Fred Ridley, the former USGA president who now heads Augusta National's Competition Committee, must be pleased with himself and his club for turning the Masters into a U.S. Open venue.
But after watching the train wreck that was this year's event, it occurred to me that we were seeing more than the result of poor choices by the green jackets. We were seeing a consequence of poor choices by the blue jackets at the USGA who have allowed technological advances to change the game.
Would the hallowed grounds of Augusta been so bastardized had not club and ball technology forced it? I don't think so. And that's why I believe that while technology on some levels has helped the average golfer enjoy the game a bit more, on the whole I think we've lost more than we've gained.
The kid from Cedar Rapids, Iowa showed some big heart and deft putting down the stretch as he carded a final-round 69 to win the coveted green jacket at the 2007 Masters Tournament.
Through most of two rounds of the 71st Masters, one thing is clear: the music has died. The cheers have died. The excitement has died.
Golf, like fly-fishing (another sport I love), can be poetry. While we see more jerks and hacks than poems in our weekend foursomes, thankfully there are some swings worth emulating.
The 2007 Masters begins today. It's a great day to be a golf fan! (On the other hand, it's not so great to be the spouse of a golf fan.) The season's first men's major championship has arrived, and everyone has a clean slate as far as predictions go. The Sand Trap staff members are included in this group and have once again voiced our opinions in what has become a tradition for us come majors time.
Morgan Pressel makes her first LPGA win a major, while Adam Scott and Stuart Appleby prepare for The Masters by playing "Rinse-a-Ball" in Houston: who would win? Also this week, more on Sergio's spit, Phil's Masters dinner, Billy Payne, and the demise of Augusta Natioanl. All this and more in this episode of Golf Talk.
