Augusta National is way too easy...

[Phil McDade]

...or is Jordan Spieth just that good?

He just birdied 15 to go -14 -- well on his way to breaking Tiger's record of -18 (and ahead of Ray Floyd's blazing start in 1976, when he opened 65-66 on his way to matching Jack's Masters' record.)

Some suggest Tiger's -18 prompted the tightening and toughening of Augusta National (although Mickelson's drive on 11 one year also played a role, from stories at the time). Sometimes forgotten during Tiger's romp in 1997 is that the next-best finisher was only -6 (Kite), perhaps proving that Tiger's performance was one for the ages, not necessarily an indication of an easy course. Behind Spieth are guys at -8, -5, and -4 -- not atypical for the Masters in benign weather at this point.

We're not halfway through, of course, but would a tournament total at or lower than -20 prompt another round of changes at America's most famous course?

[David_Tepper]

Right now, he's that good!

[John Kavanaugh]

The "experts" who whined about greens being too firm got what they wished for.  Ramp up the podcast baby, it's time to change the world!!!

[Matthew Rose]

Must be time to redesign it again, right?

[David_Tepper]

"Must be time to redesign it again, right?"


Matthew R. -

In point of fact, AGNC is acquiring more land that will allow them to lengthen the course even more:


http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2015/4/9/chairman-payne-golf-course-will-expand-across-berckmanns.html

DT

[David Stamm]

The "experts" who whined about greens being too firm got what they wished for.  Ramp up the podcast baby, it's time to change the world!!!

You just can't help it, can you?

[John Kavanaugh]

The "experts" who whined about greens being too firm got what they wished for.  Ramp up the podcast baby, it's time to change the world!!!

You just can't help it, can you?

I'm even a bit surprised to be proven right so soon.

[Brent Hutto]

The "experts" who whined about greens being too firm got what they wished for.  Ramp up the podcast baby, it's time to change the world!!!

I used to be with it, but then they changed what *it* was. Now what I'm with isn't *it*, and what's *it* seems weird and scary to me. It'll happen to you...

[cary lichtenstein]

Just watch tomorrow,moving day.if no thunderstorms tonite, they'll suck all the humidity out, roll em, and have em at 16 on the stimp. Average score on Saturday will be 75!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Paul Gray]

The "experts" who whined about greens being too firm got what they wished for.  Ramp up the podcast baby, it's time to change the world!!!

You just can't help it, can you?

I'm even a bit surprised to be proven right so soon.

So now you're promoting the firmness seen at Pinehurst last year? This is real progress. Never thought I'd see the day.

[Tim_Cronin]

1. He's that good.
2. He can go 67-72 on the weekend and set the record at 269.
3. The SubAir system was running full speed on Wednesday, when I was tramping around the course. You could hear the vent exhausts from 30 feet away. They're about 50-60 feet from the greens where I encountered them. The place was soaked on Monday night. Technology can only help so much.

[Jim Nugent]

Unlike Tiger in 1997, Spieth has not overpowered the course.  Where Tiger hit wedge into #15, Jordan had a 225 yard 2nd shot yesterday.  He is averaging low to mid 280s off the tee.

So how will ANGC toughen up the course this time, if they choose to?  More trees?  Faster greens? 

[Jonathan Mallard]

The "experts" who whined about greens being too firm got what they wished for.  Ramp up the podcast baby, it's time to change the world!!!

You just can't help it, can you?

I'm even a bit surprised to be proven right so soon.

So now you're promoting the firmness seen at Pinehurst last year? This is real progress. Never thought I'd see the day.

So some short hitter like Zach Johnson can win at +1 again, right?

[Carl Johnson]

I'd toughen the course by calling 13 and 15 par 4's.   (Sarcasm, in case you don't get it.)

[John McCarthy]

Speith is making all the putts.  And keeping it in the fairways and on the greens.

I love how he gets it done.  You can see his inner dialogue on his face...keep calm...breath...don't freak out...now, what is to be done.  

