Times wires
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Finding comfort in Augusta
Hideki Matsuyama is focused on Augusta National. His heart is half a world away in Sendai, Japan.
The 19-year-old low amateur at the Masters goes to school at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, which was leveled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands and left as many homeless. Matsuyama was at a training camp in Australia when the quake hit. He returned for two days and was "very shocked" at the devastation.
After talking to his coach, Matsuyama decided he wouldn't be helping anyone by staying amid the destruction. "I was very happy to come over here and play the Masters," Matsuyama said through an interpreter. "I wasn't sure whether I would be able to encourage the people in Japan by my play. But at least I really wanted to enjoy this experience."
Matsuyama earned his Masters spot by winning the Asian Amateur in October. He was the only amateur to make the cut at the Masters, and after 4-under 68 Saturday, he was at 3 under for the tournament.
Matsuyama's family lives in Ehime, more than 500 miles from Sendai, and was spared the quake's devastation. But he still can't reach some friends in Sendai. And he has no idea what will be left of his school when he returns.
In position for a first
Australia, a country that hasn't produced a Masters winner, has two natives in contention heading into the final day: Jason Day, who was four shots behind Rory McIlroy after shooting par 72, and Adam Scott, left, who tied for Saturday's best round with 5-under 67 and was five back. "You know, 67 around here any day is great, but Saturday, to move, it seems, into contention at the moment is a really good round of golf," Scott said. "(Saturday) everything kind of fell into place." Scott and Day are paired today. Asked about being a mentor to Day, 23, Scott, 30, laughed. "I don't know. It's hard to mentor a guy who's beating me. Maybe he has some advice for me."
Cabrera finally back on track
Angel Cabrera arrived at Augusta National last year as the defending champion, and he admittedly was distracted. But this year he seems to have regained his focus. "Obviously people want to be near me, and they recognize me. But not like last year," he said. Cabrera, who tied for 18th last year, came alive Saturday, shooting 5-under 67, tied for the day's best round, after rounds of 71 and 70. The Argentine was tied for second at 8 under entering today as he chases his third major title (he also won the 2007 U.S. Open). "I think the confidence was the key (Saturday)," he said. "The first two days I was hitting it okay, but I lacked that confidence, and (Saturday) I had it, and I trusted it, and that made a big difference."
There was more talk Saturday about Tiger Woods being back — back to dropping expletives and screaming at himself. He followed his second-round 66 with a sloppy 74, staggering to the scoring shed after missing a 5-footer to save par at 18. "I hit so many putts early that looked like they were going to go in, and they didn't," said Woods, tied for 27th among the 49 who made the cut with 89 putts and tied for 44th with four three-putts. "It is what it is." He went from three back at the start of the round to seven at the end: "I'm going to have to put together a good front nine and see what happens."