Frazar overcomes nerves to shoot 73 in first round of Masters

Article Photos

Photos description

Harrison Frazar reacts after his try for birdie No. 7 bounces out of the cup during the first round of the 2012 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Harrison Frazar admitted Thursday morning he was in a tie for as nervous as he ever has been on a golf course.

The 40-year-old PGA Tour pro is playing in his first Masters Tournament.

“I was nervous on the first hole and I’m not afraid to admit that,” Frazar said. “I was jittery. I could feel the shakes and my heartbeat was up. It started after I hit a few practice chip shots and headed over to the putting green.”

Frazar found the fairway with his first tee shot and went on to shoot a 1-over 73.

“I had the biggest clump of mud on the ball you ever saw,” Frazar said when he arrived at his tee shot. “At that point I decided that I can’t control things like that so that was my theme of the day.”

Frazar was not surprised by the change in speed of the greens from his practice round of nine holes Wednesday to Thursday.

“I was told that the greens miraculously get quicker from Wednesday to Thursday, so I was expecting it,” Frazar said. “They were an extra foot or two quicker. I’m not sure how they do it, but they do. And they were perfect.”

Frazar said he was able to relax a little bit more during his round because of playing partner and fellow Texan Ryan Palmer.

“Ryan and I are good friends and play a lot of golf together,” said Frazar, who lives near Palmer in the Dallas metroplex area. “That helped me relax.”

“Harrison did a good job,” Palmer said. “We chatted a little bit. He played well.”

Frazar said the long wait to tee it up at the Masters “was 100 percent everything I expected it to be.”

PHOTO GALLERY: