[Ran Morrissett]

No one was double digits under par save for TW. Furthermore,

* The continued tree planting created an environment that led to an unprecedented # of chip-outs (I guess Seve was lucky he played when he did),

* Narrowed fairways also stiffened the challenge (even if the ideal angle into Sunday's traditional 11th hole location is now from the 'second cut'),

* Kostis gave the new ANGC the thumbs up by explaining why defending par from the tee translates into better 'shot values' (forget that the Golden Age boys did it at the green)  

* Relentlessly tough hole locations wore out the best players in the world

* The lengthened 18th is being called one of the great finishing holes in golf because it's so wonderfully hard (though I don't recall a great shot there all week other than Tiger's slashing recovery from the woods on Thursday)

I guess this will be the 21st century version of Masters Sunday - having to sacrifice heriocs and eagle roars is a small price to pay for protecting par.

 :-/

[Gary Smith (Guest)]

Well, I guess having 6 out of the Top 7 in the world on the leaderboard yesterday is conclusive, everlasting, proof that the changes were no good.

[David Kelly]

It looks like only one round in the 60s today (Maruyama).

One of the great moments in Masters history was Sandy Lyle hitting a 7 iron to within 10 feet from the fairway bunker on 18 and then sinking the birdie to win the tournament in 1988. With the fairway bunker now out of play this is a scenario that will apparently never be repeated.  At least until the next advancement in equipment brings the bunkers back into play.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

I do not think the changes had anything and I mean anything to do with the scores today. The shots were missed between the ears.

[brad_miller]

still say the tee needs to be moved on 18 to a postion that truely puts the "framing bunkers" in play, then we might one day see a shot like Sandy's.

[ed_getka]

From what I saw today (only snippets) Tiger was the only one who didn't blink and he won. The course seems to be playing so much more difficult that I fear there will be less drama and suspense in the future. There are going to be few places where a player can realistically take a risk of going for birdie or eagle without paying a heavy price if they don't pull it off. So it seems we may have to watch a war of attrition in the future. I hope I'm wrong.

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

John D
You don't think the additional 400 yards combined with the addition of rough and new trees over the last few years hasn't had any effect?

I find it odd that the 7 best players in the world - including the eventual winner - would all happen to have lackluster days on Sunday at Augusta. They all had a blank look on their faces, kind of like the deer in the headlights look Hootie Johnson had at the end. He looked shocked, I suspect the course will be lightened up for next year.

[Ran Morrissett]

The Masters has always enjoyed a sexy leaderboard by the 4th day, even 10-15 years ago when it was 'pretty defenseless off the tee' according to Kostis.

What did the Committee elect to do today? Stretch every hole to its max distance and tuck the hole locations - which is unfortunately an understandable reaction given the rain and given that the USGA is sitting around while Rome burns.

However,  it's a shame that the rolleracoaster ride that we have all grown accustomed to taking on a particular Sunday in April seems to be out of order the past few years. The trend is bad.

I am a huge Tiger Woods fan and I hope he wins by twenty but at least let's see some eagles on Sunday just for kicks. Stick the hole where it was when Nicklaus won in 1986 when Watson "only" birdied it and knew his chances were therefore gone.

More changes are coming - and I want to see the pros with long irons and mid irons into 4 and 5 - but there is no reason to sacrifice WIDTH as they add length.

The Committee is in a brutal situation but let's hope they don't continually sacrifice width and strategy for the sake of difficulty.

Cheers,

[Jeff Mingay]

Ran,

You're right: added length isn't a problem, it's the improper patterning of fairways and the narrowing of hole corridors with trees that's ruining what is historically the world's most exciting golf tournament.

One player in the 60s on Sunday? That's not the Masters. Frequent chip outs from trees? That's not the Masters. Not a single eagle on 13 or 15 on Sunday? That's not the Masters.

This year's was one of the least exciting Masters Tournaments I can recall. Ben Crenshaw is right. The changes to the course have taken the excitment out of the tournament.

I too noticed that the ideal position from which to approach the 11th green is now about 10-15 yards into the "second cut", and also that Tiger drove into that position on Saturday and Sunday regardless.

Peter Kostis' (continuous) comments about the course changes were consistently ignorant. He should read some on golf architecture before opening his mouth. Today he insinuated that the pros never before had to shape shots at Augusta National. I don't believe that to be true.

But still, even if Kostis had some intelligent criticsm to share with the TV audience, he couldn't without risking a "ban" from the Masters, a la Gary McCord.

[On that note, how silly do the CBS annoucers sound calling the fans "patrons"? What a joke.]  

[brad_miller]

How many "wonderful layups" did we see on 15 today? Hope there are a few 30 year old pines for sale soon, my biggest objection to this whole saga relates to width and the effect it will have around the country, "lack of with, enhances the shot values off the tee" will be heard around the country in almost every green committee meeting later this spring.

