2017 Masters Tournament

[NCGolfer]

On 2/23/2017 at 11:13 AM, iacas said:

 

1. Is Jordan Spieth the favorite to win after his collapse last year? Is it the best story in golf?
2. If not Jordan, how about Dustin Johnson?
3. Will Tiger Woods make the cut? Will he play? Will he surprise everyone (likely including himself at this point) and finish in the top ten? If he skips this tournament, will this be the last time anyone really cares?
4. Last year's winner Danny Willett… does he contend again, or will his drop in play (evident at the Ryder Cup) continue?

1.  Is he the favorite?  Looks like the bookmakers think so.  If he were to win after last year I think it would be a pretty darn good story...that is unless the answer to #3 is mostly in the positive.

2.  If Dustin can keep his putter hot like it has been then I think he has a better chance.  That is the only reason I would favor Spieth over Johnson.  Spieth has the advantage of already winning  the Masters and a bit less pressure but that still seemed to get to him last year, didn't it?

3.  I think Tiger will play but not make the cut.  He's a train wreck right now.  He has over a month to get his back spasms (if that is what really is going on) in order.  I don't think that's too much to ask since they've said it isn't structural or related to the surgery.  I'm hoping he plays one competitive tournament before Augusta.  As for your last question, no.  Someone will always care when Tiger is teeing it up.  Will most people care?  That's debatable.

4.  No he doesn't contend.  Yes, his play continues to drop.  I couldn't care less.

[1badbadger]

On 2/23/2017 at 11:22 AM, iacas said:

I'm pretty sure they'll find a way to get blooming ones on the property for the Masters…

 

On 2/23/2017 at 0:18 PM, Golfingdad said:

Yeah, just read this: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/golf/golf-augusta-masters-azaleas/index.html

And I agree.  They seem like the kind of guys that will fly in azaleas from across the globe and plant them the week before if they have to.  Replace "life" with "ANGC: ...

 

The Lords of Augusta can make things happen in such a seamless way it's scary.  

One year the right side of hole #11 is wide open, the next year a line of 30' pine trees guards that side.  It's not easy or cheap to replant one 30' tree, much less a bunch of them.  They made it look like they had been there forever. 

Another thing that is not often shown is that the golf course is right in the middle of town and is land-locked.  One year during a practice round players noticed a particular hole (I think it was #13 or 15) was playing longer than the previous year, but the tee box had always been right up against a fence that bordered the property with a city street just on the other side...there was no way to extend the length of that hole.  Not unless you have enough pull to actually move the street about 30 yards over, extend the length of the hole, then put everything back the way it was to make it look exactly the same as before, which is exactly what they did.  So yeah, the flowers will be in full bloom whether they want to be or not!

[Golfingdad]

39 minutes ago, 1badbadger said:

Another thing that is not often shown is that the golf course is right in the middle of town and is land-locked.  One year during a practice round players noticed a particular hole (I think it was #13 or 15) was playing longer than the previous year, but the tee box had always been right up against a fence that bordered the property with a city street just on the other side...there was no way to extend the length of that hole.  Not unless you have enough pull to actually move the street about 30 yards over, extend the length of the hole, then put everything back the way it was to make it look exactly the same as before, which is exactly what they did.  So yeah, the flowers will be in full bloom whether they want to be or not!

Looks like the only part of the course that abuts a public street is the 4th green and 5th tee - so maybe that's the hole you were referring to?  I don't doubt something like that at all.  They are always trying to expand and buy more property.

Just this last year they were trying to buy a bunch of land from the neighboring golf course so they can push back the 13th tee.  http://www.golfdigest.com/story/report-augusta-national-close-to-deal-to-lengthen-iconic-13th-hole

There was also a story about how they bought some property such that there is only one more remaining piece of land they don't own on that particular block.  Here it is:

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/augusta-national-buys-neighboring-pep-boys-69m/

[nevets88]

Redditor, Augusta native probably, takes a drive by photo of AGNC expansion area. What happened to that one guy they were trying to buy out, wouldn't sell his house? Guess they bought his house?

[GolfLug]

So have bookies changed the odds for DJ yet?

I know easy to morning QB but really when you hit it like DJ did all week, putting is just a foot note. Also, my guess is he will clean up for Masters. BTW, I saw he was last inside 6 ft but 1st outside of 10 ft. WTF?? lol!

[Scotsclaff]

6 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

So have bookies changed the odds for DJ yet?

I know easy to morning QB but really when you hit it like DJ did all week, putting is just a foot note. Also, my guess is he will clean up for Masters. BTW, I saw he was last inside 6 ft but 1st outside of 10 ft. WTF?? lol!

Oddschecker,Spieth 7/1,DJ 8/1,Rory 9/1,Matsuyama 16/1,

Stenson 25/1,Willett 80/1...................Tiger Woods 80/1.

[MuniGrit]

DJ isn't winning the Masters putting like he did this past weekend. 

[Groucho Valentine]

19 minutes ago, MuniGrit said:

DJ isn't winning the Masters putting like he did this past weekend. 

Agreed. But if the greens are watered down, he might eat that place alive with the way he's striking it. 

[Wally Fairway]

4 weeks from the Masters and I think the question is this:
When do you think Tiger announces his withdrawal from the 2017 Masters?

[MuniGrit]

23 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

4 weeks from the Masters and I think the question is this:
When do you think Tiger announces his withdrawal from the 2017 Masters?

Probably a week out.

[1badbadger]

3 hours ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Agreed. But if the greens are watered down, he might eat that place alive with the way he's striking it. 

And what are the odds they water down the greens?   

[Groucho Valentine]

1 minute ago, 1badbadger said:

And what are the odds they water down the greens?   

Zero. But it could rain or something. 

[chspeed]

I think this will be the year for Paul Casey. He's been T4 and T6 the last two years. He's playing well, and seems to have always liked the course. At about 60:1, that's not a bad bet.

[Wally Fairway]

5 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Zero. But it could rain or something. 

Even with rain, haven't they put in drainage systems to dry them out pretty quickly.
If there was a chance of slow greens at Augusta, I think Billy Payne would get scissors and industrial fans to cut them and dry them off.

[MuniGrit]

27 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Zero. But it could rain or something. 

It would have to rain so much that it would probably stop play.

[skydog]

The sub air system allows them to have the speed of course be what they want it to be almost regardless of weather. I was down there a couple of years ago the morning after they had just received 36 hours of downpours (enough to cancel the prior day's practice day) and walking the course you could barely tell it rained a drop. Any other course would have been a mud pit.

If I had to guess, I would say DJ never wins a green jacket. Obviously the guy has enough talent that I could be very wrong but my hunch is he doesn't win one.

[Golfingdad]

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/ap-masters-limiting-2017-par-3-contest-honorary-invitees-lose-playing-practice-privileges?mbid=social_facebook

I'm sure many will not like this move, but I don't really care much.  If you forced me to have an opinion, then I suppose I'd say I like the decision.

[DeadMan]

Limiting the field on the par 3 contest doesn't make much sense to me, but the rest of it does. Let the honorary invitees play the course the week after the Masters if they want.

That said, I don't care about the par 3 contest one iota, so whatever.