Golf: Storm mars Masters practice

AUGUSTA - New Zealand golfers Michael Campbell and Grant Waite were denied valued practice for the Masters yesterday when lightning and heavy rain kept them off Augusta National.

They arrived moments before a siren sounded to warn competitors off the famed course.

The stoppage left all 93 golfers who are teeing up in tomorrow's (NZT) 65th Masters with nothing more to do than pass the time within the stately Georgian clubhouse.

Waite is competing in the season's opening major for only the second time.

He qualified seven years ago after winning the 1993 Kemper Open, which remains his only victory on the US PGA Tour.

Waite earned his second Augusta invite after finishing among the top-40 money winners on last year's tour.

"It's been a long time between drinks," the 36-year-old said yesterday. "But it is exciting to be back and, hopefully, I can do better than last time, when I missed the cut."

The world No 98 managed to squeeze in an 18-hole practice round on Tuesday, with memories of his first visit flooding back.

"I remembered a surprising amount as I walked around.

"The only difference really is that they have changed a couple of tees, put in a few trees here and there, and let the rough grow a bit.

"It's still a second-shot golf course, where you need to position yourself well. You are going to need to chip and putt very well when you do make mistakes, and they will come."

Waite is looking to improve on his 1994 performance when rounds of 74 and 78 saw him miss the cut by three strokes. "Hopefully I am a little older and a little wiser, and my game is a little more secure, and I don't have so much variance.

"I just want to keep working on my weaknesses and try to improve my strengths.

"I don't think in this game you ever stop trying to improve, no matter how old you are or what stage of your career you are at."

While Waite is intent on doing his best, he is genuinely excited at the prospect of world No 1 Tiger Woods winning a fourth major tournament in succession.

"I think it would be exciting ...

"What he has done in the past, and anything he will do in the future, is incredible. He's a gifted and a superior player out here.

"There's no question he's the player to beat. It's him against the field every week and over the last three years he's won probably about 45 per cent of the time, which is phenomenal.

"He is the only player in the world that could handle the hype that's going on with the four majors and so forth.

"But then in saying that, I would certainly like to be the player to beat him."

The bad weather is expected to clear today and four fine days are forecast for the championship.

The New Zealand duo will compete in today's traditional par-three contest on the nearby nine-hole course, with their respective fathers, Ron Waite and Tom Campbell, carrying their clubs.

* Europe's No 1 golfer, Lee Westwood, withdrew from the Masters yesterday in order to be present for the birth of his first child.

The 27-year-old Briton earlier said he would pull out if his wife had not given birth by yesterday.

Early start for New Zealanders


Michael Campbell and Grant Waite will be in good company for the opening two rounds of the US Masters.

Campbell is in the fourth group to tee off early tomorrow in the company of Americans Notah Begay and Tommy Aaron, the 1973 Masters champion.

Waite, also contesting his second Masters, is in the 20th of 31 groups.

He will be alongside Americans Brad Faxon and Justin Leonard, who won the 1997 British Open.

- NZPA