Used to be you could hit your ball all over the lot at the Masters. Remember Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam and even Jack Nicklaus making birdies from all corners of Augusta National? With wide fairways and no rough, players were encouraged to blast away without conscience or consequence. But that all changed in 1997 when Tiger Woods battered Bobby Jones’ hallowed creation, hitting driver-wedge to the par-5 15th hole on his way to a historic 18-under-par score.
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It was called “Tiger-proofing,” but the lengthening and pinching of the fairways at Augusta was on its way regardless. Something had to be done to defend the course from the souped-up balls, clubs and players of the Woods generation.
In the opening round of the 76th Masters on Thursday, it was clear that Augusta now demands precision off the tee. Have we ever seen this many shots played from pine straw?
Everyone spent their time in the woods — and not for relief. Woods hit only six of 14 fairways, tied for second worst in the field on his way to an even par 72. Rory McIlroy had to play off the mud and around the fauna at No. 10 before finishing birdie-birdie for a 71. Phil Mickelson blasted deep into the woods at No. 10 and rattled consecutive shots off the trees at No. 15 on his way to a 74.
“It was Tarzan-ish,” Mickelson said of his misadventure at No. 10. “I didn’t even know they had jungle like that. I’ve never lost a ball here at the Masters that I could think of.”
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson was the leader before he found tree trouble on the 18th hole, where he smashed his club in disgust. Five shots later, he had a quadruple-bogey 8 and a tumble to the second page of the leader board with a 71.
“That’s what happens here,” Stenson said. “It keeps on snowballing, and I got the snowman at the end.”
The commonly held notion about “Tiger-proofing” is that it eliminated shorter hitters. Not true. Since the changes began in 2002, plinkers such as Mike Weir (2003) and Zach Johnson (2007) have won green jackets.
The new word to the wise at Augusta: Stay off the pine straw.
– Kevin Dunleavy
