AUGUSTA, Ga. >> Losing Tiger Woods to a bad back is one thing the Masters could handle, but world No. 1 Dustin Johnson? Well, that’s another matter entirely.
The best golfer on the planet did everything he could in his 45-minute session on the practice range. He went back and forth with his driver and irons, swinging gingerly, never letting it rip as he spoke with his caddie and coach from time to time prior to his scheduled 2:03 p.m. starting time on Thursday.
It was pretty clear during his warm-up that Johnson would not be out here with the top golfers in the world thanks to a fall down a small flight of stairs on Wednesday that eventually led to his withdrawing from the year’s first major with a tight back and a bruised elbow.
Johnson reportedly couldn’t bend down to put a tee in the ground and he barely bothered with the putter as he left the range in a golf cart that carried him to the practice green behind the No. 1 tee. Even then, you could tell he wanted to make a go of it and said as much a few minutes later to a throng of media members after deciding to sit this one out.
Johnson answered each question with practiced patience as he explained why it was best not to risk further injury, despite being the clear favorite to win this prestigious golf event.
“It sucks,” Johnson said. “I mean obviously I want to play more than anything. Probably another two days and I’d be fine. If this had happened on Monday, I don’t think we’d have any issues, but it happened Wednesday afternoon. Just sitting there on the putting green, I couldn’t swing the club. I’m tight. It hurts. I’m probably playing the best golf of my career and I look forward to this tournament every year.”
About the time it was clear Johnson was out, the leaderboard wasn’t exactly the star-studded affair the patrons here have come to expect. It’s like going to the Academy Awards and the only folks on the stage are character actors.
If you picked the first-round trifecta of Charley Hoffman (7-under 65), William McGirt (69) and Lee Westwood (70), you could retire in Tahiti. Hoffman was a 65-to-1 shot in Las Vegas and holds a four-stroke advantage entering today’s second 18.
Johnson was forced out with his bad back, but his fellow stars who teed it up didn’t fare much better. Past champion Jordan Spieth was in the hunt for a bit before a quadruple-bogey 9 at the par-5 15th dropped him deep into the field with little chance of getting back into contention after a 3-over 75. It was the second straight year the Dallas native carded a quadruple bogey and it left him as frustrated as anyone on the scene.
Justin Rose (71), Phil Mickelson (71) and Sergio Garcia (71) are close enough to make some noise as they are among the 11 golfers who broke par. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy is another shot back with his even-par 72 along with seven other golfers, but jumping over a dozen players and making up seven shots in the process will require some steady play the next three days.
The weather also played a dramatic role, as the winds howled around Bobby Jones’ palace as if every window and door in the place had been left open during a hurricane. Mickelson said on Wednesday he thought the predicted big breeze would help him and it did to some degree, but it’s still a tall order for the 46-year-old.
There was a little island influence as past Sony Open champion Russell Henley was one of the few golfers to land in the red with his own 1-under 71. This year’s SBS Tournament of Champions and Sony Open winner Justin Thomas is tied for 20th with a 1-over 73.
Rose, who finished second to Thomas at the Sony, could be in contention over the weekend. But without Johnson in the mix, there’s a big hole out there that will be difficult to fill. You have to figure Hoffman will come back to the pack. The journeyman has never won a major, but does have one top 10 here in his three previous appearances. He and McGirt got the most out of their rounds in breezy conditions. It’s just too bad Johnson couldn’t say the same.
