Augusta, Ga. ? The 2-iron shot soared high into the air, seemed to stay up there forever, then landed softly on the 18th green, and barely rolled an inch.

Tom Watson made a two-putt for par to finish a round of 1-under 71 on Thursday. With that, the two-time Masters champion made himself the latest guy in the 50-and-over crowd hoping to prove that age is just a number at Augusta National.

“Not a bad day for an old guy like me,” Watson said.

In a week dominated by issues of age three past champions were told not to play anymore, Arnold Palmer calling it quits, Jack Nicklaus withdrawing with back trouble the 52-year-old Watson was almost alone in putting on a good face for the old guys.

“That might be a bit of a stretch,” he said. “But I’m just happy to be under par, because I really wasn’t expecting to do much, given the way I’ve been playing lately.”

Often in the recent past, it has been Nicklaus who has come to Augusta and put on a surprisingly good show on behalf of the older set. In 1998, he finished sixth. Just two years ago, he was on the leaderboard in the second round at age 60.

On Thursday, it was time for Watson, the 1977 and 1981 Masters champion, to rekindle some memories.

The course has been lengthened by nearly 300 yards, which has made it more difficult on everyone, especially the older guys. But on a damp, gray day, the greens stayed soft and receptive to long irons, and that helped Watson, especially with that 2-iron on No. 18.

He is in good position to make his first cut since 1997.

And beyond that?

“I can still win if I keep the putting going,” he said. “If the putting doesn’t work, I’ve got no chance.”

Duval hangs tough: Through seven holes, it looked like David Duval would have to worry more about making the cut than competing for the green jacket again on Sunday.

After making two bogeys and a double-bogey over the first seven holes, he recovered for a round of 2-over-par 74.

Duval, who has two second-place finishes and one third at Augusta, considers himself in the thick of it, especially considering all the changes to the course.

“Nobody knows what a good score is yet,” Duval said. “We’re still trying to figure that out.”

Things could have been better had Duval not hit into a bunker on No. 18, and taken two shots to get out. He made bogey there.

“But I didn’t play poorly,” he said. “It’s not like I was hitting wild shots all over the place. I just wasn’t real sharp. I just hung in there.”

Bro on bag: Chris DiMarco didn’t have to look far to find a backup caddie.

When his regular looper, Pat O’Bryan, fell sick this week with the stomach flu, DiMarco turned to his brother, Rick.

“It was nice out there,” said DiMarco, who shot 2 under.