Sixteen-Year-Old Italian Matteo Manassero Fires 71 at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Amateur Matteo Manassero is a 16-year-old Italian playing in his first Masters.

He earned the invitation by becoming the youngest player to win the 124-year-old British Amateur, and when he teed off Thursday, he became the youngest player ever to compete at Augusta National.

Oh, yeah. He also shot a 1-under 71.

"I played all day good, every shot," Manassero said.

He birdied the first hole. He finished with three birdies and two bogeys.

"He's got a big future," said European Tour star Lee Westwood, who was paired with the teen. "You have to pinch yourself and remind yourself that he's only 16. Got a very mature game. There's not that many weaknesses in his game."

Manassero said he just wants to enjoy the experience, and brought no expectations.

"No, no. I don't know if I have expectations from other people, but not me," he said. "I just want to play good. If I don't play good the other days, I will be sad, but not that much.

"It's not a tournament that may actually change my life. It's just an experience that I am privileged to do."

Sock It to 'em: Fred Couples has always been cool.

Throughout his career, laid-back Fred always looked like he just stepped out of a fashion catalog. And now, even if he recently turned 50, nothing has changed.

Freddie Fashion-plate is at it again.

Actually, Couples has been wearing soft-soled shoes without socks all season, but since he has played mostly on the Champions Tour, it has gone pretty much unnoticed.

But shoot an opening-round 6-under 66 to lead the Masters, and nothing gets overlooked.

"You know, I've had back problems a long time," Couples said. "I wear nothing but tennis shoes. I did wear some dress shoes for the Champions Dinner the other night, but they were not on very long.

"I wear tennis shoes and I usually don't wear socks."

So Couples struck a shoe deal, and the design is a rubber bottom.

"I just feel like they are tennis shoes, so I don't wear any socks with tennis shoes."

Tiger's Tribute: Couples, 50, leads the Masters. Tom Watson, 60, is one shot back.

That's so big that even with all the things on his mind, Tiger Woods noticed.

"How about that," Woods said. "I mean Tom played great early. He had some tough conditions most of the day.

"But Freddie, I played with Freddie on Monday. He played just like that. I said if it was a tournament round, he would be in the top five."

Couples has won three times this year on the Champions Tour, and that's key, said Woods.

"Winning breeds winning," he said. "Winning breeds a lot of confidence and whether you win on a min-tour, regular tour, senior tour, it doesn't matter."

Pace Thyself: David Toms' opening-round 3-under 69 didn't start out so hot.

The 43-year-old 12-time PGA Tour winner was 1-over after seven holes, but far worse was six putts that had rolled over the lips.

"I just told myself to be patient, because you can mess up pretty quick trying to be too aggressive, whether it's with your putting or whether it's your iron shots into the green," Toms said.

It worked. Toms birdied Nos. 8 and 9, and then, after a bogey at 11, birdied four out of five holes beginning at 12.

"All of a sudden I made a couple, hit a couple good shots, and boom, I'm under par." he said. "I started to drive the ball better than I was early in the round, and, you know, it was just a good, solid day where I managed my game well."