Things for the 2007 Masters

[iacas]

I'm trying to think what I'd like to see for the 2007 Masters. Here's what they are (very off-the-top-of-my-head):

1. No rough. Let the balls run into the trees.
2. Remove the stupid trees that make the holes 25 yards wide. The length would have been tolerable if they hadn't compounded it by changing the whole point of the course, especially off the tee (left third of fairway? right third? center? left edge? - can't do that anymore.).
3. Tell the advertisers to come up with more than three or four versions of their commercials. I appreciate only seeing 4 mins of ads per hour, but do they have to be the SAME four minutes, hour after hour after hour? Show some creativity!
4. If they keep the 4th hole as long as it is, get rid of the bunker in front of it, wouldja? Let some guys roll it up there. Or, better yet, go back to 210 yards or so.
5. Do the green jacket ceremony on the frickin' putting green. How strained is the whole "I think they're coming in now" from Hootie?

Thankfully, they didn't repeat the early Sunday TV blackout from yesteryear.

[The Undaunted Duffer]

The green jacket ceremony was brutal. I didn't even really want to watch it. The whole thing seemed so contrived.

[iacas]

A thought occurred to me today as I was thinking about the fact that this Masters was perhaps the most boring Masters I've ever seen: Hootie and his crew have effectively "charge-proofed" the course.

Absolutely nobody (save José Maria Olazabal, and even that's a stretch) made a Sunday charge. None. Why? The course is in no way conducive to it. Nicklaus won in '86 with a back-nine 30. Do you think we'll see a back-nine 30 if the course plays the way it did Sunday? The course was wet (which usually leads to lower scoring), rough kept balls from going into trees... and still nobody managed a good score. Hell, very few people broke 70!

The Masters, in other words, just got a whole lot more boring. They've charge-proofed the course.

[jeffgladchun]

A thought occurred to me today as I was thinking about the fact that this Masters was perhaps the most boring Masters I've ever seen: Hootie and his crew have effectively "charge-proofed" the course.

Exactly. The players were playing against the course instead of one another. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, often a very good thing, but in this case it was just boring. I agree about the charge-proofing, I was pulling like hell for Tiger to light it on the back, but his putter let him down, so it can still be done, but its gonna take a hell of a lot better playing.

[Rafcin]

geez, reading these posts I'm really not regretting playing golf throughout the entire tournament and watching the highlights only
Besides - as Freddie's fan - it would be a painfull to watch it anyway...

[LarryK]

geez, reading these posts I'm really not regretting playing golf throughout the entire tournament and watching the highlights only

Don't believe it for a second, Rafci. Freddie would have done you proud. I was really pulling for him as well. A few putts here and there and this could have been a very different story. It was really entertaining for me watching him hang in as long as he did.

I don't buy Eric and Jeff's "charge-proof" contention either. Are you guys telling me that if Tiger is 3 or 4 strokes down going into next year's final that you would bet against him no matter who the leader was? I'm not so sure I would do that if he and Phil were to replay the final round right now. I seem to remember at least one makeable eagle and several birdie putts Tiger had on the back nine. How is the fact that he didn't convert these an automatic condemnation of all the course changes at Augusta? Had the course been charge-proofed, he wouldn't have had those chances would he?

[sungho_kr]

I actually felt really bad because players kept missing par putts. That just killed me, tiger never had a fair chance cuz the greens were crazy and Hootie says that the par 5s are for birdieing, why don't you add some rough to the greens so the balls dosen't go inthe water every time, the pros are all dropping them in the water getting doubles and stuff. It's crazy! I think they worry to much about their rep as a major championship. I think its fine that their is high scoring, that's one of the things that made Augusta a great venue for the Masters, I don't know, the Masters is now like the US open, its not right. The leaderboard would have been so different if they just added some rough to the greens, balls were just spinning back into the water, also, they should try to make the greens a little flatter instead of steeper, I think they are misunderstanding why they even host a Major championship. Jeese.

[iacas]

I don't buy Eric and Jeff's "charge-proof" contention either. Are you guys telling me that if Tiger is 3 or 4 strokes down going into next year's final that you would bet against him no matter who the leader was?

That's missing the point. Tiger is one of a very select few people that could have pulled it off, and he would have had to make those eagle putts on 13 and 15 and still make another birdie (on top of the one he made at 16).

In the older days, anyone and everyone within three shots could catapult into the lead in a span of two holes - or less if the leader made a costly mistake. Phil "played safe" all the final round because he knew nobody was going to have a great final round. The leader used to have to shoot 67 or 68 or so to hold off challengers - Phil shot a 69 and won by three. The '86 Masters played in a semi-"rebroadcast" before the final round started. Nicklaus, again, shot a back-nine 30 to win. That's not possible these days. Even Ollie only managed a 66 or whatever, and he was ONE guy to do it. The thing that struck me about the '86 Masters was the number of players who had putts for eagle on 13 and 15. Norman made a charge. Kite played solidly. But the guy who shot 30 came back and won it.

I'm not so sure I would do that if he and Phil were to replay the final round right now.

That's irrelevant. A charge isn't coming from 3 down with 18 to play. A charge is coming from six back with 18 to play, or four back with 9 to play, or a whole bunch of guys making birdies left and right to stay in this massive melee.

We had 0% melee this year, 90% US Open "pars are your friend" mentality, and 10% shotmaking. And 9 of that 10% was from Freddie Couples.

