Keegan doubles pleasure with 71

Keegan doubles pleasure with 71

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Keegan Bradley blasts out of the bunker of the second hole during his 1-under round of 71 at Augusta.

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Keegan Bradley had waited his whole young life for the moment and it was turning into a John Daly-style nightmare.

His drive off the first tee in his first Masters was fine. The rest of the hole wasnt. A mud ball produced a wayward shot. He chipped through the green. He chipped back up the hill and it came back to his feet. Then he gunned it and made a four-foot putt for a six.

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His father, Mark, a club professional, had missed the hole but saw the result on the big Masters scoreboard.

I saw the green 2. I didnt say anything. I didnt freak out. I just thought hes going to get them back, he said. Hes a golfer. He just knows how to play the game and if he gets in trouble, he just knows what to do. Hes just got the mind-set for it. If I made double on the first hole, Id probably make double on two.

Luckily, Keegan must take more afte r his aunt Pat, the LPGA Hall of famer. The PGA champ promptly birdied No. 2 and holed out from the bunker for birdie on the difficult par -3 fourth. He added two more birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 and ended up at 1-under 71 for the day. Not bad.

Anytime you get the back still to play, you can make some birdies on those par-5s so I stayed real patient, which Im proud of, the St. Johns grad said.

I just kind of got into some trouble on the first hole. I had a wicked mud ball and I actually hit a good shot. It just missed the green. I made a mess of it and played really well after that.

Even though he already has a major on his resume, Bradley said he was still nervous because it was his first Masters. His father said he drove to the course himself so he could have some time to settle down and focus. But the great shot on No.4 seemed to relax him and brought out his personality.

The bunker at that hole was so deep that Bradley, who stands 6-3, had t o jump to see where the shot ended up.

That was one of the best shots Ive ever hit, he said. That was really fun to see it go in and hear that famous Augusta roar. I was hoping to get it within 10 feet.

Bradley has a lot of family following him, including his 88-year-old grandmother.

His father, who knows how hard it is to make it to this stage, is still amazed.

Im still looking at him going, Thats the same little kid that hung out with me and just played golf all day long. Yeah, it is pretty amazing, he said. His mom and I are still trying to figure it out.