Augusta (Georgia): Emotional tributes to much-loved legend Arnold Palmer, including a minute’s silence, and the shocking news that the reigning world no. 1 Dustin Johnson may not even tee up relegated the previous day’s storms, rains, tornado warnings and the cancellation of the par-3 contest to the background on the eve of the 81st Masters.
On Wednesday, stormy weather and threat of lightning and tornadoes
led to the course being shut in the afternoon; the traditional par-3 was cut short and cancelled but all that paled in comparison as news filtered in that Johnson in socks had slipped on the stairs at his rented home.
At 8 am, the first group with only two players Daniel Summerhays and Russell Henley teed off and they were followed by 2008 Masters champion, Trevor Immelman, Brendan Steele and Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela. With only a third of the 32 groups having started, Kevin Chappell led with two birdies in first four holes.
Winds are expected to reach 20-30 mph in the afternoon, making conditions difficult. Even as uncertainty continued to swirl around Johnson’s status, bright sunshine on Thursday greeted patrons, who while walking through the gates, were also presented with ‘Arnie’s Army’ buttons when they enter the grounds this morning.
It was an emotional ceremony, as Augusta National and Masters chairman Billy Payne escorted Palmer’s widow, Kit, to the first tee and also carried Palmer’s green jacket.
“Arnold Palmer way my friend. He was your friend,” Payne said. “It still hurts so bad that he is not here today.” He then asked for a moment of silence before the start of the first Masters in over six decades without Palmer.
Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 Majors, looked up to the sky and doffed his cap to Palmer, before the ceremonial tee-off in the company of another legend, Gary Player.
Even though play had officially begun, all talk centered around whether or not Johnson would be able to recover sufficiently to tee up at 2.03 pm in the final group alongside Bubba Watson and Jimmy Walker.
According to a statement from Johnson’s manager, David Winkle of Hambric Sports, “At roughly 3 pm today (Wednesday), Dustin took a serious fall on a staircase in his Augusta rental home.
“He landed very hard on his lower back and is now resting, although quite uncomfortably. He has been advised to remain immobile and begin a regiment of anti-inflammatory medication and icing with the hope of being able to play.”
Late in the evening, Johnson’s trainer Joey Diovisalvi while speaking to a local radio station, said, “There were three small wooden steps, and he had some socks on, it was slippery and he slipped.
“He landed on the left side of his lower back in the muscular area,” Diovisalvi added. “You know these things happen … but the good news is it wasn’t something that was a flight of stairs.”