I seem to remember at least one makeable eagle and several birdie putts Tiger had on the back nine.

You're confusing Tiger with "most golfers." A charge, to me, is not by one person, but by a bunch. And even then, how often does Tiger put those eagle putts to 10'? Not very often. He hit two great shots into 13 and 15. He probably would make them half the time or more.

But it's that nobody else did hit great shots and made eagle... is what I'm getting at.

Had the course been charge-proofed, he wouldn't have had those chances would he?

The course was charge-proofed. But again, Tiger Woods is an exception. I'm talking about charges from anyone within four shots of the leader going into the back nine. Nobody made one. Nobody.

Not even Tiger. Nobody.

[LarryK]

Well, given your more specific definition of what constitutes a "charge" (# of strokes per # of holes to play and the fact that it should be more democratically accessible to the entire field [sounds more like a stampede to me]) certainly makes it more difficult to take issue with your point.

But that just seems to bring us back to the more general issue of lengthening courses throughout the tour. This didn't just start with the Masters and the Masters didn't just come upon the idea this year.

While certainly not being a fan of all the course changes that have occurred, I still find it interesting as to who is able to contend at these events. Tim Clark in solo 2nd? A top five finish for Fred Couples?

While conceding the point that there may indeed be fewer cavalry charging over the hill in any given battle, I'm not ready to concede that that necessarily equates to less exciting golf. Sometimes the hand-to-hand combat can be pretty good too.

[NCGolfer]

Phil "played safe" all the final round because he knew nobody was going to have a great final round. The leader used to have to shoot 67 or 68 or so to hold off challengers - Phil shot a 69 and won by three.

That was his only round in the 60's...and it was Tigers first tournament since 1999 that he

didn't have a round in the 60's. Another interesting tidbit is that there wasn't one person that had multiple rounds in the 60's this past weekend. I'm going to have to dig and see if there was any other Masters in recent history where that happened. 1999 and 1994 seem to be the only ones that were close with just one person doing it.

[iacas]

Well, given your more specific definition of what constitutes a "charge" (# of strokes per # of holes to play and the fact that it should be more democratically accessible to the entire field [sounds more like a stampede to me]) certainly makes it more difficult to take issue with your point.

I'm not talking about a stampede, but typically at least three or four guys apply the pressure. This year, nobody did. Even Tiger would have only gotten in at -6 had he made the two eagles, and Phil came to 18 at -8.

But that just seems to bring us back to the more general issue of lengthening courses throughout the tour. This didn't just start with the Masters and the Masters didn't just come upon the idea this year.

It's not just lengthening. It's lengthening and doing dumb stuff like putting in rough and trees.

While certainly not being a fan of all the course changes that have occurred, I still find it interesting as to who is able to contend at these events. Tim Clark in solo 2nd? A top five finish for Fred Couples?

Not germane to the discussion of "charge-proofing" Augusta. Neither charged on Sunday. They played ho-hum rounds.

While conceding the point that there may indeed be fewer cavalry charging over the hill in any given battle, I'm not ready to concede that that necessarily equates to less exciting golf. Sometimes the hand-to-hand combat can be pretty good too.

We didn't get to see hand-to-hand combat Sunday, either. The closest we got was Freddie three-putting for bogey on 14 when he should have birdied. That was it. And sadly, the only hand-to-hand combat there was Freddie vs. His Putter.

[iacas]

David Toms

seems to agree with me :

Q. Another Masters question, on the back nine on Sunday, we didn't get that jolt that just makes it feel like The Masters, and I wonder how much of that was the design or just guys not taking advantage of the opportunity, any opinion there? DAVID TOMS: It is the design. You know, it's just different, and I don't think you're going to see that anymore. You know, you saw it the year that Ernie and Phil were battling down the stretch because you're talking about two of the longest hitters in the game and two of the best players, so they were able to have some dramatics and have the power to do it. You know, when I'm on 15, I hit a good drive and I still was almost 250 yards out from the middle of the fairway, not only is the chance of eagle not very good, but the chance of birdie is not very good, either. So it's just the golf course is different nowadays and you're not ever going to see a whole lot of heroics from at least half the field. You have a handful of players that can create it, but at the same time, it's even more difficult for them. I don't think you're going to see that a whole lot more, the back nine. You might see somebody collapse on the back nine because the holes are more difficult but I don't see a big charge. I don't see myself shooting 29 on the back nine ever again like I did in '98, and I don't see anybody else doing it, either. So you know, we'll see, and could be wrong, but I don't think so.

[mediaguru]

A thought occurred to me today as I was thinking about the fact that this Masters was perhaps the most boring Masters I've ever seen: Hootie and his crew have effectively "charge-proofed" the course.

You may be right, but it was everyone gagging on PUTTS that killed their charges. They haven't changed the greens.

[flap]

For once I agree with Iacass.Not fully but somewhat.I think that the second tier of players outside of the 5 are not stepping up in the Majors.Phill did what was needed to win which was safe side golf and NO 3 putts.Not his fault that no one else stepped to the plate.Is the course too hard?That remains to be seen next year if they change anything to Phillproof it.

[golfchief]

Sorry guys, I like the changes. The best golfers are playing here and they have to learn the tournament starts on thursdays. The last few years they hit big drives and wedge, we see they need to work on getting close to the hole with mid and long irons. They all know if your in the wrong place on the green three and more putts are very likely. They have notes how to play to the pins from everywhere in the fairway, They just have to update the notes.
I saw many chances for the birdies.