MASTERS NOTEBOOK | From Augusta

Nicklaus' putter: When Jack Nicklaus talks, people usually listen. The same can't be said for golf balls. Because of a balky putter, the Golden Bear failed to cash in on a handful of birdie tries in the opening round. That left him at 2-over after 17 holes, when darkness forced officials to suspend play. "This is a golf course where you've got to make some putts," Nicklaus said, "and I didn't make putts." Nicklaus hasn't been a serious contender at Augusta since 1998, when he finished sixth. At 64, the six-time champion hinted earlier in the week this might be his last visit as a competitor. At the par-4 14th, his drive went 310 yards down the middle, and his approach landed 30 feet to the right of the pin. It looked as if he'd read the tricky break perfectly, but the ball rolled past the cup even as he yelled, "Break!" When it finally stopped 5 feet past the hole, Nicklaus looked at the gallery and said, "That wasn't good, was it?"
Amateur hour: Amen Corner is supposed to be a place to fear at Augusta National. Amateur Brandt Snedeker doesn't seem to know that. The U.S. Amateur Public Links champion birdied all three holes of the treacherous stretch Thursday, en route to a round of 1-over-par 73 in the first round of the Masters. The charge on Amen Corner helped Snedeker overcome a front-nine score of 40 that made him look like a two-day-and-out amateur. The 73 puts him in good position to make the cut.
Masters moment: Donald Blincoe's first trip to the Masters is one he won't forget. He was standing on the right side of the seventh fairway when John Daly's drive landed square on his head, causing a big knot and some queasiness. After getting checked out by a medical staff on duty, he was OK.
-- Associated Press