Augusta, Ga.

Bill Haas took the lead at The Masters on Thursday, but the course was the winner.

Augusta National demonstrated that fast greens and tough pin placements can defend par without high rough and bad weather.

It was a beautiful day in Augusta, although winds seemed to pick up and affect players in the afternoon. Yet there were only four players in the 60s, and eight in the 80s.

It's funny how this stuff works. Adam Scott, who shot at 69, hit one bad shot on Thursday. His tee shot on the Par-3 12th went into Rae's Creek. He said the lack of wind allowed him to lose focus, and he made a lousy swing.

Gotta be honest, I didn't miss Tiger Woods' golf game, but I did miss his presence today. He creates excitement. A Tiger birdie creates a bigger roar than anyone else's. I spent most of my time following Scott, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed, and all three are wonderful players, but Tiger does draw the eye.

Wrote about Scott and leader Bill Haas for the paper. I'll be on WJON in St. Cloud at 7:15 a.m., and on 1500ESPN at 12:15 tomorrow from Augusta. I'll also do my Sunday show on 1500ESPN from 10-noon.