[TEPaul]

I don't remember when that bunker on #18 came into being--although I think it had something to do with someone bailing way left. It was added in the last 10-12 years right? The added tee length certainly accomplished what many on here were calling for, ie, getting the long hitters to hit a lot more into the green than Wood's SW last year.

So if some of you are concerned about that bunker on #18 being too far out now, not coming into play and just a "framing bunker", how about just moving it back about 25-30yds towards the new tees! That might actually be the first time a fairway bunker was moved closer to the tees to come into play for these long hitting Touring pros!

[Joe Hancock]

Go easy on me as this is my first post. Loving the site, BTW.

As I watched the tourney with a friend, we wondered if the "difficulty" of the course was for the good of the event. Apart from TW's birdie on 15, was there even one of the trademark "roars" that is always a factor to the other players? I agree with those that suggest the tourney was played badly from a mental standpoint rather than course difficulty, but those not in contention or thinking about TW should have posted better #'s.

Joe

[Paul Richards]

brad:

If what you said is true:

>lack of with, enhances the shot values off the tee" will be
>heard around the country in almost every green committee
>meeting later this spring.

then most of the classic courses, at least in Chicagoland,
don't have to do a thing because they are already
overrun with trees!!

[Jim_Kennedy]

The rough at Augusta is not of a very penal variety. I did not see one ball disappear out of site and you can still see the "swoosh" on the side of the player's shoes when they are standing in it. It will have an effect on the ball but it is just short enough to have to wonder how much. It may not follow a wide-is-good-for-strategy doctrine but I think it is the least nefarious way to cause these guys some grief.
Using minimal rough may limit the options but it doesn't eliminate the playing corridors.

[TEPaul]

I'm not sure  what to think of the trees on #15 that take out a try for the green if a drive gets too far to the left on the fairway, which seems to be at least the left third of the fairway, if not more. What would you think if they left maybe just one or at the most two of those trees near the center and the players might have the option of going either way around them only to be blocked if they happened to be directly behind it (them). Instead of the one dimensional attempt to get the tee shot over to the far right they would at least have a clear-cut choice of getting it to one side of the fairway or the other. Only the middle would be not a good option?

[Gary Smith (Guest)]

There have some hellacious, big, sweeping golf shots played from around those trees on the left side 15 fairway over the years. Singh's in '00 was a real golf shot. Why not leave them, and give the player a little more fairway over towards the younger pines transplanted on the right hand side a few years ago?

[Gerard DeLonge']

Mr. Smith-I must ask if you have ever played the Augusta National Course or have read any of Mackenzie's books? It certainly seems as if you haven't.

Why do you detest those who would like to express their opinions by insulting them?

[Mike_Cirba]

Ran,

Good post.  

Can anyone imagine how penal the course would have played without all of the soaking rains??

Today, unfortunately, turned into the most incredibly dull Masters in memory.  Anyone who thinks the tighter, longer course didn't have an effect (1 (ONE) UNO, round in the 60s at the MASTERS!!!), with the world's best players is simply ridiculous.

Even if you concede that ALL of those in contention but Tiger choked, what about the guys out there just playing for pride and field position?  

I read something earlier this week where Tom Fazio claimed to have read Mackenzie's book, to bolster his contention that the course needed significant lengthening.  Too bad he didn't read the rest of it, quite obviously.

[Gary Smith (Guest)]

Greetings, Gerard!

Right now I'm working on the Fazio book when I stop by Barnes and Noble once a week. And, yes, I definitely feel some of the things he says are pretty arrogant. However, I believe in being open-minded in arriving at things. I have inquired there about Shackleford books as he seems a very bright guy, but right now there are none there.  I will probably buy his book. You may be surprised to know that I'm closer to some of the beliefs popular here than maybe you are thinking I am. My interest in golf architecture was created by picking up a copy of the World Atlas of Golf years ago.

And as to ANGC, I have been on grounds twice during practice days, but have never played. I feel like I know the course fairly decently, as I have watched the evolution of that particular tournament going back to the early '60s as a youth.

As to insulting or detesting anyone here, I really don't mean to come across that way. I don't see how I'm trying to stop someone else's opinions. I'm not afraid to speak up and point out some things that may annoy someone because it goes against the herd mentality, but that is hardly stifling someone's opinion. If you're referring to my immediately preceding post about the 15th, how can that be interpreted as stifling someone's opinion?  

Have a good night, Gerard.

[Tim_Weiman]

Jeff Mingay:

I share your view on several points.  This was the least exciting Masters I can remember.  Peter Kostis would have been better off keeping his mouth shut.  The CBS announcers using the word "patrons" did sound rather silly.

In sum, I can't see where all the money Augusta spent on course changes actually accomplished anything.  Too bad the television broadcast is so tightly controlled that nobody from CBS would ever question the course changes/set up.

[SGD]

Tim Weiman:

I agree wholeheartedly with your post.  

