Did they make Augusta National too hard.

[gunning4u]

Your thoughts.

[ezra76]

Yes. Greens are ridiculous. Nobody can hold a shot on them.

[warbirdlover]

Yes. I know everyone has to play it but I just cannot see penalizing a good shot maker by the RIDICULOUS greens they have. On some greens there are NO safe landing spots. NONE!! Slow the damn greens down to normal and let the best golfer for the week (not the luckiest) win. This is not golf. It's not going to handicap Tiger. Of all the good pros who can deal with this he will (IMHO) come out on top.

[cypressperch]

Shinne****, I was amazed at the reactions from almost every source. The media, players, just about everyone was saying everything was unfair. My favorite, Retief and Phil had a truly great battle with Retief winning in the end. The media credited Retief with a "fluke win." I still say it was some of the best golf ever played, and one would think that if ol' Cypressperch said such a thing, Retief would get a little more respect. Whether playing great or poorly, no golfer I can think of keeps his composure as well as Retief does.

But here we go again. Today, play at the Masters was the worst in the history of the tournament unless I am mistaken. Who had the best score of the day? Retief. Seriously, how much notice was given this round? OK, at the end, Faldo had some nice comments, but that was about it. Had Tiger shot that same round, you know full well it would have been called one of the greatest rounds of all time. The whole field was over par, but El Tigre shot two under! Shall we all bow our heads and give thanks to El Tigre? I know that Tiger is the best today and probably of all time, but this idolization absolutely sickens me. Also, it is sickening to realize that many, many of today's professionals have bought into all of this and probably cannot win a major event because they feel that they all belong to El Tigre. It gives me another reason to admire a guy like Retief who seems to just go out and play the course as best he can and let the chips fall where they may. I doubt very seriously if what Tiger is doing is one of his major concerns. When you think of it, why should it be?

Nicklaus put similar fear into the other players, but I think there were more golfers who seemed to enjoy the challenge of going up against Nicklaus. Tom Watson did quite well against him. I personally think the media is treating Tiger differently from anyone that has ever played the game, and they have sort of created a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Sincerely, Cypressperch VooDoo

[flomarilius]

woah cypress buddy a little heated dont you think? Cmon yes does the media craze the tiger? Of course! I mean have you been to a tournament he plays at its almost impossible to watch him play.

Now as for Augusta being too hard? NO! How could you possibly say a course is too hard if your making Millions? Im sorry they dont have the right to that excuse like the average joe does. Not only do we have to factor in the slopes and greens but has anyone else noticed the weather? Am I the only person on this earth who is saying that if this was 80* and it had just rained 3-4 days prior these shots will be sticking no matter where they land? We're going down a slippery slope with courses being too hard, all this crap comes up when the pros go over par! Remember Winged Foot, old obsolete course gives a spanking to the players in 06 and if I remember correctly 74 or 76. Hence the "Massacare @ WF".

[Clugnut]

Shinne**** was a putting contest. 2007 Masters is a putting contest. More to golf then putting, IMO. Slow the greens and reward good approaches.

Have got to agree with Cypress on the Tiger thing. Isn't he a +29 cap by now?

[ezra76]

I say it's too hard because look at the footage of years past. How many guys made eagles to take the lead, go on to win. The 15th wouldn't accept a 110yd. wedge much less a 2 or 3iron today. I want to see guys going for the par 5's for the win, not laying up and spinning a wedge back into the water.

[chemboy2]

I don't think it is just a putting contest going on. Take 15 for example, those that laid up wide right were playing approach shots into the slope and the ball fed right down towards the hole; Johnson, Taylor, and another that escapes my memory right now did just this. In contrast, Vijay went for the green and put it in the water. That's not a putting contest, that's a course management contest.

With that being said, I watched a ball land short of a green and then roll through the green and off the back. Hmm, maybe it is too hard...

[warbirdlover]

Cypress. I agree on everything (Tiger, Retief etc) except just slow the greens down to normal. The rest is fine. I enjoy the articles by Tiger in Golf Digest on how to "drive". Yikes. I used to be in the fairway Tiger until I read your article.

[Clugnut]

I said its a putting contest because of all the 50 foot birdie putts and 8-15 foot par putts. It doesn't seem like anyone can get anything close, from long range or short. Granted, I didn't see all of it today.

[chemboy2]

Originally Posted by Clugnut

I said its a putting contest because of all the 50 foot birdie putts and 8-15 foot par putts. It doesn't seem like anyone can get anything close, from long range or short. Granted, I didn't see all of it today.

I saw a lot those putts too. I also saw Appleby overcook a driver and have to play his second shot from a bunker on an adjacent hole on 17. Grant it, a stressful day on the greens can make someone pretty fried mentally by 17.

Okay, I'm starting to argue both sides in the same post, hmm...

Honestly though, seeing pros struggle every now and then does help my psyche.

[TheWOAT]

I loved seeing this hyper-intense brand of golf. You could see the tension on the golfer's faces. Sme players were visibly putting scared, and those who 'went for it' often paid the price which isnt nice to see. Id like for Augusta to slow down the greens a little, but keep the pins in difficult spots. Overall this course, IMO, is a great test of composure.

GO JERRY KELLY!!!

[VtDivot]

1. The greens are always fast at Augusta, the good players know what putts to be aggressive on and where to leave their approach.

2. Tiger hit a 5W into 15 today and round 1 and had no problem holding it. Several players (Rose, ZJ, and the kid from Augusta) got it close on 15. Guys who come up short have always spun it off the green there.

3. Augusta has always been about hitting it in the right spots - the guys today were not doing that.

4. They have made no changes to the course (recently) to make it play more difficult, the rain in the past few years has made the course too easy.

5. Since the golf course was lenghtened this has always been a possibility. Now that the weather is firming everything up, there is not really much the committee can do besides soak the greens, and that will give the early starters an unfair advantage IMO

6. If you want -21 go watch one of those jokes of a golf tournament in Arizona.

I'll say it again - I think it's great. Much better than a US Open where they turn a par 5 into a par 4 and grow out the rough. Augusta has little rough to speak of, and it's only real defense are the tall pines and slick greens... we're finally seeing it play the way Jones and company had to play it.

[Sean]

I agree the greens are absurd. Dudes are dropping beautiful shots on to them, in seemingly good spots, and the ball just does about 20 mph across the green and jumps over the edge.

As a general thought, not directed at the Masters itself: These guys should have more trouble breaking par. Maybe freaks like Tiger and the other handful of great, great players on the tour skew things, but I like to see guys have trouble making par or getting under it.

Par golf does not automatically equal bad golf.

[justagolfer]

I don't think so. It's just a real test. Look at Goosen. Great player on fast greens, and he scored well. I for one love the intensity. Really weeds out the men from the boys.