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The
Holes They Are A-Changin' By George Stahl NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Augusta National has lengthened Par 5s, added trees and raised the rough in its first major facelift in nearly 50 years. Is this an attempt to Tiger-ize the 65-year-old course? CBS' Jim Nantz doesn't think so. "For anyone who wants to suggest that these were all put into effect to try to prevent a Tiger Woods from winning here again or from anybody shooting Tiger-type numbers again, let me dispel that for just a moment," the host of the 63rd Masters said Tuesday in a conference call. "These are not changes that make it harder for Tiger to win this golf tournament. As a matter of fact, I think it makes it easier for Tiger to win this golf tournament now because the changes actually favor the player who hits it longer. What it does, in effect, is it separates Tiger maybe even a little bit more from the field. "And, by the way, David Duval doesn’t have to apologize for his length either," Nantz added. Nantz sounded most excited by the changes at the par-5 15th. [Click on the link to see the changes from CNNSI.com's Masters Web site.] "The changes on 15, where they’ve trimmed the mounds and planted trees, have added something to our broadcast. They have injected - if it’s possible - even more drama into the tournament," Nantz said. The veteran announcer of 14 Masters explained that the elimination of the mounds will prevent a trampoline effect on healthy drives, which often led to a short iron to make the green in two. For example, he said, Woods used a wedge for his second shot on three of his rounds during his historical 1997 tournament. Without the mounds, Nantz said, players will need a more precise tee shot and, because of no caroom, will face a longer second shot to the greens. "We’ll have guys in that 225 to 240 [yard] range, who again are going to be standing there - paralyzed by fear - trying to decide whether or not they want to risk it and try to knock it over the water and put it onto the green." "That’s wonderful to have it back again," he said. While the changes at 15 probably will alter players' strategy, CBS' Ken Venturi doesn't see the additional rough (approximately 3/4-inch higher) making it any rougher. "The rough, as we would call it rough, is 1 3/8 inches. You go over to the PGA Tour, and they try to go to four inches. The U.S. Open tries to go to five," Venturi said. "It’s not a hindrance as much as it is defining the fairways of Augusta National." Nantz said the higher grass certainly changes the course's aesthetics. "[The holes] will look a little bit different because, for the first time ever, they have defined the boundaries of the fairway here. So it will be interesting for a lot of golf fans and purists to see exactly how wide the fairway is at Augusta," Nantz said. "In the past, there was no definition - everything was cut at the same level." Other changes include:
Venturi said that with all these changes, he doubts anyone will challenge Tiger Woods' 1997 record. "This is not the same course that he shot 270 on," the veteran announcer said. "I don’t ever see 270 ever coming into approach again with what they are doing." Nantz said that with the changes, the winning score this weekend might be more than 10 points higher than the record. "Most of them [the players] seem to think that the lead score will be about one shot higher [a round because of the changes]. So in the end, we’re probably talking about maybe four shots for the tournament," Nantz said. "We might be seeing a champion’s score in the 280s aggregate range.” All the changes, though, does not take away from the course's ambiance. "I don’t believe there is any place other than St. Andrew’s Scotland that pays more homage to the rich tradition and history and heritage of the game than Augusta National," Nantz said. "For those of us who live in this country, I think it’s always been a goal, if you’re a passionate golfer, to somehow make your way to August National, either so that you see it in person as a spectator or to play it. To somehow get here, for the golfer, it’s the ultimate excursion." Back
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