New Hartford’s Derek Bard is playing in his first Masters Tournament. Follow Bard’s progress at Augusta National with our hole-by-hole coverage.
Thanks for following. Check back tonight for story with quotes from Derek Bard. Also, join us again Friday beginning at 11:27 a.m. for blog on Bard’s second round.
Hole No. 18 (Par 4, 465): Bard hits poor tee shot left then chases approach up short of green. Has 43 yards but room to work with as pin is in back right of green. Poor chip leaves Bard with 45 feet for par. Misses right and knocks in four-footer for bogey.
Score: Bogey. Finishes first round with 4-over 76.
Current Leader(s): Spieth 4-over through 12 holes.
Final Analysis: Bard started off striking the ball extremely well, but couldn’t convert on numerous makeable birdie putts. On the back nine, he lost his swing a bit and put far too much pressure on his short game. On the whole, it was a decent round of 75 in Bard’s debut at the Masters.
Hole No. 17 (Par 4, 440): Another wayward drive leads to tough second. Bard misses green long left and has another delicate chip but some green to work with. Chip comes up 10-feet from hole, leaving another pressure putt for par that breaks left to right. Bard steps up and drills another lengthy par putt.
Score: Par. 3-over after 17 holes.
Current Leader(s): Spieth 4-under after 10.
Analysis: Early on Bard was very good with his drives and irons. Coming in he’s lost his swing a bit an putting added pressure on his short game. Heads to final hole of his first competitive round in Masters.
Hole No. 16 (Par 3, 170): Blocked iron to right once again puts tremendous pressure on Bard’s short game. Will face delicate chip over ridge and toward pond. Decent chip leaves 15-footer for par. Two putts for bogey.
Score: Bogey. 3-over after 16.
Current Leader(s): Spieth 4-under after 10.
Analysis: Loose irons on past few holes have put too much pressure on Bard’s short game. Needs to find swing on final two holes.
Hole No. 15 (Par 5, 530): Another poor drive left is close to tree and Bard could have trouble making full swing. Pitching out far enough to leave a manageable third should be the plan. Force to chip out, Bard has long third into the breeze and over water. Third finds sand and leaves long, slick shot. Poor time puts group on clock. Bunker shot leaves Bard with 10-footer for par. Bard calmly knocks in par putt. Big putt.
Score: Par. 2-over after 15 holes.
Current Leader(s): Spieth 3-under through eight.
Analysis: Great par after poor tee shot and approach. Three holes left, beginning with famed par-3 16th.
Hole No. 14 (Par 4, 440): First really poor tee shot finds trees on left side. Could be pitch out if he doesn’t have clear pat to green. Bard finds gap in trees and his approach is just over the back edge, leaving tough chip/putt to back left pin. Third leaves Bard with six-footer, which he drills for par.
Score: Par. 2-over for tourney.
Current Leader(s): Spieth at 3-under.
Analysis: Bard hanging tough, despite not putting his best. Needs to hang in there and finish strong.
Hole No. 13, Par 5, 510): Drive doesn’t draw enough and misses fairway right on dogleg left. Bard has 224 yards left, but is forced to layup to 66 yards. Good position but a delicate shot over Rae’s Creek. Bard hits wedge long, leaving really tough up-and-down attempt. Decent chip leaves five-footer that Bard knocks in for par.
Score: Par. 2-over for tourney.
Current Leader(s): Spieth, Johnson, Paul Casey at 2-under.
Analysis: Nice par after misjudging distance on third shot. A birdie hole, but a par is never a bad score.
Hole No. 12 (Par 3, 155): Bard hits green pin-high left, but has 32 feet for birdie. Still a good shot with tricky, swirling winds. Bard drills birdie putt!!
Score: Birdie. 2-over after 12 holes.
Current Leader(s): Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson at 2-under.
Analysis: Great birdie comes when he needed something to happen. Now if he can hit good drive will have opportunity to make another birdie on the par-5 13th.
Hole No. 11 (Par 4, 505): 291-yard drives leaves 211 yards to right pin. Difficult shot that Bard will have to manage. Don’t want to short-side self with miss to right, but water hazard is left. Par would be great score. Approach come up short and a little right. Leaves uphill chip with good right-to-left break after it hits green. Delicate chip comes up well short making at least a bogey likely. Misses par putt short and left.
Score: Bogey. 3-over after 11 holes.
Current Leader(s): Bernd Wiesberger and Zach Johnson 2-under.
Analysis: Tough stretch for Bard, who is missing in tough spots which puts pressure on short game that has struggled up to this point.
Note: Derek Bard can be seen on tournament coverage on Amen Corner (Holes nos. 11-13) at: https://www.masters.com/en_US/watch/live.html?videoChannel=ac
Hole No. 10 (Par 4, 495): Another great drive for Bard on the difficult 10th leaves him 184 yards to the pin. Iron misses green right, leaving tough up-and-down for par from greenside bunker. Short-siding himself, Bard is only able to keep bunker shot to 24 feet for his par putt and edges the hole and taps in for bogey.
