As Alvaro Quiros pulled the driver and took a mammoth hack on most every hole, the gasps from the watching crowds at the 2011 Masters were audible. Quiros didn’t hold back, lay-up or play for positioning; He simply reached back and put on a driving displays for the crowds gathered at The Masters. And in the first round, it paid off. Quiros was regularly driving the ball 350 yards and beyond (his average for the round was 309.5 yards, 10 yards further than the next longest golfer), leaving himself short shots into the treacherous greens, setting himself up for success by using his greatest asset: His length off the tee.
Masters 2011 Update: Alvaro Quiros Overpowers Augusta National In First Round
But we’ve seen this show before from Quiros, who has always been known for his powerful swing and booming drives. On Thursday at Augusta, his putter came around, allowing the Spaniard to cash-in on those long drives and short approaches.
The result was a 7-under 65 on the card, putting Quiros in a tie with Rory McIlroy atop the leaderboard. Playing in the final group of the day, Quiros, Gary Woodland and Jhonattan Vegas put on a golfing clinic for fans, dropping in birdie after birdie along the back nine. But it was Quiros who stole the show and, at least for a day, the long-hitter had the full attention of the crowd at Augusta.
Whether he can keep up his torrid pace remains to be see, but one thing’s for sure: Quiros will keep swinging out of his shoes off the tee.
You can view the full leaderboard here. Check back with this StoryStream for updates. And for more on the PGA Tour, check out SB Nation’s golf blog, Waggle Room.
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