[W.H. Cosgrove]

Part of the charm of the tournament is the exemption for past winners.  I really don't care what they shoot.

In a world with damned little charm, (I'll hold my tongue for a moment here), the idea of respecting and honoring the past and its heroes should be maintained if not revered.  

[Dan Kelly]

Sample size, gentlemen, sample size.

Care to be less obscure?

[Gerry B]

forget what they scored:

it is about respect - you win a masters you get a lifetime exemption -those are the rules - case closed

yes many former champions cannot compete but give some of the old timers a little respect for at last 2 days. i don't believe for a minute they are  going to Augusta thinking they have a chance - but as the old saying goes - on any given day.... that is why they play the game.

In Ben's case - I am thrilled that he made the cut and is in the hunt going into saturday on what appears to be a very tough course - it is not like someone  is -12 going into the weekend and the cut at +4 proves it.
Will he win - probably not - but the thought of it adds to the excitement.

[Jason Blasberg]

Come on down Jason but gosh why do all you guys up there think we got to like those Bulldogs because we live in Athens.....that barking gets old..around here....I had two guys come thru here in some LSU garb last week and they caused quite a stir....I had to take them by the liquor store and usher them out of town so they could get to Cusco to watch LSU play BB.  You may know one of them....calls himself Tiger

That particular Tiger is a bit of a bulldog!  

[David Kelly]

Sample size, gentlemen, sample size.

Care to be less obscure?

You cannot make conclusions based on a few random rounds. Charles Howell III got his ass kicked this week and he is certainly a long hitter.
 
Can a short hitter have a good round at Augusta? Yes.  Can a long hitter have a bad round at Augusta? Yes.

The question is whether Augusta disproportionally favors long hitters.

[Jason Blasberg]

Come on down Jason but gosh why do all you guys up there think we got to like those Bulldogs because we live in Athens.....that barking gets old..around here....

Mike:

For the same reason that you'll think us New Yorker's are all Yankee fans.    GO METS!!!!!

Jason

[Mike_Young]

I should have called you when in NYC for the Coaches for Cancer tourney at MSG....UF, Syracuse,WF and TT.  Was there for 4 days.  As long as Glavine is with the Mets I can go with them.

[Dan Kelly]

You cannot make conclusions based on a few random rounds.

Well, of course I can!

Based on Ben Crenshaw's rounds alone, I can conclude that, contrary to the received wisdom of recent days, a relatively short hitter can, in fact, compete at Augusta National Golf Club!

I may not be able to draw scientific conclusions about the question you consider important -- but that is not the question I was pondering.

Now as to your question:

The question, you say, is: Does Augusta National "disporportionally" favor long hitters.

What does that mean? Does that mean: Does Augusta favor long hitters more than OTHER courses favor long hitters? How many courses are you aware of that don't favor long hitters?

Or does it mean: Does Augusta favor long hitters more than  it *should* (whatever that might mean)?

[David Kelly]

Based on Ben Crenshaw's rounds alone, I can conclude that, contrary to the received wisdom of recent days, a relatively short hitter can, in fact, compete at Augusta National Golf Club!

Chris Shelton has five home runs in his first four games. I conclude that he is the greatest hitter who has ever lived.

[Brent Hutto]

The question, you say, is: Does Augusta National "disporportionally" favor long hitters.

What does that mean? Does that mean: Does Augusta favor long hitters more than OTHER courses favor long hitters? How many courses are you aware of that don't favor long hitters?

Or does it mean: Does Augusta favor long hitters more than  it *should* (whatever that might mean)?

Don't know about the "should" question but as for the objective part I think the answer is no. There are lots of other courses, including most major championship venues, that favor long hitters more than Augusta National during the Masters.

I think two things encourage an exaggerated perception that ANGC is skewed against the shorter hitters. One is the fact that so many Masters have been won by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, both long hitters. The other is the fact that we've had so many Masters recently in which the course was playing soft and wet instead of firm and fast.

[Dan Kelly]

Based on Ben Crenshaw's rounds alone, I can conclude that, contrary to the received wisdom of recent days, a relatively short hitter can, in fact, compete at Augusta National Golf Club!

Chris Shelton has five home runs in his first four games. I conclude that he is the greatest hitter who has ever lived.

Well, then you're an idiot!  

The proper conclusion is that it's possible for a guy to hit five home runs in his first four games.

[TEPaul]

It seems like the one undeniable fact about ANGC even dispite it's significant lengthening and narrowing is true experience with that course CAN show bigtime. And why wouldn't it be that way with a golf course that holds a major every year and also has numerous areas around the course with razor thin margins for error?

Even after all these years, in both big ways and small ways ANGC is probably still the ultimate in temptation in golf and architecture. We've been seeing all week, like we seem to every year that the difference between a great shot and a poor result is often only inches apart!    

To me that's the beauty of the unique design of ANGC, particularly at its green-ends, because unlike a similar razor thin margin for error golf course like TPC Jax, ANGC just doesn't look so obvious that way.  

[Jim Nugent]

David Kelly -- you don't need to limit your argument to the old-timers.  Currently three players are tied for the lead.  Two are short hitters, the other hits it medium.  Five of the top ten right now are short or medium hitters (mostly short), and 11 of the top 20.  

Still have a ways to go until the finish.  But the warnings of doom for shortish hitters were somewhat exaggerated.  

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