In the field: Olazabal shot hits patron

A patron from Florida was hit by a ball on a shot at the eighth hole Monday during his first trip to Augusta National Golf Club.

The man was hit near the right temple by the errant shot from José María Olazábal and knocked to the ground. He was taken to a nearby first aid station to get medical assistance.

The patron received an autographed glove and ball from Olazábal, who won the Masters in 1994 and 1999.

NO REPLAY: Matt Kuchar has never watched a replay of his shot that nearly went into the hole for a double eagle at No. 15 during the final round of the 2012 Masters.

“I was there … I know what happened,” he said in a joking manner. “I’ve never been keen on going back and watching stuff like that. It feels … well, not arrogant but it doesn’t quite feel natural.”

Kuchar’s tap-in eagle at the water-guarded par-5 gave him a share of his first lead in a major. He gave it right back with a bogey at No. 16, then failed to birdie either of the last two holes to finish two shots out of the playoff between eventual winner Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen and in a tie for third, his best finish in a major.

But Kuchar likes to take the positives from an experience and apply them to future situations. A month later, he won The Players Championship. Six weeks ago, he won the World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play.

Will that confidence carry over to this year’s Masters?

“Absolutely,” Kuchar said. “I had a legitimate chance on Sunday to win the Masters, and that gave me extra belief in myself at The Players and the World Golf Championship. I didn’t see it as an opportunity wasted. I played good golf and it was good enough to tie for third. Hopefully, it will be good enough to win one day.”

GOOD ON THE GREENS: Honda Classic winner Michael Thompson is one of the top putters on the PGA Tour, which could spell success this week for the former Tulane and Alabama golfer, who is making his second Masters start, but first since he played as an amateur in 2008.

The third-year PGA Tour member’s putting prowess could help him if his ball-striking wavers this week.

“It’s not pretty,” Thompson said of his swing. “It’s not the most beautiful swing in the world. I hit it all over the place. But I’m a darned good putter, and that’s the one thing I really do believe in myself. It’s a matter of just going back to what I believe and what has got me to this point.”

Though Thompson’s swing might not be a thing of beauty, there’s never been a problem with his putting.

“I think it’s just natural; just trusting my instincts,” he said. “My only goal with putting is to get the ball started on the line I see. I think that’s something I perfected within my ability … I’ve just been blessed with a good putting stroke.”

That’s why he’s glad to be back on the Augusta National greens after a five-year absence.

“I think that (being a great putter) gives me a huge advantage, knowing I can make putts out there,” he said. “I’m able to two-putt from some of the crazy spots on those greens.

Thompson is scheduled to speak Tuesday morning at the Augusta Golf Breakfast, which is sponsored by the Greater Augusta Fellowship of Christian Athletes. It will be held at 7 a.m. at Warren Baptist Church, 3203 Washington Road.

LEARNING FROM THE BEST: Nicolas Colsaerts came upon a chance meeting Friday at West Palm Beach, Fla., that could benefit the first-time Masters Tournament participant.

The Belgium native met and chatted with Jack Nicklaus for an hour, discussing Augusta National hole by hole. Nicklaus, a six-time Masters champion, gave Colsaerts tips on pin positions and how to approach certain shots.

“It’s funny how when I spoke to Jack about the place, I felt like I had the place, you know, pretty screened up for somebody that’s never played here,” Colsaerts said. “So if you add some of the useful information he’s given me, you know, it’s actually given me quite a confidence boost and see that I had the right eyes on certain parts of the golf course.”

Colsaerts, 30, who won the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship, finished tied for seventh in the 2012 British Open and was a member of the 2012 European Ryder Cup team.

Colsaerts said he had an idea of how the course would play, but some parts took him by surprise.

“It’s so much more subtle than I thought,” he said. “You think that after watching it for so many years, you have an idea of what it’s going to be like. But everything is accentuated by a thousand times.

“Everywhere you look around, the first time you walk through the clubhouse and you get to see this piece of land in front of you, just how green it is, how clean it is everywhere, underneath the trees. I don’t think there’s any place like this.”

ACE UP HIS SLEEVE: John Huh’s week at the Masters got off to an exciting start near the end of his Monday practice round.

Huh, the 2012 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, made a hole-in-one on the 16th hole. He used a 7-iron on the 170-yard par 3. Huh said the ball rolled 50 feet from its landing spot into the hole.

“A pretty solid 7-iron, I should say,” said the 22-year-old, who is playing in his first Masters.

Huh’s playing partner, K.J. Choi, picked up the ball after the shot, leading to an amusing situation.

“It was kind of funny, because some people thought that K.J. made it, and it was kind of funny to hear that,” Huh said. “It doesn’t really matter, because I was the one that made it. It was pretty cool.”