Q&A: Mother Nature weighs in after eventful first day of Masters

Bryson DeChambeau (65) and Scottie Scheffler (66) had the best opening rounds of the 88th Masters Tournament on Thursday.

The other big winner was Mother Nature.

After a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay, strong gusts made scoring difficult. The par-4 10th and 11th holes played into the teeth of the wind and played as the fourth-toughest and toughest holes, respectively. At the par-3 12th, Cameron Smith (71) and Sergio Garcia (72) found the water on the way to making double bogey, while J.T. Poston went long and left and made triple.

Conditions were confounding. Players were vexed.

“It was hard to figure it out, especially down at Amen Corner,” said Lucas Glover (71). “You know, you're at the mercy of it on some of the holes, to be fair. It was a struggle out there.”

With that in mind, PGATOUR.COM found Mother Nature getting in some late reps on the range and was granted a brief interview. (Answers have been edited for clarity.)

PGATOUR.COM: Big day for you today. You had everyone talking.

Mother Nature: Thank you.

PGATOUR.COM: How good were those rounds by DeChambeau and Scheffler?

Mother Nature: Next question.

PGATOUR.COM: Sorry. Sore subject. I assume you were you most proud of the rain delay?

MN (Laughs): Please. Did you see what the storms did to Texas, Louisiana and Florida? I’d say this Masters got lucky. I didn’t even wreck many shoes. I mean, just last year the final group had to play 30 holes on Sunday. I live for that stuff.

PGATOUR.COM: But the rain – Christo Lamprecht (74) mentioned it after he spun what he thought was a perfect wedge shot into the drink on 15: “I think the little bit of rain might've softened the greens up, and I don't think I was thinking about that.”

MN (nodding): Sure, I’m aware of that.

PGATOUR.COM: You listen to the press conferences?

MN: Voices carry on the wind.

PGATOUR.COM: Wyndham Clark, who is trying to become the first first-timer to win since 1979, also spun a wedge off the front of the green and doubled 15. After signing for a 1-over 73 he said the wind was “blowing 20 (mph) and gusting” and even affected his putting. He added that (hole) 15 “really put a damper on the round.” Do you feel any remorse?

MN: Nah. He shot that course-record 60 at Pebble Beach after I’d soaked it to the bones. I’d say we’re even.

PGATOUR.COM: You had so many highlights in Round 1, but going back to my original question…

MN: You said this interview was going to be brief. (Awkward pause.) Fine. What was I most proud of? Lamprecht going bogey-bogey on Nos. 10 and 11 straight into the worst of the gale. He’d just shot 34 but came home in 40 after the bogey-bogey start on the back and the chaos on the 15th. I was feeling it. Fun stuff.

PGATOUR.COM: Not sure anyone else described 10 and 11 that way. A lot of guys went bogey-bogey there: Cameron Davis, Jake Knapp, Denny McCarthy, Justin Thomas, Grayson Murray …

MN: A few of ’em were hitting lumber into No. 11. (Slaps knee.) Classic! And don’t forget about the doubles.

PGATOUR.COM: Right. Viktor Hovland, 4-under as he came to the 10th, hit his second shot right of the right bunker, above the hole – utter no-man’s land. He made 6. Adam Hadwin doubled the 10th, too.

MN: Eh, the Hadwin double was almost a cliché, your garden-variety tee shot into the left trees. Give a guy enough of a headwind, odds are he’ll try for too much and hit a pull-hook. I respect the fundamentals.

PGATOUR.COM: Those trees left of the 10th were Rory McIlroy’s undoing in 2011.

MN: The trees, the trees. Listen, I know those guys, and the stories they could tell …

PGATOUR.COM: Speaking of McIlroy (71), who got off to a so-so start in his bid for the only major he needs for the career Grand Slam, he said, “It was a little scrappy. The conditions are tricky. Hard to fully commit to shots … to commit to where the wind direction is at times.” Can I get your reaction?

MN: Listen, I like Rory. Who doesn’t? That 2-iron he hit into the worst of it at the Genesis Scottish Open last summer – respect. But when he says it’s hard to fully commit to shots? Two words: job done.