[Jesse]

Really interesting article in the SundayHerald today:

JACK Nicklaus will not be playing at Augusta National this year, but the Golden Bear’s shadow hovers over the tournament he won six times. The US Masters course will be longer than ever this year and Nicklaus, like Arnold Palmer, doesn’t approve.

Nor are 90% of the field for the 70th edition of the tournament likely to be in favour either . It’s not just grumpy old men who are raising their eyebrows at the 240-yard par-3 fourth, or the 505-yard par 4 11th holes.

Both, in slight mitigation, are downhill, but are only two of six holes which have been lengthened to stretch the yardage of Augusta National from 7,290 to 7,445. Since 1997, when Tiger Woods won the first of his four green jackets, the course has been extended by 520 yards.

It’s called Tiger-proofing, except somebody’s having a laugh. The more Hootie Johnson and his men push the tees back – and at this rate they’ll be using the clubhouse balcony as the launch-pad for the 10th hole – the better chance Woods has of strengthening his stranglehold on the tournament.

Jose Maria Olazabal, who won the title twice in the 1990s, is just one of many who fear that the advantage has again been handed to Woods and the big hitters. “I think they will have the biggest smile – from ear to ear, to be honest,” said the Spaniard. “With all the lengthening, some of the pin positions we played through the years are not going to be accessible except maybe for 10 players.”

These will include the usual Masters suspects, such as Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen. Among those disadvantaged are Olazabal and the 2003 winner, Mike Weir.

Whether, as Nicklaus avers, the course has been altered beyond redemption is a moot point, but the man many believe is the greatest golfer ever isn’t pulling punches. “I think they’ve ruined it from a tournament standpoint,” he said. “Augusta is a big, big part of my life and I love it. That’s why I hate to see them change it.”

Full article here

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Bryan]

To me, it just sounds like someone wants attention, or someone is trying to find an excuse and bask in the glow of publicity...

Many other players aren't making the same move as him. So then that means, either they are dumb, or he is. And in my opinion, if you've only got one rebelling, it's usually his own undoing...

It isn't a big deal, and I agree with what Augusta's management is doing. They need to make change, and they need to customize it to fit some of the other players. Otherwise, why keep it stagnant and boring?

 

[Jesse]

To me, it just sounds like someone wants attention, or someone is trying to find an excuse and bask in the glow of publicity...

Sadle enough, you may be right. Far too often people will do anything they can, just so they can get a little publicity and see their name in the paper, whether or not what they are doing has any value.

Many other players aren't making the same move as him. So then that means, either they are dumb, or he is. And in my opinion, if you've only got one rebelling, it's usually his own undoing...

That's a good point, in that the majority is usually right. You can't automatically say the majority is right. After all, they used to think the world was flat

It isn't a big deal, and I agree with what Augusta's management is doing. They need to make change, and they need to customize it to fit some of the other players. Otherwise, why keep it stagnant and boring?

Agreed