 80s.

There were also 12 scores of triple bogey or worse, including a seven at the par-four ninth hole by America’s Jordan Spieth.

Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy shanked a shot so badly at the seventh hole he managed to hit his father in the leg.

—PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 8, 2021

“I should ask for an autographed glove,” McIlroy’s father joked after the moment.

High-scoring on the opening day was largely caused by Augusta’s notoriously undulating greens, which were at their savage best Thursday.

As Insider’s Tyler Lauletta put it, the greens “proved extremely punishing” on the day — something that is likely only going to get worse as the tournament progresses and the putting surfaces dry out even more, making them even faster.

The brutal nature of Augusta this year contrasts with the unusually placid set up of the course at 2020’s tournament, where more than 50 players went under par on the opening day, more than four times as many as Thursday’s total.

Related Posts

“Tears in the Jungle: AngryGinge Collapses Into His Mother’s Arms After His Victory — ‘I Just Wanted to Make You Proud.’ Viewers Say It’s the Most Emotional Finale in Years.” DI

“Tears in the Jungle: AngryGinge Collapses Into His Mother’s Arms After His Victory — ‘I Just Wanted to Make You Proud.’ Viewers Say It’s the Most Emotional…

Jim Carrey ‘Sickened’ by Hollywood’s ‘Spineless’ Standing Ovation for Will Smith: The $200 Million Reckoning

The world watched in stunned silence as the 94th Academy Awards pivoted from its glittering display of cinematic achievement into a globally televised act of shocking public…

The Unscripted Ballroom: Hidden Mics Expose the Raw, Emotional Chaos Behind the Glamour of Strictly’s Legendary Blackpool Special

The Unscripted Ballroom: Hidden Mics Expose the Raw, Emotional Chaos Behind the Glamour of Strictly’s Legendary Blackpool Special There are few locations in show business that hold…

The Hilarious Moment 50 Cent Obliterates Eminem’s Serious Interview With a Single, Iconic Line: ‘Who Is This Guy?’

The Moment the Interview Became an Instant Classic: Eminem’s Serious Film Chat Hilariously Hijacked by a Surprise Appearance In the meticulously choreographed world of Hollywood press junkets…

Thrown Away at a Farm Gate, This Puppy Became Mom to Ducklings DD

What stopped me that morning wasn’t the sunrise. It was my puppy acting like a mother. Down by the little pond behind our house outside De Moines’s…

“You Never Gave Up On Me Once”: Ali’s Heartbreaking, Transformative Farewell to La Voix Shatters the Strictly Ballroom

“You Never Gave Up On Me Once”: Ali’s Heartbreaking, Transformative Farewell to La Voix Shatters the Strictly Ballroom The glittering, high-stakes arena of Strictly Come Dancing is…