MASTERS ROUNDUP | News and notes

A kinder, gentler fourth hole: The Masters showed some compassion Friday, moving the tees forward on the 240-yard fourth hole to the same location members use. It measured about 180 yards, and most players were hitting 5- and 6-irons instead of fairway metals. Then again, the pin was back and to the right. It still was no picnic. Vijay Singh was leading the tournament when he hit a 6-iron that he thought was perfect, just right of the flag. But it was a tad too strong, hopped hard off the slope behind the green and went into the bushes, leading to double bogey. And there was the wind. Robert Allenby hit 6-iron over the green and into the bushes to make bogey. Tiger Woods hits his irons about the same distance, so he picked a 6-iron and came up short into the bunker, also making bogey.
Coody farewell: Charles Coody went out on his own terms, and did he ever go out in style. Coody, who held off Jack Nicklaus to win the 1971 Masters, decided when he arrived at Augusta National that this would be his final Masters. And when he opened with an 89 -- his worst round ever -- it looked as if he couldn't get out of town soon enough. "Yesterday I played poorly," Coody said. "And today I played well." The 68-year-old Texan played so well that his 2-over 74 was his best score since 2000. And he didn't even finish last, beating 26-year-old Charles Howell III by one shot. Coody finished with a 15-foot par save on the 18th hole.
Big numbers: Chris DiMarco holed out from the 18th fairway for eagle, Rory Sabbatini made eagle from the 11th fairway and Brandt Jobe made a 6-iron from the 10th fairway. But for all those spectacular shots came some equally spectacular numbers. David Duval made a 10 on the par-5 second hole, hitting into the woods three times, and one time hitting a stubby hazard stake he didn't even see. He hit everything but the fairway, matching Sam Byrd in 1948 for the highest score ever made on No. 2. Jim Furyk was moving into contention until an 8 on the par-5 13th. Vijay Singh had just about every number covered during his strange round of 74 -- a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and a 7. Perhaps the most embarrassing was Charles Howell III, who couldn't escape the back bunker on No. 11 and took 9 on his way to an 84, leaving him last among the 90 players at the Masters.
Associated Press
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