Paul Lawrie ended an eight year Masters wait in lighting up Augusta National with two eagles but also remembering his late coach, Adam Hunter.
Despite Americans continuing to pronounce Lawrie’s name as ‘Lowry’, he eagled the par five 13th and 15th holes in a three under par 69 the Masters.
It put the Scot into the clubhouse lead when Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who also had two eagles, posted an ‘8’ at the last in a round of 71.
It also was the occasion of Stenson’s 37th birthday and the triple bogey equalled the highest score ever at the final hole named ‘Holly’.
Lawrie earned himself two sets of special Augusta National crystal goblets, first in sending a superb rescue club second shot from 213-yards to just three feet at the par five, 13th.
Paul Lawrie on route to his lowest ever Augusta National round. (Photo - www.europeantour.com)
Watching Lawrie knock in the putt was former long-time R & A Secretary Sir Michael Bonallack, who is present as an official observer.
Then at the par five 15th Lawrie brought the crowd to their feet to generate the first real crescendo of sound coming from among the Georgia pines when he chipped in from 45-feet also for eagle.
Lawrie then moved to four under par when he birdied the par four 17th from 10 feet but left the course a short time later having bogeyed the last.
His three under par score was the first occasion Lawrie has broken 70 in 15 rounds of Augusta since making his debut in 2000.
“Well, I’m older which I think is a good thing and I would like to think I’m a little more mature, but some would argue that point,” said Lawrie.
“But I kind of feel that this course is all about the speed and patience and I struggled with that on the front nine and then I got into it in the back nine.”
Lawrie had been awoken at 5.45am and arrived at the course just prior 7am.
He then ended an eight year wait walking onto the first tee a few minutes ahead of his 8.12am tee time.
However Lawrie could then broke out in a smile when after introducing former Masters winner, Larry Mize the Official Starter then announced: “Fore please! Paul Lawrie now driving.”
“I forgot that’s how they introduced the players here at Augusta,” he said.
But while Lawrie split the fairway he admitted a bout of butterflies standing back on tee at Augusta National’s 445-yard first hole.
“I always get quite nervous on the first tee at any tournament, I always have,” he said.
“I think it’s a good thing. But no more than normal this week.”
The former Open Champion became the first player in the 76th Masters to eagle the par 13th and also the first in the tournament to eagle at the par five 15th.
Lawrie already has a set of special Augusta goblets he received from competing in the Par Three Contest some years ago and he’s now tripled that number and in a round where he could not recall ever recording two eagles.
And while delighted to be already returning home with additional crystal to add to his Trophy cabinet, Lawrie was also reminded of long time coach, Adam Hunter who passed away late last year.
“Adam is on my mind every day, and I think of him all the time, as you can imagine,” he said.
“It’s just a pity he’s not here.
“He would have enjoyed being here this week because he would have been walking around and he would have been taking notes.
“We then would have gone through it in the house at night. But obviously we can’t do that anymore. But I think of him every day.”
