Ben There, Hates That--Q&A WITH BEN CRENSHAW

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike Cirba,

It's Masterful how you have failed to disquise your BIAS  

Tiger, Mickelson and others are in the mix, just like at other
Masters.

Does it surprise you that the best of the best players in the world are at the top of the leaderboard ?

Did you expect sixteen relatively obscure players to be leading ?

How do you explain the success of the amateurs ?
Didn't more amateurs make the cut then in the last 10 years?

Is there some predetermined order that you feel that the course requires in order to validate the architecture ?

Mike, stop whining, that's somebody elses job !  

[Matt_Ward]

Gentlemen I don't find the existing "drama" at the current ANGC to be in the same vein as when you had the days of Norman, Ballesteros, Watson, Nicklaus, etc, etc.

If the powers-that-be wanted to tweak the course by adding a few yards to the layout I'd be happy. However, this BS with the "second cut" and those hideous trees especially near the 15th hole, to name just one place -- have really soured me on what was the swash-buckling Augusta of old.

Pat, I don't doubt that big names will often / always
contend -- isn't that what big names are supposed to do?

The spirit of what Augusta was supposed to be about has been turned on its head with all these changes. When I see a "second cut" at Augusta I'm ready to B-A-R-F! I've never played Augusta but I've walked the grounds countless times since my days at the Univ. oc S. Carolina. Just seeing how Augusta was SO DIFFERENT from the usual rough infested Open courses like Winged Foot, Oakmont and Baltusrol really made me appreciate what the Masters was about.

Yes, there will be drama at this year's event but it's not the same for me.

[Mike_Cirba]

Patrick;

I will say this;

The greens at ANGC are amazing, and it takes the skills of the very best players to handle them.

Forget my comment earlier in the week questioning whether the 3rd hole is "great".  It's better than that.

Interesting to me that they've moved a number of tees up today, as well as simplified some of the hole locations on the "scoring" holes.

Is that perhaps recognition by ANGC that there is a bit of a problem with where they've been placing their emphasis??

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike Cirba,

Why do you and others automatically draw negative conclusions from and for every issue ?

IS THERE ANYTHING RIGHT AT ANGC ?

Maybe those who set the course up saw all of the MUD on everybodies golf ball yesterday.  Even today, the announcers have commented on the MUD on some of the players balls, and that was after they left the locker room and began playing the golf course.  
Casual water still remains on the golf course and Weir is getting relief on # 7 from casual water as I type.

Or, do you feel that the powers that be, caucused and discussed the impact of Fazio's changes to the architecture on the golf course all night long, deciding at 5:00 am this morning to accept the criticism of Geoff, Tommy and all the other GCA'ers, thus altering the set-up for today's round ?

Mike, you're starting to get paranoid.