Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta, Georgia
7,445 yards / Par 72
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 455 | 575 | 350 | 240 | 455 | 180 | 450 | 570 | 460 | 3735 |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 495 | 505 | 155 | 510 | 440 | 530 | 170 | 440 | 465 | 3710 |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 |
Day 2: Hear that? We didn't think so
But this year? The sound you've heard the first two days is mostly ... silence.
To be sure, the crowd roared when Ian Poulter struck his ace in the first round. And the Englishman's playing partner, Mark O'Meara, nearly pulled off a similar feat Friday, giving the patrons another reason to cheer. But you can basically count on one hand the noteworthy roars through the first 36 holes.
OK, it's not the weekend yet. Tiger hasn't cranked it up. But some players think it's the course -- and the fact that the tucked pins have been about as accessible as the North Pole.
"I just don't think you have (heard the roars) for the last few years," Jim Furyk said. "And it's obviously a decision they made, it's their event. And it's just a different golf course and a different way we approach it now."
Furyk said Augusta National "used to be a lot of fun to play." Now? "It's not fun anymore."
He wasn't alone in that assessment. Phil Mickelson also noted a decrease in the thrill factor, even after his 4-under 68 on Friday moved him into a tie for third.
"It's always fun to come play here," Mickelson said, "but after the changes a few years ago, we don't see the same type of excitement and birdies that we're used to seeing. And because of that ... I have to address or look at the round differently starting out. I can't think about it in aggressive terms. I have to kind of pick and choose what holes I can try to make birdies on."
Or, as Furyk noted: "You just have so much more club in your hand than you used to."
Hitting more club into lightning fast, concrete hard greens -- in case you were wondering -- isn't much fun for the players. Or the patrons.
Having said all that, anticipation still remains. Few experiences match Amen Corner when the pressure's on, with that three-hole stretch often turning a Masters' dream into a nightmare. And the back nine of Augusta National provides more risk-reward than the entire Strip in Vegas.
So here's to hoping we'll see a little reward for all the risks this weekend because "Augusta National" and "no fun" just don't belong in the same sentence.
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SHOT OF THE DAY: As baseball legend Yogi Berra might say, it was nearly déjà vu all over again on No. 16 Friday. During Thursday's first round, England's Ian Poulter used an 8-iron to ace the 170-yard hole. On Friday, Poulter's playing partner and 1998 Masters champion Mark O'Meara stuffed his tee shot from 160 yards to within inches of the cup, setting up a tap-in for birdie.
While two aces from two guys playing in the same group in two days would have been an impressive feat, nothing matches what happened in 2004 when Padraig Harrington and Kirk Triplett recorded back-to-back aces at No. 16 minutes apart -- Harrington was last to hit in his pairing, while Triplett was first to hit in his.
DISPLAYS OF PERSEVERANCE: There's no question that a large reason for the men lucky enough to tee it up in the Masters has to do with their never-say-quit mentality. Two players in particular stood out in that regard Friday.
After shooting an 8-over 80 in round one, Australian John Senden buckled down with an incredible nine-shot turnaround. Alas, his overall total of 7 over wasn't good enough to make the cut. Meanwhile, Sweden's Niclas Fasth was five shots better in the second round, firing a 2-under-par 70 after Thursday's 75. The score earned Fasth a weekend tee time.
ROUND OF THE DAY: You probably won't find it on the slip of paper inside your fortune cookie the next time you order Kung Pao chicken, but it's still a good proverb to abide by at the Masters: "Man who makes least number of mistakes at Augusta National is man who slips into Green Jacket when tournament ends."
If things hold form, that could apply to Trevor Immelman. The South African carded his second consecutive 4-under-par 68 on Friday and will take a one-shot lead into the weekend. Sure, Steve Flesch's 5-under 67 was the best score in the second round, but Immelman is putting on a classic display of consistency.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "He's a wonderful striker of the ball. I think he's a little docile about his putting sometimes. And I said, you got to convince yourself you have a beautiful stroke. And he does. And I said you have to rely on that and rely on your instinct in order to pace the ball." -- Ben Crenshaw (who knows a thing or two about putting) on his discussions with tournament leader Trevor Immelman
THROWING IT IN REVERSE: Australia's Peter Lonard didn't have a spot in the Masters until a runner-up finish in New Orleans allowed him to crack the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking two weeks ago -- the last chance to secure an invite through that qualification.
Lonard got off to a promising start with a 71 on Thursday, but Friday was a much different story. He carded an 9-over 81 and missed the cut.
Meanwhile, Sweden's Daniel Chopra had a 78 on Friday after a 72 on Thursday to miss the cut by three shots.
Other notables missing the cut included Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Aaron Baddley and Luke Donald (all at 4-over 148); Rory Sabbatini (5 over), Steve Stricker and Camilo Villegas (both at 6 over); and Woody Austin (8 over). And of course, there was also Fred Couples, whose streak of 23 consecutive cuts came to an end.
LOOKING AHEAD: The four groups I'll be keeping an eye on in Saturday's third round:
• 1:10 p.m. Tiger Woods, Andres Romero. Let's face it, folks. On paper, Woods will start his third round trailing leader Trevor Immelman by seven shots. Theoretically, with Brandt Snedeker right behind Immelman, Tiger is kinda only four shots out of the lead. What do you mean? I'm glad you asked. The way I see it in the "No. 1 versus No. 2" world I live in, Phil Mickelson has the 36-hole lead at 5-under par, even if that doesn't correlate with the leaderboard. And Romero? He earned his first TOUR win two weeks ago in New Orleans and has shown at the British Open that he can go on birdie binges in majors. He'll need that on Saturday.
• 2 p.m. Mike Weir, Arron Oberholser. Former winners at Augusta National are always dangerous if they're within a sniff of the lead. Examples: Jose Maria Olazabal, Ben Crenshaw and, umm... Jack Nicklaus. Canadian Mike Weir is finding his form at just the right time. He'll start the third round five shots off the pace at 3 under. Meanwhile, Oberholser said earlier this week that he'd be taking at least two months off after the Masters to nurse some long-lingering injuries. A win would be a great way to step into an unwanted hiatus.
• 2:30 p.m. Phil Mickelson, Steve Flesch. His name might not be in the top spot right now, but Lefty is pretty darn close to where he wants to be. He'll start the third round trailing by just three shots. As a two-time Masters winner, Mickelson obviously knows how to win here and more so than worrying about the guys ahead of him, he'll probably keep an eye open over his shoulder at Tiger Woods. Flesch is a gritty veteran who could put up a good fight.
• 2:40 p.m. Trevor Immelman, Brandt Snedeker. An interesting threesome to earn the last tee time on Saturday at the Masters. Immelman is certainly the more experienced of the twosome when it comes to big tournaments -- he finished fifth at the 2005 Masters and tied for sixth at the 2007 PGA Championship. However, Snedeker is a sensational sophomore who already has a PGA TOUR win under his belt.
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