I'd like to add something more substantive to this thread but I've been yawning since ANGC Vice Chairman Joe Ford came on to tell everyone that there would be only 4 minutes of commercials and 56 minutes of golf during each hour of coverage.  The "new" Augusta and the excitement it generated would have been helped by 56 minutes of Super Bowl-type ads and 4 minutes of plodding.

[Wayne Freedman]

Of course they'll be delighted. They're sycophants. As they interpret it this evening over their bourbons, any change to lower the scores will equate to a good change.

I don't agree.

They've taken a classic old car and installed a newer engine, using the justification that they had to because  current models go faster and might pass it on the highway.

Who cares if the winner is 25 under par? Wouldn't it be nice to see a consistent measure of how golfers and technolgy have improved with the years?

At worst, AGNC should institute a competition ball.
Hell---the sport should.

Having said that, I love the Masters. As explained to my wife this morning, America should claim four television holidays:
The Super Bowl
The Masters
The US Open
The British Open

And maybe a 7th game of the World Series.

But this....this was a disappointing Masters Sunday.
In toughening the course, they lost the drama. In trying to make ANGC more competitive, they appear to have accomplished the opposite.

It's 90 percent insufferable pretention, played out in the name of tradition.

But what does any of this matter?  Really...

The Jews and Arabs want to kill eachother and we're arguing
nuance.

To put it in perspective, I watched the final round at a friend's house, where we celebrated a daughter's communion.  As Tiger signed his card, the hostess, who doesn't know golf, saw Woods speaking to  his caddy. She asked, and seriously,
"Why is Tiger talking to that painter?"

[Chris Kane]

On that note, how silly do the CBS annoucers sound calling the fans "patrons"? What a joke

If the CBS guys call them 'fans', they'll get kicked out, as has happened before.

To apply to same standard, Tiger will not be getting an invitation next year, because he referred to the 'fans' in the Butler Cabin when talking to Jim Nantz at the TV Presentation!

[Kelly_Blake_Moran]

I did not spend the day in front of the TV.  Nothing is worth wasting a day in front of a box that makes you stupid.  What little I did see would make me go back and examine the layup areas.  Many players were hitting irons (#3) and fairway woods off the tees to lay back of trouble.  The lay back areas should receive considerable attention.

[TEPaul]

I've never been to ANGC for a firsthand look but I thought those Sunday pins were really good ones. I also really tried to study those internal green contours and what they meant to the overall greens and particularly the Sunday pin positions. When I filter through my mind the overall strategic meaning of them all it was really good, I think.

I'd also never seen some of the front nine before. #3, excellent pin far right over a single ("semi-meaningless" bunker). #4 far right, I think, and excellent. 5-6 can't remember at the moment, but were one or both of these holes the ones that Goosen (self admittedly pulling his approaches all day) got on the wrong side of and 3 putted? #7, great pin on a center front to back ridge! Tiger seemed to be the only one to put the ball on the proper side of that green but still the putt was very slick for him. #8, wonderful pin and wonderful par 5 green--unusual!!

#9, wonderful and traditional Sunday pin, just all about both accuracy and even more fineline distance control and degrees of spin. #10, excellent front pin! #11, great pin bringing the entire left pond into play and also the water behind the green into play for those that played it safe and short as Tiger did and had to chip up the green with the water behind. #12, one of the best Sunday pins in the world and also one of the truly high intensity and STRATEGIC short par 3s in the world! #13, don't know that green very well but the much shorter left side carry and the cant to the right seemed to make that a great pin for a lot of strategic options on the approach shot. #14, didn't look too good to me! Seemed virtually impossible to get it close to make birdie on that hole and the hole seems to have been stretched almost to the point of strategically disconnecting--or am I thinking of #17? #15, I think I would have liked to have seen that pin closer to the front but of course there is the water behind that green for the very aggressive. Front would have been better though, but would have taken out the eagle possiblities more--not a good idea, I guess. #16, a great pin with all that green and surrounds is--a great green and pin for an aggressive or conservative option. #17?! I think I get this hole mixed up with #14--this might have been the one with the pin I didn't like for a Sunday #17!

What's going on with the back pin on #18? I thought the traditional Sunday pin was front left--but it seems they mix it up or rotated it year to year between back right and that front left pin. Either is really good!

But I sure do agree with Ran and Jeff Mingay and some of the others that the Masters should just cut the whole place down to those traditional super-wide fairways. The light semi-rough definition of the last few years was dumb when they did it and it's still dumb with the increased length. It just looks dumb! It really doesn't do a thing to the players either psychologically or actually. This from Nick Faldo; He said he  perfers it because it makes the approaches a bit easier to play for him. He said it produces a slight flyer and he liked that because he knew what the ball would do and he could play a bit less club! He said it played easier as far as he was concerned and consequently they shouldn't have done it!

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