Singh’s Complaint Leaves a Mark

The prospect of Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh playing in the final group of the 69th Masters got a lot more interesting Friday.

Mickelson and Singh reportedly had a clubhouse confrontation Friday over spike marks on the 12th green.

In a statement, Mickelson said Singh had asked Masters officials to check Mickelson’s spikes because, as Singh said, they were “unduly damaging the greens.”

Singh was playing one group behind Mickelson on Friday.

Reuters reported that Singh, the world’s No. 1 player, and Mickelson, the defending Masters champion, had a “heated discussion” in the champions clubhouse, which is off-limits to reporters.

Mickelson, who wears metal spikes, said he was sorry if his spikes caused the damage and said he would “make every effort to tap down what spike marks I may make in the future.”

Mickelson said he had discussed the matter with Singh in the clubhouse.

“I heard Vijay talking to other players about it and I confronted him,” Mickelson said. “He expressed his concerns. I expressed my disappointment with the way it was handled. I believe everything is fine now.”

There was no immediate response from Singh.

Will Nicholson, chairman of the competition committee, acknowledged that an unspecified player had called to complain about the spike marks.

“How it got labeled onto Phil, I have no idea,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson said tournament officials asked Mickelson to check to see whether a burr on one of his spikes might have caused the damage. Nicholson said Mickelson told officials he would change spikes if there was a problem.

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Amateur Ryan Moore, who boldly predicted before the Masters that he had a chance to win the tournament, shot one-under 71.

With play now held over until today, Moore said, “I guess I get to play on the weekend for sure!”

The 22-year-old Moore, a senior at Nevada Las Vegas and the only player to win the U.S. Amateur, Public Links and NCAA titles in the same year, did not back down from his pre-tournament comments.

“I’ve never been in a tournament in my life I didn’t think I could win,” he said Friday outside the clubhouse.

Moore might now have more of an advantage in that, as an amateur, he is accustomed to playing 36 holes in a single day.

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What comes next in this rain-soaked Masters is anyone’s guess.

The weather is supposed to be good, but, as Nicholson noted, it was supposed to be good Friday.

This is the ninth event on tour this year that has been suspended or otherwise impacted by the weather.

“It’ll be a long day,” Mark O’Meara, the 1998 champion, said of the prospect of playing 36 holes on a hilly course.

Tour players are so accustomed to delays they almost expect them.

Luke Donald, for example, brings a book to the course.

“Napping is an option,” he added.

Friday, he took a snooze in the clubhouse next to Padraig Harrington.

What else can a player do?

“We’re getting more used to this starting and stopping,” Donald said. “It’s been this way for most of the year, but I’m not sure you learn anything. You know, I try and kind of switch my brain off when I’m on break, try not to think of plenty.”

Masters officials are worrying plenty.

“This year, it’s crazy,” Nicholson said.

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The most forgettable first-round grouping result?

Easy.

The trio of former Masters champions Billy Casper (106), Charles Coody (88) and Tommy Aaron (79) shot a collective 57-over 273.

Technically, Casper’s score is not official because he was allowed to withdraw with a back injury.