The 2011 Masters - The Main Thread

[rossvanwyk]

Ì thought Tiger did look a lot like his former self and played a cracking round. Alas, I'm not a huge fan of him. But he is a fantastic golfer.

I'm rooting for Mcilroy to follow through and keep playing the way he is. That kid has one hell of a great swing. And Day had a floorless round too. Very happy they're playing together. I think if Mcliroy was playing with Woods it would be a very different story.

[topspin4hand]

The difference is that this is Augusta, the constant venue for a major. I cannot recall any of the greats with a defeatist attitude toward something that's gonna be there year after year. I'm sure he'll change his mind but this was disappointing.

Originally Posted by walk18

Nothing wrong with Kaymer's comments. He's being honest, the course doesn't suit him. Tiger and many others have been known to avoid courses they don't like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by topspin4hand

I was sorta floored by Kaymer's words after the round, really not the words of a future great:

"There’s some golf courses that suit you and some, they just don’t." *** "It’s just a shame,” he said.

"I don’t really know how to play the golf course. I don’t know. I can think about it another hour or hour-and-a-half or two hours, and I just don’t really find a solution."

[sean_miller]

Is Lee Trevino is considered one of the greats and he had no love for Augusta National. He finished in the top 10 a couple times, but it was the one major he really had no shot at winning.

Quote:

The difference is that this is Augusta, the constant venue for a major. I cannot recall any of the greats with a defeatist attitude toward something that's gonna be there year after year. I'm sure he'll change his mind but this was disappointing.

[ControlJunkie]

Anyone know where to find what groups will be Featured Groups 1  & 2 on masters.com and DirecTV?

[Shindig]

Originally Posted by mattttt25

Please Tiger, please.  Make it close on Saturday, and then crush that 21 yr old that stated no one is afraid of you anymore.  Amen.

Did Rory say that?  I heard about Poulter predicting Tiger wouldn't do well, but I don't remember Rory shooting his mouth off about this.

Originally Posted by domc36

I think it's because Augusta is so old school and tradtional that maybe those casual looking golf shoes would not be acceptable. But I'll tell you what, those Eccos, are really sharp. I want to pick a pair of them up. 140 is kind of a lot though.

Well, GMac was wearing them too, so I don't think it has to do with that.

[senorchipotle]

is it just me, or is camilo villegas playing TM Burner irons?

[Zeph]

I'm interested in seeing how Tiger manage his tee shots today. He hit some wild ones yesterday that he got away with big time. With a bit of bad luck he's behind a tree or something worse. I think his tee shots and misses will determine where he ends up this week. His iron play, short game and putting is good enough to win it, but he has to avoid making mistakes.

Originally Posted by ControlJunkie

Anyone know where to find what groups will be Featured Groups 1  & 2 on masters.com and DirecTV?

Featured Groupings for Saturday:

Featured Group 1

S. Marino, C. Villegas (10:55 a.m.)
P. Mickelson, G. Woodland (12:55 p.m)
K.J. Choi, T. Woods (2.35 p.m.)

Featured Group 2

K-T Kim, H. Matsuyama (11:05 a.m.)

[squaddie]

EDIT:  Zeph- haha, quit reading my mind before I post! ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Did you hear some of the things Graeme McDowell said this week? I heard the announcers quote him several times saying things like "I don't expect anything from this week," and "this course doesn't suit my game well" or something along those lines. It would be easy to think he has a poor competitive spirit based on that, but I truly believe he has the kind of grit to win multiple majors before his career is over.

Graeme appeared really unhappy during his final holes on Friday, his head down while waiting on the teebox, muttering.   The guy shouldn't be too hard on himself for what he's accomplished.   But I agree that grit is probably what will drive him to do better next time.

So for Tiger today will his performance off the tee be the biggest deciding factor?  I couldn't tell from the Masters.com site how many fairways Tiger hit yesterday.