I love the kid.  And every 18th green he moves his hair to cover up his receding hairline.  Charming, seriously.

Gca wise, what can Augusta do if he is making all the putts?  Add slope and speed on the greens?

[John Kavanaugh]

Spit out the Kool-Aid people, all they need are firm greens.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Spit out the Kool-Aid people, all they need are firm greens.

How true.

[Peter Pallotta]

Hopefully the powers that be will see that the course/the architecture is playing magnificently, just as Jones and MacKenzie would've wanted it. Some of the world's very best golfers, the vast majority of them in fact, playing in perfect scoring conditions, are coming in after 36 holes within 1-2 strokes of even par, one way or the other (plus or minus). And one young man, one amongst 100, playing at his absolute best and playing smart and playing the angles and putting beautifully, is being rewarded with birdies. Perfect.

Peter

[noonan]

Spit out the Kool-Aid people, all they need are firm greens.

Spot on!

[Benjamin Litman]

I will say I've never seen the course, including the greens, look so green. There is zero fire to the course right now.

[Matthew Rose]

"Must be time to redesign it again, right?"


Matthew R. -

In point of fact, AGNC is acquiring more land that will allow them to lengthen the course even more:


http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2015/4/9/chairman-payne-golf-course-will-expand-across-berckmanns.html

DT

Yeah I saw this.... obviously my post was tongue in cheek, but you'd never put it past the ANGC to do something as heavy handed as moving a ROAD.

I guess they're doing it so they can make #5 500 yards.

[Paul Gray]

Hopefully the powers that be will see that the course/the architecture is playing magnificently, just as Jones and MacKenzie would've wanted it. Some of the world's very best golfers, the vast majority of them in fact, playing in perfect scoring conditions, are coming in after 36 holes within 1-2 strokes of even par, one way or the other (plus or minus). And one young man, one amongst 100, playing at his absolute best and playing smart and playing the angles and putting beautifully, is being rewarded with birdies. Perfect.

Peter

Quite right.

It never fails to amaze me that a course can be declared too easy when one guy in 7 billion can average seven per round for all of 36 holes. The world number one is just about under par. Let it be.

[BCowan]

Spit out the Kool-Aid people, all they need are firm greens.

Jkava is spot on again.  The whole softening the greens started with setting up Phil at Muirfield.  I thought the momentum was swinging back to firm with Pinehurst's great set up!  Tom Watson and Kaymer deserve better. 

[Brent Hutto]

Kostis or someone helpfully pointed out that the lusher conditions this year were actually providing a bit of cushion under the ball, making chips around the green easier while adding uncertainty if one always defaults to putting through the "fairway cut". Sounds like something Jeff Warne would opine on this forum, to me.

I think we are seeing Augusta National play as easy as it's ever going to play right now. Fairways are running, greens are receptive, lies around the green are not too tight and balls will at least sometimes hold without running far away from the green on a marginal approach shot.

The only thing not at max-easy setting right now is the putting which seems about 2 feet on the Stimpmeter too slow for guys like Tiger to make a lot of putts.

Spieth played a "classic smart" strategy that generally suits Augusta National (a la Nicklaus), he executed very well and he was rewarded by extremely low scores. But the rest of the field scored pretty darned well too.

I doubt the course will be playing max-easy come Sunday afternoon. But Spieth has staked himself such a lead that all he has to do is keep playing "classic smart" golf and he'll win even if his execution falters here or there.

[Paul Gray]

Spit out the Kool-Aid people, all they need are firm greens.

Jkava is spot on again.  The whole softening the greens started with setting up Phil at Muirfield.  I thought the momentum was swinging back to firm with Pinehurst's great set up!  Tom Watson and Kaymer deserve better. 

Pinehurst was never going to open the floodgates alone. It will be a prolonged period of two steps forward and one step back. Golf tends to be more than a little conservative like that.

In the case of Augusta, I do wonder whether this apparent demand for firm is actually a clamour for fast.