The 2012 Masters Discussion Thread

[LobWedge]

I will donate a special surprise prize to the winner of this prediction. My selection... Cut................................................................................... +2 Players advancing to last two days........................... 48 Leading score after day 2........................................... -8 So please state Cut Players Best Score Competition closes at 1 p.m. Eastern

[LobWedge]

41 out on the course. Only 9 players have made a forward move gaining 13 shots between them. The rest have dropped 43 shots between them. Early indications show that shots will be hard to find today. Anyone making a move will find themselves well up the field.

[Chilli Dipper]

Uh oh. It looks to be like a difficult day for scoring, with the winds gusting at 25 and cold.

I sure hope Phil can still score well with these conditions.

It's gonna be another interesting day for sure.

The advantage today will be with the players who tee off later in the day, when we'll probably see calmer breezes and higher temperatures. Luke Donald had a poor round yesterday, but he's in the last group out, and he likely will have a better chance of bouncing back later than if he was on the course right now.

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Full disclosure: I do not think the sun rises and sets around Tiger Woods and that however poorly he behaves he gets a pass because he's a really good golfer. Never did. End of full disclosure. Some people would think that qualifies me as a Tiger "hater." Good grief.

In his interview yesterday after his round, Tiger was the opposite of the last time I heard him interviewed there--short, snippy answers, sour expression and tone, let-me-out-of-here-mood. Yesterday he was gracious, answered every question directly and fully, expressed some humility, smiled often--in short, he behaved like a gentleman golfer is supposed to.

Yesterday I heard David Feherty interviewed on the Dan Patrick show (ESPN radio). DF said the difference in Tiger isn't the swing (he told Tiger at Tavistock, "I can't see a difference between the swing you have now and the one you had on the Mike Douglas Show."). It's that he seems to be comfortable in his own skin for the first time. As far as I'm concerned, that's the New Tiger, and I'm happy for it.

We're seeing good golf from him his year, I didn't think we wouldn't. What we're seeing in addition is a positive change in his character, and that is the most pleasing of all.

Why do you have to hate so much?

Seriously, though--this is a great observation.  It seems like something just clicked in him since the Bay Hill win.  he has been so bitter, challenged and defensive, really since 2008.  Now he just looks like a guy who's hanging out, trying not to exert too much energy before he has to lift a massive trophy over his head on Sunday.

I say "since 2008" because the questions haven't really been about his game since the injury.  Since that date, the interviews have been about the injury, the scandal, the comeback, the swing changes, the injury, the Captain's pick, the monkey on his back, etc.  The win seems to have made all of those stories forgettable, and Tiger looks really, really happy.

[brocks]

The advantage today will be with the players who tee off later in the day, when we'll probably see calmer breezes and higher temperatures. Luke Donald had a poor round yesterday, but he's in the last group out, and he likely will have a better chance of bouncing back later than if he was on the course right now.

Wouldn't it be more fair for the majors to group players by world ranking the first two days? Then most of the contenders would face approximately the same weather conditions. I realize that for normal events, they want to spread the big names around to help ratings, but I doubt that makes much of a difference the first two days of majors. It doesn't look like it will be much of an issue today, but there have been some majors, especially Opens, where there was a difference of several shots between the morning and afternoon waves, as the winds started gusting midway through the day. With no really dominant player now, a few shots can easily be the difference between winning and losing. And just switching the morning and afternoon tee times like they do now won't help if a storm rolls in at noon, and rolls out 24 hours later.

[LobWedge]

52 out on the course now only 11 players have made a forward move gaining 14 shots between them. The rest have dropped 56 shots between them. Early form shows that shots will be hard to find today. Any one making a move will find themselves well up the field. 1:4 gaining a shot 1:1 dropping a shot Biggest gain 2 Biggest drop 4 temperatures staying mild 53° wind freshening to 15 mph

[iacas]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

In his interview yesterday after his round, Tiger was the opposite of the last time I heard him interviewed there--short, snippy answers, sour expression and tone, let-me-out-of-here-mood. Yesterday he was gracious, answered every question directly and fully, expressed some humility, smiled often--in short, he behaved like a gentleman golfer is supposed to.

To be fair, the "last time" was Sunday afternoon after he'd missed some short putts and even still had a slim chance of being in a playoff or something when he finished. He was still in "tournament mode" and hadn't accepted loss yet.

Completely different scenario than being interviewed 45 minutes after round one.

[LobWedge]

[quote name="Chilli Dipper" url="/t/56322/the-2012-masters-discussion-thread/234#post_697627"] The advantage today will be with the players who tee off later in the day, when we'll probably see calmer breezes and higher temperatures. Luke Donald had a poor round yesterday, but he's in the last group out, and he likely will have a better chance of bouncing back later than if he was on the course right now.

