(L-R) Danny Lee, Reinier Saxton,
Drew Kittleson, Jack Newman, Steve Wilson
Update: They all had their moments, but in the end all five amateurs missed the cut in the 2009 Masters.
Jack Newman began the second round inside the cut line, but a 76 left him three shots over the cut which fell at 1-over.
After a front-nine 34, Danny Lee sat at even par for the tournament, but a 9 at the 10th hole led to a back nine of 47 and a disappointing finish for a player who is almost sure to return to the Masters as a professional in the future.
A double-bogey at #3 left Reinier Saxton at 5-over for the tournament, but 4 birdies put him right on the cut line before losing two shots coming in and missing the cut by two.
After an opening 78, Drew Kittleson came charging back, with two eagles on the back nine including on #11, the hardest hole on the course. But a triple-bogey and three other bogeys meant an even-par 72 and a 6-over total.
And Steve Wilson birdied 3 of the last 4 holes to leave a good taste in his mouth despite a 10-over 154 total.
Final amateur scores:
T58 Reinier Saxton +3 75-72--147
T65 Jack Newman +4 72-76--148
T73 Drew Kittleson +6 78-72--150
T86 Steve Wilson +10 79-75--154
T90 Danny Lee +11 74-81--155
Update: Round 1 has been completed. Amateur scores are:
T39 Jack Newman E 72
T70 Danny Lee +2 74
T75 Reinier Saxton +3 75
T90 Drew Kittleson +6 78
T93 Steve Wilson +7 79
AUGUSTA, Ga. (April 7, 2009)--The pairings have been set for the first two rounds of the Masters, with five amateurs in the starting field.
Expectations are high for
Danny Lee of New Zealand, the #1 ranked amateur in the
Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Amateur Golf Rankings. Lee, who will turn pro immediately after the Masters, has already done something that Tiger Woods never did--win a professional event as an amateur--by taking the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic, a European Tour event in Australia. The reigning U.S. Amateur and Western Amateur champion will tee off at 1:41 PM Thursday with defending champion Trevor Immelman and Adam Scott.
British Amateur champion
Reinier Saxton of the Netherlands enters the tournament as the #5 ranked amateur in the
Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Amateur Golf Rankings. Saxton arrived in America a few weeks before the Masters and competed in the
Azalea Invitational where he finished tied for 7th. Saxton will tee off at 8:44 AM with Ray Floyd and Justin Leonard.
Drew Kittleson of Scottsdale, AZ, who finished runner-up to Lee in the 2008 U.S. Amateur, will tee off at 11:07 with Larry Mize and John Merrick. Kittleson is keeping a diary of his Masters week which can be found
here.
Jack Newman of Des Moines, IA, the 2008 U.S. Public Links champion, will play with Fred Couples and Rocco Mediate at 12:02. Newman had a great finish in the
Masters par-3 contest on Wednesday, finishing tied for 2nd with a 3-under 24.
And Steve Wilson of St. Martin, MS, the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, will play with Tom Watson and Ian Poulter at 11:29.