Sluman Ace Ties Wadkins Pace : Golf: They both shoot seven-under 65. Sluman's hole in one on No. 4 is the first on that hole.

By MAL FLORENCE

April 10, 1992 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

AUGUSTA, Ga. —

Jeff Sluman’s mother has a souvenir she will cherish for a long time.

Doreen Sluman claimed the ball from her son after he made a hole in one on the par-three, 205-yard fourth hole Thursday in the first round of the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club.

It was the first hole in one made on that hole since Masters competition began in 1934.

Moreover, it meant something, since Sluman went on to shoot a seven-under-par 65 that gave him a share of the lead with Lanny Wadkins.

On a warm, clear day in Georgia, the field was bunched behind Sluman and Wadkins. Wayne Grady, Davis Love III, Ted Schulz and Mike Hulbert each shot a 68.

Twelve players were at 69, among them Fred Couples, Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd, Bernhard Langer and defending champion Ian Woosnam.

Sluman, 34, who has been on the tour since 1983, said it was his first hole in one in competition.

And he was surprised to get it on that particular hole.

“It has been a trouble spot for me in previous years,” Sluman said.

Sluman used a four-iron to get his ace, which left him four under par after four holes.

“(The ball) looked pretty good when it left the club, but you never dream that it is going in,” he said. “I honestly didn’t think it was going in because you didn’t hear the crowd urging it in as you sometimes do.

“I thought at that point it was just past the hole, but it went in. Obviously, a pretty good shot.”

Sluman said the ball landed at the base of a ridge in front of the green, rolled about 20 feet over the crest, and into the cup.

Then, his mother, who was in the gallery, made her claim for the ball.

“She said, ‘I want it,’ ” Sluman said--and she got it.

It was only the 12th hole in one in Masters competition and the third since 1972.

Sluman said that afterward, he walked slowly to the next tee, trying to calm himself.

When someone said it’s traditional for a player who gets a hole in one to buy drinks for the house after the round, Sluman smiled and said: “I hope not--not today.”

Sluman, who has won only one tournament in his career, the 1988 PGA Championship, was cautious about his prospects despite his fast start.

“Historically, (the field) has been tight the last nine holes on Sunday,” he said.

Sluman stands 5 feet 7 and weighs 140 pounds, but he gets reasonable distance off the tee.

“Claude Harmon (a teaching pro) says, ‘The beauty about golf is that the ball doesn’t know how big you are,’ ” Sluman said.

Wadkins likes to play quickly, if possible, and has been known to be impatient. Last year, he had a 67 in the first round here and shared the lead with Jim Gallagher Jr. after touring the course in less than three hours.

He was paired with Payne Stewart Thursday and they had to wait a bit for the players ahead of them, clocking in at 3 hours 45 minutes.

Wadkins, 42, who has tied for third in the last two Masters, had seven birdies in his round.

“I was comfortable playing with Payne,” Wadkins said. “We had a good pace. I hit every green in regulation and I don’t remember ever doing that here.”

Highlighting his round were three birdies at Amen Corner, the 11th, 12th and 13th holes.

“Amen Corner has kicked my butt over the years and it owed me something,” Wadkins said.

Wadkins, who has won 20 tournaments in a career that began in 1972, said his driving has been erratic, but it straightened out Thursday.

A veteran of seven Ryder Cup teams, Wadkins has won only one major event, the 1977 PGA Championship, in an otherwise noteworthy career.

Some of his peers say he is overdue to win the Masters.

“His game is perfect for this golf course,” Grady said. “Perhaps, he isn’t too patient. That may be the reason he hasn’t won here. When you get Lanny out early in the morning with the (fast) pace of play, he just loves it.

“One hundred years ago he would have been a gunfighter.”

Said Floyd: “He’s a world-class player. He has the type of game where he can win everywhere. Now that he’s getting older, he might be able to be more patient here.

“That’s something he has lacked and he’ll say that himself. This course dictates patience. And that might have hurt Lanny here.”

Floyd had seven birdies, but his round was marred by two double bogeys. Still, the 49-year-old veteran is elated with his play.

Moreover, he is having second thoughts about joining the Senior Tour. He will be eligible Sept. 4, when he turns 50.

“I’m playing better now than I’ve ever played in my life,” he said. “If I continue to play as competitively as I am at this moment, I probably will play the majority of my events (on the regular tour).”

Golf Notes

Even though Ian Woosnam shot a 69, the defending champion said he was nervous before and during his round. “I wasn’t looking forward to it, but it turned out to be a good round,” he said. . . . Mitch Voges, 42, the U.S. amateur champion from Simi Valley, was paired with Woosnam. He shot a one-over-par 73. . . . Sam Snead was unable to play as an honorary starter Thursday. He reportedly had a dislocated left shoulder and his arm was in a sling in the wake of an automobile accident Tuesday at Waynesboro, Ga. The Augusta Herald reported that Snead was at fault in a three-car collision, running a stoplight, but he was not charged.

Jeff Sluman said he got a hole in one on the par-three 16th hole in a practice round here last year. . . . Thirty-five players had sub-par rounds, breaking the first-day record of 33 set in 1965. . . . Scott Hoch, Charles Coody and Bob Goalby withdrew from the tournament. Hoch, who lost in a playoff here to Nick Faldo in 1989, reportedly asked Masters Chairman Jack Stephens if Tom Kite could substitute for him. His request was denied. Kite didn’t meet qualifying standards to play in this year’s tournament.

Leaders

18-hole scores: Par 72

Lanny Wadkins: 34-31--65

Jeff Sluman: 31-34--65

Wayne Grady: 36-32--68

Mike Hulbert: 34-34--68

Davis Love III: 33-35--68

Ted Schulz: 36-32--68

Ian Woosnam: 36-33--69

Fred Couples: 35-34--69

Jack Nicklaus: 36-33--69

Ray Floyd: 33-36--69