His irons seem well dialed in and his biggest advantage compared to the youngsters, but his putting performance was a little mixed, though as others have said the greens are challenging.

Based on older stats from the PGA Tour website both Day and Mcilroy drive an average 10 yards further than Tiger, and Day has been up to 10% more accurate on hitting the fairways.  But Tiger has the advantage in GIR.  Choi's stats are a little better than Tiger's except for GIR.

I think Day has the best chances to win, unless he makes a big mistake.  Tiger will have to play consistently and capitalize on any openings, and also not make any big mistakes if he wants a shot to win on Sunday.

[senorchipotle]

Quote:

Based on older stats from the PGA Tour website both Day and Mcilroy drive an average 10 yards further than Tiger,

that'd be because tiger only hit driver three times yesterday.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by topspin4hand

The difference is that this is Augusta, the constant venue for a major. I cannot recall any of the greats with a defeatist attitude toward something that's gonna be there year after year. I'm sure he'll change his mind but this was disappointing.

It isn't unprecedented.  Lee Trevino did not play the Masters for several years (including theyear he won the US and British Opens) because he said that as a low ball hitter he wasn't suited to the course.  It took Jack's intervention to convince him that a player of his stature had to play the Masters.

[Chilli Dipper]

Lots of low numbers already today. Bubba and Edoardo Molinari are both 4-under for the round and tourney through Amen Corner, Snedeker and Garcia both 3-under early and 7-under overall.

[Chilli Dipper]

Originally Posted by turtleback

It isn't unprecedented.  Lee Trevino did not play the Masters for several years (including theyear he won the US and British Opens) because he said that as a low ball hitter he wasn't suited to the course.  It took Jack's intervention to convince him that a player of his stature had to play the Masters.

Trevino was also very uncomfortable and ill at ease within the blueblood environment of Augusta National. His attitude toward the tournament had as much to do with his lack of results as the course layout.

[Chilli Dipper]

We're well into the third round by now, and there are 20 players within five shots of the lead. There's a traffic jam at 5-under on the leaderboard.

[Shindig]

I just watched Tiger putt 5 and 6.  Oh Tiger!  Leave one on the edge and burn the edge with the next.   Well, it took him until 7 yesterday to start playing like the old Tiger... so I'm optimistic!

Originally Posted by senorchipotle

is it just me, or is camilo villegas playing TM Burner irons?

He's playing irons that look like them.  How much of that is cosmetic and how much is him deciding to go with GI irons is speculation.

I think CH3 is using JPX irons, and K.J. Choi was using Ping's g-series irons at one point.  There is a move towards game improvement irons and away from blades.

[Jasonbolt]

What's going on with Rickie Fowler and Fred Couples...

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by Shindig

There is a move towards game improvement irons and away from blades.

No there isn't. Most pros are smart enough to use clubs that they like and which suit them.

Most pros use irons with perimeter weighting.

This notion of "blades" and "players' irons" only seems to exist on this golf forum.

To the point where we have beginners asking "When should I change to players' irons?", when probably the majority of professionals don't use what posters here grandly describe as "players' irons".

By the same token, irons with perimeter weighting are not all "GI" clubs - a term often used derisively here. :-)

[Shindig]

Originally Posted by Shorty

No there isn't. Most pros are smart enough to use clubs that they like and which suit them.

Most pros use irons with perimeter weighting.

This notion of "blades" and "players' irons" only seems to exist on this golf forum.

To the point where we have beginners asking "When should I change to players' irons?", when probably the majority of professionals don't use what posters here grandly describe as "players' irons".

By the same token, irons with perimeter weighting are not all "GI" clubs - a term often used derisively here. :-)

I'm not sure what you mean here -- what's the difference between perimeter weighting and a cavity?  Would you consider my MP-57s to have perimeter weighting?

[Aquaguru]

Tiger just 3 putted 11 for bogey.  Now he just needs to shoot 71 to stay in it with no one pulling away.