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Augusta changes the right way
Watching Tiger Woods bomb his final drive and leave himself a 78-yard flip to the 72nd hole at last week's Masters seemed to confirm that the Augusta National Golf Club has become too easy for the world's best players. I'm still not totally convinced. It's undeniable that the course allows a disproportionate number of wedge and short-iron approaches -- in some cases for second shots into par 5s -- for the long hitters. But last week's winning score -- in almost windless conditions with the greens far from their firmest -- was still 16-under par. The course held its own. That said, I'm strongly of the opinion that the pro game is suffering from the near extinction of the shot that more than any other separates the men from the boys -- the long-iron approach into a tough par 4. Just as men's tennis has become a monotonous series of big serves, weak returns and put-away volleys, so is men's golf in danger of becoming a boring exhibition of big drives and short pitches. I would like to see at least a few rounds in major championship play where players are forced to use all or nearly all of their 14 clubs. So when Masters chairman Hootie Johnson last week called four or five of Augusta's par 4s "weak" and announced they would be made more difficult (but didn't say which ones or how), I decided to walk the course to check out possible improvements. Trying to really study the Augusta National as a spectator during a Masters round is a bit frustrating. It's the only tournament that doesn't allow journalists inside the gallery ropes, and the throngs are so thick it's difficult for someone walking along with a particular group (as opposed to sitting in a fixed spot and watching all the different groups go through) to get a good view of a player's swing, much less see where the ball goes. As far as getting a player's perspective on how the holes play, forget it. Although a Masters ticket might be the most coveted ducat in golf, the truth is that the tournament is much better viewed on television. So after Friday's round ended, I went out and walked the golf course, from the first tee to the 18th green. There was only about an hour of sunlight left, but the air was warm and still. The only people still left on the grounds were some lingering spectators, a few guards and a brisk army of maintenance workers getting the holes ready for the third round. Even though I technically wasn't supposed to, I walked onto some tees to get the golfer's perspective. I'll tell you, from the tips, Augusta National looks anything but easy. It looks long and its chutes of trees make it a lot tighter than you might expect. Rather than a course where you can hit it anywhere, there are definitely dead places -- like the left sides of the second, fifth, 11th and 13th holes. There are some dramatic elevation changes, and humps and bumps all over the fairways and especially around the greens. There are only 44 bunkers, but most of them are so large and well placed that they absolutely dictate the shot required. On the other hand, many once-feared fairway bunkers -- like those on the first, second, fifth, eighth and 18th holes -- are now getting carried. As I walked around, I came to the conclusion that there is plenty of room to lengthen certain holes -- the first, ninth, 11th, and , in particular, the 18th -- and fiddle with some new fairway bunkers on the fifth. These changes will make the Augusta National a tougher golf course. But if the intent, as some people believe, is to Tigerproof, those efforts will be misguided. The longer and tougher the course gets, the more likely Woods will win. It will play to his strengths and decrease the pool of players who are capable of beating him. I believe the Masters committee knows this. They are lengthening these par 4s not to help or hurt Woods, but to hold with the concept that the best courses should favor the best players by increasing the demand on skill. After a long evening walk around the golf course, I think they're doing the right thing. Sports Illustrated senior writer Jaime Diaz is a regular contributor to the
magazine's Golf Plus edition. Click here to
send him a question or comment.
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