When Laird and Reavie Play Through at Masters, Nobody Grumbles April 7, 2012, 12:18 am While a fast group of golfers playing through a slower group is a regular occurrence on public courses, it is unusual - if not downright rare - to see it take place in a professional event. Yet, early Friday at Augusta National, it happened. Martin Laird and Chez Reavie were the second group off No. 1, but by the fifth hole they were the lead group. Sean O'Hair, who was playing in the threesome in front of them, suggested to a rules official that they let the twosome through. When another official brought it up to Laird, "I waited about a half-second before I said yes," he said. The threesome waited as Laird and Reavie hit their approach shots to the fourth green, putted out and teed off on No. Laird and Reavie did not have a third because Mark O'Meara withdrew Thursday with a rib injury. Once they learned of O'Meara's departure, Reavie and Laird talked about how fast they might make it around if they were first off on Friday, "and then we were," Reavie said. In contrast to similar encounters between strangers on a public course, there was no animosity about one group going through the other. No harsh words were exchanged, and no one in the passed group "accidentally" hit a tee shot in the direction of the passers. All the players said they could not recall another instance of one group leapfrogging another without an obvious reason - a long search for a lost ball, for example - and acknowledged that it was bizarre to see the second group on the course finish ahead of the first. "I felt like they probably should have just had them tee off first," O'Hair said. They were waiting for us on every shot yesterday, and I didn't want to make them wait again today. It was really just more of a courtesy thing.