Wouldn't it be more fair for the majors to group players by world ranking the first two days? Then most of the contenders would face approximately the same weather conditions. I realize that for normal events, they want to spread the big names around to help ratings, but I doubt that makes much of a difference the first two days of majors. It doesn't look like it will be much of an issue today, but there have been some majors, especially Opens, where there was a difference of several shots between the morning and afternoon waves, as the winds started gusting midway through the day. With no really dominant player now, a few shots can easily be the difference between winning and losing. And just switching the morning and afternoon tee times like they do now won't help if a storm rolls in at noon, and rolls out 24 hours later.[/quote] I say a good player can shine through no matter what the weather is. Paul Lawrie shone through for his open win in 1999, and he'll glisten today with Lee (Clint) Westwood.

[Ernest Jones]

Doesn't look like Jason Day will be winning me an R-11 driver this year!

[LobWedge]

Cut looks like being +3 because of the 10 shot rule. Can't see the day 2 leader bettering -7 today. I estimate 57 players making the cut.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Doesn't look like Jason Day will be winning me an R-11 driver this year!

I was the only one to pick Furyk ... and so far he is doing me proud! ;-)

[mvmac]

Here comes Philly Mick!  -2 today after 4

[Zeph]

Completely different scenario than being interviewed 45 minutes after round one.

Is this interview to be found online? [quote name="mvmac" url="/t/56322/the-2012-masters-discussion-thread/252#post_697664"] Here comes Philly Mick!  -2 today after 4 [/quote] And Rory -2 through 5.

[LobWedge]

67 out on the course now only 16 players have made a forward move gaining 20 shots between them. The rest have dropped 81 shots between them. Early form shows that shots are getting even harder to find today. Any one making a move will find themselves well up the field. 1:4 gaining a shot 1:0.8 dropping a shot Biggest gain 3 (O'Hair from T27 to T9) Biggest drop 7 temperatures staying mild 53° wind freshening to 15 mph

[Chilli Dipper]

Originally Posted by brocks

Wouldn't it be more fair for the majors to group players by world ranking the first two days? Then most of the contenders would face approximately the same weather conditions. I realize that for normal events, they want to spread the big names around to help ratings, but I doubt that makes much of a difference the first two days of majors.

It doesn't look like it will be much of an issue today, but there have been some majors, especially Opens, where there was a difference of several shots between the morning and afternoon waves, as the winds started gusting midway through the day. With no really dominant player now, a few shots can easily be the difference between winning and losing.

And just switching the morning and afternoon tee times like they do now won't help if a storm rolls in at noon, and rolls out 24 hours later.

Simply put, the things you say don't matter much, do matter, and vice versa. If Masters tee times were determined by world rankings during the first two days, that would mean that all the top players would be on the course at the same time for several hours, but inversely, it would mean that only the amateurs, old-timers, and bottom-tier tournament winners would be on the course for several hours at the other end of the proceedings. For the Augusta National patrons, there is little value in such an arrangement; why would they stay for the afternoon sessions if all the big names are playing in the morning? Even then, they would have to choose between following one group and missing all the others, or staying in one place and watching everyone go by for only one hole. Meanwhile, would casual fans tune in on Thursday or Friday afternoon when the featured group includes Larry Mize, the Mid-Amateur champion, and the winner of the Greenbrier Classic?

As to the other point, I don't think changes in the weather over the course of the first two days of play has a significant impact on the final outcome. Louis Oosthuizen got a massive boost from teeing off early Friday at St. Andrews two years ago before the winds blew everything into disarray, but even that break wasn't worth the seven shots he ultimately won by. Barnes and Glover had a big advantage after two rounds at Bethpage in 2009, but equilibrium prevailed by the Monday finish.

[darkhunter139]

Anyone notice someone shot an 86 yesterday? Wow I wonder what happened there.

[brocks]

Simply put, the things you say don't matter much, do matter, and vice versa. If Masters tee times were determined by world rankings during the first two days, that would mean that all the top players would be on the course at the same time for several hours, but inversely, it would mean that only the amateurs, old-timers, and bottom-tier tournament winners would be on the course for several hours at the other end of the proceedings. For the Augusta National patrons, there is little value in such an arrangement; why would they stay for the afternoon sessions if all the big names are playing in the morning? Even then, they would have to choose between following one group and missing all the others, or staying in one place and watching everyone go by for only one hole. Meanwhile, would casual fans tune in on Thursday or Friday afternoon when the featured group includes Larry Mize, the Mid-Amateur champion, and the winner of the Greenbrier Classic? As to the other point, I don't think changes in the weather over the course of the first two days of play has a significant impact on the final outcome. Louis Oosthuizen got a massive boost from teeing off early Friday at St. Andrews two years ago before the winds blew everything into disarray, but even that break wasn't worth the seven shots he ultimately won by. Barnes and Glover had a big advantage after two rounds at Bethpage in 2009, but equilibrium prevailed by the Monday finish.

OK, then modify it a bit. Just have, say, the top 10 or 12 get special pairings, and put them in the middle of the day both days, so you don't have hours at a time with nobody in the top 50 playing. As for the lack of impact, most majors aren't won by seven shots. Some even go to playoffs. Even one shot could make a big difference.

[walk18]

Anyone else using the masters app and the video isn't working?? So frustrating..