Tommy Fleetwood looking forward to playing with Tiger Woods at Masters

Tommy Fleetwood isn’t shying away from the hype surrounding one of his playing partners for the first two days of the Masters Tournament.

If anything, Fleetwood is looking forward to the experience of playing with Tiger Woods on Thursday and Friday.

“I thought it was brilliant,” he said when asked about his reaction.

Fleetwood will join Woods and Marc Leishman at the first tee at 10:42 a.m. for the first round. Judging by the buzz from Woods’ practice rounds, it could be an intense two days for the 27-year-old from England.

“I wouldn't want it any other way, really,” Fleetwood said. “It's all part of playing with Tiger Woods. I'm grateful to be part of it, to be honest.”

At the same time, Fleetwood, who missed the cut in his only Masters appearance last year, is choosing to focus on his own game. After logging his fourth career European Tour title and finishing fourth at the Honda Classic earlier this season, there’s plenty to like about his own play entering the Masters.

“As great as it is to play with Tiger Woods, and it is a dream to play with him, and it's in the Masters, which is the absolute ultimate if you're going to get paired with Tiger, I'll be doing my own thing,” Fleetwood said. “It doesn't matter which of the 86 people I'll be with, I'll be concentrating on my game, but it is still going to be a very special occasion.”

FINAU'S ACE: Moments after acing No. 7 during the Par-3 Contest, Tony Finau dropped his club and sprinted off the tee box.

Still running, Finau reversed course, began to backpedal toward the green and appeared to turn his left ankle. The incident forced Finau to drop to a knee, before gingerly regaining his balance.

The 28-year-old finished the contest but told media members he was going to see a doctor.

Golf Channel's Todd Lewis reported that Finau did dislocate it but X-rays showed there was no break. He will have an MRI this morning and will try to make his tee time of 12:43 p.m. if all goes well. 

JACK'S GRANDSON: It took Jack Nicklaus 56 years before recording a hole-in-one at Augusta National.

His grandson needed one swing.

As a standing-room-only crowd watched behind the No. 9 green, Gary Nicklaus Jr. — also known as G.T. — holed a pitching wedge during the annual Par-3 Contest.

“I saw it coming back, but I was thinking, no way, no way, no way,” said G.T., 15. “It was an unbelievable moment. I couldn’t think of a better place for this to happen.”

During the 2015 Par-3 Contest, the elder Nicklaus hit an ace on the 123-yard fourth hole, marking his first hole-in-one on either course, in 56 years of playing.

“You always want the best for your kids and your grandkids,” Nicklaus said. “And to watch the grandkid come along and knock in a hole‑in‑one on the biggest venue in the world on a day that really he's up here to caddie for his grandfather, to be part of the day, and then to knock it in for a hole‑in‑one, wow. I mean, what a day. What a fantastic ending.”

The hole-in-one was G.T.’s first.

“When I hit it, (my grandad) gave me a huge hug and started crying,” G.T. said. “I’m still speechless. I can’t believe that happened.”

FRITTELLI'S MOMENT TO REMEMBER: Dylan Frittelli gets to take home a memory of a lifetime from his first Masters Week.

The 27-year-old South African aced the eighth hole during Wednesday’s Par-3 Contest to give the first-time Masters participant a moment to cherish before the tournament begins.

“When it landed behind the flag and spun back, I was just hoping it got close,” Frittelli said. “It was an amazing experience.”

Frittelli earned his first Masters invitation after a second career European Tour victory in December. He also finished 11th at The Honda Classic earlier this season.

He missed the cut at last week’s Houston Open but sees it as a positive entering this week.

“I look at that as a blessing,” he said. “I got here early, played 18 Sunday and 18 Monday and nine yesterday and nine this morning, and I’m feeling good. Physically, I’m good and I’m hitting it well, so hopefully I can put some good numbers on the board and stay composed throughout the week.”