Masters no longer begins on the Back 9 on Sunday

[parpar41]

Tiger won the Back 9 for the week at Even

The Masters’ Tournament is supposed to “begin on the back 9 on Sunday”.

We all know that and we all look forward to it each April. This year it did not, for the first time in seventy editions of the tournament, and we are all the worse off for it.

All Masters fans need to take a close look at the scores on the Back 9 this week. It explains why we just witnessed the most unsatisfactory and frustrating tournament of recent decades.

Bobby Jones would not be pleased with the severity of the course changes, particularly on the Back 9, as indicated by the high scores on the Back 9 on Sunday and all week.

Bobby Jones designed the 13th and the 15th holes to play as par "four and a half” to promote drama and a high risk:reward ratio of scoring. Golfers are supposed to be tempted to go for the greens in two and are supposed to be able to reach the greens in two with good shots. This year the par 5s on the Back 9 did not play as intended. Instead of drama we saw Vijay hit a fairway wood approach shot into the middle of the pond on 15. Zach did not go for a single par 5 in 2 all week ; and that by design. Bobby Jones would be furious that his champion could not even try for an eagle.

We know that Augusta National reversed the nines early on the history of the Tournament since the current Back 9 is inherently more exciting and variable.

Jack Nicklaus proved this most dramatically in 1986.

The Back 9 did not play that way on Sunday or at any time in 2007 tournament.

The proof is in the back 9 scores of the twelve golfers who finished in the top ten (and ties).

The golfers who finished in the Top 10 in 2007 are: Zach; Tiger; Retief; Rory; Justin; Jerry Kelly; Appleby; Padraig; Toms; Vaughn Taylor; Luke and Paul Casey.

The lowest back 9 score of those 12 professional golfers – all four days of the tournament – was only 34. Zach and Jerry Kelly each shot a 34 on Sunday.

Tiger won the Back 9 Tournament for the week: He shot EVEN par on the back 9 at Augusta National for the four days of competition. None of the top 10 finsihers did better than Tiger on the Back 9 for the four days of competition.

Luke had the next best score on the Back 9; he played the Back 9 in one over par for four days: And yet he never once broke par on the Back 9.

The following golfers , who finished in the Top 10 for the week, did not have a single round under par on the Back 9 for the week. They did not figure out how to get into red numbers on the Back at any time in four days of competition this year: Retief; Rory; Appleby; Luke.

The Back 9 ruined the chances of Toms and Paul Casey: they each played the Back 9 in seven over par for the week. Retief and Jerry Kelly followed close behind with +6 on the Back 9 for the week.

The whole spirit and majesty of the Masters Tournament will be lost forever unless or until the Back 9 is returned to the shot values and drama that Bobby Jones intended, particularly the two par 5s on the back.

Do you agree? What can be done?

ParPar41

[chippen]

How many eagles were had on the back 9 on Sunday? Over the four rounds, how many balls went in the water on those par 5's? A lot of players were going for the greens in two and a lot of them missed. The weather ie; wind, temp, etc dictates more what happens to the shot more than any single player. These guys are not playing a links style course were the wind direction is constent and with the terrain and the tall trees abound every hole, the wind swirls. How many balls went left on 17 yesterday? How many times did you see Phil, Stuart, Tiger, Ernie, etc hitting out of the deep trees? If the wind blows, balls will go everywhere and thus scores rise. Bobby would have loved this, he didn't want this course to be a pitch and putt, like in years past. Majors are supposed to hard, but fair and we all saw a course that didn't have any tricks (cough-US Open-cough).

 

Kudos to Zach, he didn't let the course play him, he played the shots he knew he could make.

 

My head now hurts, I need more coffee.

 

out

[parpar41]

Thanks, Chippen

 

I totally agree that Bob Jones did not want his course to be reduced to a pitch and putt.

 

Tiger essentially did that in 1997 and, unfortunately, technology has only magnified the problem .

 

Since Augusta National cannot control or limit the equipment or the ball, they had to respond with significant course changes.

 

The unusual weather this year served to illustrate clearly for all of us that the changes to the course have gone too far.

 

Jone would not have been happy with the scoring this year, particulary the lack of risk and reward on the back 9.

 

Nobody went lower than 34 on the back all week; nobody went low on the back on Sunday. Nobody even broke par on the bac nine for the week.

 

Some changes to the course were needed but the current changes have destroyed the shot values and strategy of the back nine, IMHO.

 

BTW, Zach seems like a great and humble gentlemen, I suspect Jones would like that alot.

[victor2000]

The Masters is suppose to start on the 64th hole of the tournament. That is the "back nine". Zach Johnson birdied 13, 14, and 16. I would say that he stepped up and out and took the championship on the back nine. What else could you ask for? Great course, great tournament.

[DemolitionMan]

One year a trend does not make. Let's see what happens next year before really blasting the management team at ANC.

 

I didn't like the Masters much this year, the first three rounds were BORING!, except for some of the entertaining blowups (see Appleby's #17 in 3rd round). But I will allow this year's woes to be chalked up to weather and forget it all until next year.

[MikeJohnson]

Zach Johnson won it on the back 9 on Sunday! Remember the 3 birdies he made? I enjoyed the Masters this year. It was good to see how tough Augusta can be. You hear the players saying it is going to play over par every year but this is the first time we actually saw it happen.

[stage1350]

I think Bobby Jones would be furious if he knew the debate that people have over what Bobby should/would have wanted.

 

Tiger dominates the field and everyone cries that the sky is falling because of technology.

 

The design changes to AGNC, along with some freakish weather provide a tight field where Johnson emerges as a victor and everyone is crying that the sky is falling because nobody broke par.

 

Are you guys ever happy?

 

I agree that the first three days were boring, but Sunday was spectacular. Sabbatini's putt rivals Tiger's holeout on 16. Retief and Tiger both made incredible recoveries out of the woods and pine straw even though it did cost Tiger a 4 iron. Tiger just didn't have it that day and couldn't make up for Johnson's three birdies on the back nine.

 

I wouldn't change this year's Masters at all.