By David Kraft
 ESPN Golf Online
 Thursday, April 6
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Only three holes were easier than No. 15 on Thursday.

15 At A Glance
Avg. 5.053
Rank 15
Eagles 0
Birdies 26
Pars 47
Bogeys 18
D-bogeys 1
Others 3

None helped shape the top of the leaderboard any more.

The 15th is a birdie hole at Augusta National -- a 500-yard par-5 that most players reach with a medium iron. It's the one where Gene Sarazan hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" -- his double-eagle in 1935.

On Thursday, 26 players picked up a shot there, including first-round leader Dennis Paulson, both players tied for third, Sergio Garcia and Steve Stricker, plus Rocco Mediate and Phil Mickelson, who are among a group at 71.

But No. 15 was also a graveyard for hopes Thursday, thanks to a gusting wind that gave players fits. Steve Jones came in at 2-under and battling for the lead, and took a bogey, dropping him to 1-under.

Ernie Els came there at 3-under and leading the tournament. But rushed, he says, by a tournament official, he dumped his approach shot into the water and took a seven.

Davis Love III and Greg Norman, playing in the same group, both put their second shots in the water -- Love short and Norman long. Both escaped with bogey.

"That happened within 30 seconds of each other," said two-time U.S. Open champion and ESPN golf analyst Andy North. "Within 30 seconds, and these guys know how far they hit the ball. Once you hit the ball and it's up in the air in this wind, you have no idea what's going to happen."

No one had more trouble on 15 than Craig Stadler. He came to the tee at 3-under and battling for the lead. He hit two balls into the water -- the first from 97 yards, the second from 85 -- and took a nine.

"I laid sod right over two in a row," said Stadler. "Don't know how the hell I got the third in there."

Stadler made light of his follies afterward, but he knew that losing four shots to par at 15 is not advisable.

"You just hate to grind away, make some good putts, hit some good shots, then just throw the day away on one hole," said Stadler.

At least he had some company.


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