AUGUSTA, Ga., April 11 (UPI) -- Davis Love III emerged as the leader at the end of the opening round of the Masters Thursday with an international cast of characters lined up behind him to challenge for one of golf's coveted prizes.
They were all upstaged, however, by an announcement from the man who helped create the opportunity for the stars of the current generation to become millionaires.
Arnold Palmer, at age 72, said Thursday that his 147th round at the Augusta National Golf Club would be his last. That round will be played Friday in what will be an emotional farewell to the galleries who first created "Arnie's Army," and who were at the forefront of bringing about a golfing boom a half century ago.
Palmer, who said he would continue to play in selected Senior Tour events, revealed his decision after equaling the worst single-round score he has ever shot at the Augusta National --- a 17-over-par 89.
"I just think it is time," Palmer said. "My golf has been pretty lousy as of late and it doesn't warrent being here playing.
"There is no question about the fact that Augusta has meant an awful lot to me over the years. This is the one tournament that kicked me off and got me started in my career. It will be emotional. I'm sad I cannot play the kind of golf I would like to."
While the golf fans who walked the hills and valleys of the Augusta National course were left to ponder a Masters without Palmer, they also enjoyed the prospect of a wild scramble among some of the game's familiar names.
Love, twice a runner-up at the Masters, was the only player not to make a bogey Thursday on the newly-revamped course --- one that played about as easy as it could in murky, almost windless conditions. He shot a 5-under 67.
"It was nice to catch it on a calm, damp day," said Love.
"I don't know if I have ever played a bogey-free round here or not. But I would bet I haven't."
Love owned a one-shot lead over Sergio Garcia of Spain and Angel Cabrera of Argentina. Another shot back, at 3-under 69, came current U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson, who time after time has challenged for a major title only to come away disappointed.
A crowd of 11 players, only four of them Americans, were tied for seventh at 2-under 70.
That group included Justin Leonard, Chris DiMarco, Vijay Singh (Fiji), Nick Price (Zimbabwe), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain), Jesper Parnevik (Sweden), Ernie Els (South Africa), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland) and defending champion Tiger Woods.
Woods birdied three straight holes beginning at the third and appeared on his way to the kind of round that would take the steam out of the opposition. But he played the rest of the way in 1-over and was walking up the 18th fairway just as Palmer was informing the world that he would no longer be competing in Augusta.
Woods said he could understand Palmer's reasoning.
"The golf course has just become too much for him," Woods said. "He can still hit it out there at the age of 72. I just hope I'm on this side of the grass at 72."
Thursday's round was much anticipated because it was the first conducted over a course that had been lengthened by 285 yards since the playing of last year's tournament.
Those changes were made to create a more difficult test and they appeared to work just as planned.
Although the conditions were at their most benign, just two players birdied the first hole, only six birdied the seventh and there were only nine birdies at the 18th --- a hole that is 65 yards longer than it was a year ago.
"It is hard to lengthen a course without missing it up," Love said. "But all these holes (nine were made longer this year) are better after being lengthened and that is quite a testament."
One of the byproducts of the changes was to reduce the number of sensational scores. That brought about a compact leaderboard with 17 players within three shots of the lead.
"I think you are going to see players bunched up," said Parnevik, who joins Garcia, Cabrera, Harrington, Mickelson, Jimenez, Verplank, DiMarco and Clark in seeking his first major title. "I don't think you will see anybody run away with it."
And although 21 players broke par Thursday, the possibility of dry, windy weather for the weekend should make for more difficult conditions.
"It is going to get a lot tougher than this," said Masters rookie Jerry Kelly, who shot an even-par 72.
Australians Greg Norman and Adam Scott were at 1-under 71 along with Brad Faxon and 52-year-old Tom Watson.
Back in the pack, meanwhile, PGA Championship winner David Toms could be found at 73, David Duval and John Daly were at 74, Nick Faldo, Paul Azinger and Colin Montgomerie were at 75 and Tom Lehman shot 76.
Craig Perks, who last month won the Players Championship in dramatic fashion, shot an 81 and finished ahead of only Charles Coody and Palmer.
"It got worse and worse," said Perks, who was playing his first round in a major championship. "I'm very disappointed."
Although Love managed to finish alone in front after 18 holes, he had to face the realization that no first-round leader at the Masters has won the tournament since Ben Crenshaw did so in 1984.
"I don't pay any attention to statistics like that," Love said. "I'd rather be in first place than not be in first place."
