Masters rookies overcome opening jitters

Scott Piercy’s first career round at the Masters Tournament on Thursday came in a star-heavy grouping with Tiger Woods and Luke Donald.

“When you think of Augusta, you think of Phil (Mickelson) and Tiger,” said Piercy, 34. “I had half of it.”

His dream grouping could be a nightmare on the nerves, but not so with the Las Vegas native.

“Having a marquee pairing with Tiger and Luke draws a lot of people, then being at the Masters, it was a lot of fun,” Piercy said after posting 3-over 75.

The tee shot at No. 1, a 445-yard par-4, does not ease players into the Masters. There are introductions, a lot of shaking of hands, and then the gallery quiets and the first shots are struck.

Piercy, one of 17 first-timers this year, said he was pretty amped up.

“I’ve been trying to be pretty chill all week,” he said. “Obviously, the adrenaline was going. You want to hit a good shot to get started.”

Piercy said his first was good and straight, but his second, with a sand wedge, one-hopped over the green and it took “two perfect shots” to make a bogey.

“It’s kind of a bad first step, but I feel I played pretty well overall,” he said.

Ted Potter Jr., in his first Masters, said winning the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday relaxed him. He hit a solid tee shot, “pretty much dead center.”

“You’re always going to have little nervous butterflies, but I felt good,” said Potter, who finished at 4-over.

Masters first-timer Russell Henley said he felt relaxed when he was preparing on the driving range, but walking up to the first tee “was pretty special.”

Steven Fox, an amateur in his first Masters, said he felt fine on the driving range and putting green, but something felt different when he got to No. 1. He was grouped with Ian Poulter and defending champion Bubba Watson.

“It was fun. I enjoyed it,” said Fox, who finished at 4-over. “After the second tee shot, my nerves went away. I was comfortable. I was confident in my swing.”

Nicolas Colsaerts, a 30-year-old Belgian and Masters rookie, said sometimes he feels tense at the first shot.

“You hit the shot and then it gets worse,” he said, but he had no problem Thursday.

In terms of electricity from the gallery, Colsaerts said “nothing comes close to Ryder Cup, but this one is up there with it.

“It’s just the noise (at Ryder Cup),” he continued. “People get crazy. Here, everybody keeps it very low key. Nobody gets out of line.”

John Huh, 22, did have a different sense about his first tee shot in his round of 70.

“It was just like a normal tournament, and I hit a great shot,” said Huh, adding that his second shot wasn’t great. “It was the same for me. I didn’t really feel different at all.”

Is Huh always so calm before every tournament?

“I think that’s the way I am,” he said.