Masters Set-up

[Dale_McCallon]

So after years of hearing how ANGC is too narrow, too long,etc we get a final round w/ eagle opps, great recovery shots, and plenty of drama.  So was the set-up different or was the play just really good.

FWIW, I'm a huge Lefty fan so I loved the outcome.  For those who said he would never recover from Winged Foot a nice serving of crow tonight.

[Tim_Cronin]

I thought it was perfect. And the course is gradually being de-Hootified.

[Bill Gayne]

Minus 16 seems like a lot relative to par but it really isn't. The other majors generally take two par five and converts them to fours. The weather allowed ideal scoring conditions and the course was great.

[jim_lewis]

Tim:

What recent changes constitute "de-Hootifying" the course, in your opinion?  The only significant difference between this year and recent years was the dry (therefore firm) conditions.

Jim Lewis

[Tim_Cronin]

Jim, they've removed some of the trees on the right side of 11, went for easier pin placements more often than not (not being Friday), and are more liberal at moving up tee placements (especially seen on Thursday). That's a start. The warm weather helped, of course. Otherwise, Couples isn't hitting 347 yard drives on the eighth.

[Sean Leary]

Seems like the tees on 7 were up this week as well. At least at the front of the teebox.

[jim_lewis]

Tim:

If they have removed any trees right of #11, I sure can't tell it.  They did remove several trees that were planted on the right of #17, but that was done sometime ago. It was not the warm weather so much as the dry weather they have experienced recently that changed the course. The shorter hitters could hit it far enough and the longer hitters could hit it forever. There have been days in recent years when it was plenty warm, but soaking wet making the course extremely long for some guys.  It is true that they have moved the tees around a little. #7 was up about 25 yards on Saturday. Fred's drive on #8  today was massive, no matter where the tees were. I'm just picking at your use of the term "de-hootiefied". The tees on several holes were backed up (#7, 17,18,5)  and shifted (4,15) after Hootie was gone. I have trouble finding changes to most of the things done during Hootie's tenure, with the exception of removal of trees on 17.

[JC Jones]

Doesn't the chair of the competition committee at Augusta set up the course and not Mr. Johnson/Mr. Payne?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I thought they lowered the rough a little to open up angles a bit as well as 11. Mostly it was great weather with minimal winds. What a great course. I hope the graadual return continues.