Score: Bogey. 2-over after 10 holes.
Current Leader(s): Bernd Wiesberger 2-under through eight.
Analysis: One of his first poor irons leads to bogey. Bard must right the ship on the difficult par-4 11th and par-3 12th. Then he has some scoring holes.
Hole No. 9 (Par 4, 460): Bard blasts 326-yard drive down right side but misses fairway. Has 149 yards and good angle to pin for his approach to sloped green with false front. Iron approach finds back of green but leaves 47 feet for birdie. Two putt would be good from there. Tough first putt with right-to-left break leaves Bard eight-foot uphill putt for par. Misses par putt and taps in for bogey five.
Score: Bogey. 1-over after nine holes.
Current Leader(s): Bernd Wiesberger 2-under after seven holes.
Analysis: If Bard can get his putter straightened out, he’s playing well enough to close out with solid round. He’s been very solid off the tee and his iron play has been sharp.
Hole No. 8 (Par 5, 570): Bard hits nice tee shot and lays up with his second. Has 81 yards to a back pin for his third. Another nice approach leaves Bard 12 feet for birdie. Putt is a right-to-left breaker. Two-putt par for Bard.
Score: Par. Even for tournament, currently tied for 7th.
Current Leader(s): Several tied at 1-under including Tom Watson.
Analysis: Iron game is sharp, but putter has let Bard down through eight holes. Could be 2-3 under, but even is still a good start.
Hole No. 7 (Par 4, 450): Bard hits 295-yard drive down right side and hits another nice approach to leave 18 feet for birdie. Tough putt though, with good break from left to right. Nice birdie attempt misses by 1 foot. Taps in for par.
Score: Par. Even after seven holes.
Current Leader(s): Jaidee (-2) after three holes.
Analysis: Par on No. 7 is always a good score. A good drive on No. 8 will give him great opportunity to get back under par.
Hole No. 6 (Par 3, 180): Another great iron from Bard leaves him 8 feet for birdie. Being on proper tier, Bard should give this putt a good run. Another missed opportunity as birdie putt skirts hole. Easy par.
Score: Par. Even after six holes, two shots back.
Current Leader(s): Thongchai Jaidee (-2) after three holes.
Analysis: Three missed birdie opportunities in a row, but Bard is in good position and controlling his irons very well. On to difficult par-4 7th.
Hole No. 5 (Par 4, 455): Bard has 178 yards to hole after 280-yard drive. Pin is all the way in back of green. Bold approach leaves Bard with a 12-footer for birdie. Blasted first putt five feet by hole, but made come-backer for par.
Score: Par. Even after five holes and is one shot off lead.
Current Leader(s): Bernd Wiesberger and Thongchai Jaidee at 1-under.
Analysis: Good start could be even better as Bard has been unable to make two good chances at birdie on Nos. 4 and 5.
Hole No. 4 (Par 3, 240): Tee up today, so hole playing more like 190 and Bard takes advantage hitting an iron within seven feet. Misses birdie putt and makes par.
Score: Par. Even after four holes.
Current Leader(s): Victor Dubuisson and Bernd Wiesberger (-1) after two holes.
Analysis: Hit nice iron to give birdie chance, but par is good score as he heads to tough stretch Nos. 5-7.
Hole No. 3 (Par 4, 350): Bard hit iron off the tee and is left with 131 yards to the pin with his approach. Approach long over green leaving tough chip but has some green to work with. Poor chip rolls off front of green and Bard now faces par chip after being in good position off the tee. Nice bounce back chip to one foot. Bard makes bogey to fall back to even.
Score: Bogey. Even for tournament.
Current Leader: Jim Herman (-1) after four.
Analysis: A few loose shots show how missing in the wrong spots is tough at Augusta. Still off to solid start, but has to manage brutal par-3 4th.
Hole No. 2 (Par 5, 575): Bard hits another fairway which is huge and gives him ability to go for green on this birdie hole. His drive went 310 yards and he has 273 to the pin which is located on the center right of the green. Bard’s second shot finishes left of the green and he will have to pitch over a bunker. Bard almost holes out his pitch and knocks in his 1-foot birdie putt to go 1-under after two holes.
Score: Birdie. Now is -1 after two holes.
Current Leader: Jim Herman (-2) after two holes.
Analysis: Great start. Now another good drive on the short par-4 3rd could give him another birdie opportunity.
Hole No. 1 (Par 4, 455 yards): Bard managed his nerves to stripe a drive 302 yards to the left center of the fairway. His approach from 164 yards finds the center of the green, 35 feet from the hole. His uphill birdie putt comes up three feet short, but Bard handles the putt and makes par.
Score: Par
Current Leader: Jim Herman (-2) after two holes.
Analysis: Good start for Bard. Handled the nerves and now heads to a manageable par-5 if he can get his tee shot in the fairway.
Masters Leaderboard
Nick Sardina is a writer for midyorksportsreport.com. Follow Nick onTwitter @nsardinamysr or on Facebook. Contact him via email at [email protected]