AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) The particular late Hootie Johnson fiercely looked after the lengthening of Augusta Nationwide during his term as golf club chairman. The first overhaul added 285 yards after the 2001 Masters, plus six more holes were extended after the 2005 Masters.
Johnson said the changes would be to keep current with the modern sport, and he leaned on his own experience.
But he wasn’ capital t playing in March 2005 having a PGA Tour player. He had been playing with teenagers.
” I had a guest down here in Mar – 17 years old, about 5-foot-10, 160 pounds. He hit harrassing wedges into 17 and seven, ” Johnson said at the 2006 Masters. ” A lot had been created some years back that we had been trying to Tiger-proof our golf course, and are not worried about Tiger. We are concerned about these 17-year-olds. ”
That 17-year-old was George Bryan. Also playing that day had been his 14-year-old brother, Wesley Bryan , exactly who makes his Masters debut recently.
” I think it had been probably more George-proofing at the time compared to it was Wesley-proofing, ” Bryan mentioned Monday. ” I wasn’ to having lob wedges into Number 17. He always hit the particular ball farther than I did. Plus playing with Mr. Johnson was obviously a deal with, and seeing his reaction to exactly where George was hitting some of those first tee shots is pretty funny, as well. ”
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COLD WELCOME: Xander Schauffele certified for the Masters nine months back when he won The Greenbrier Classic, part of his stellar first year season that ended with the 24-year-old from San Diego winning the Trip Championship.
He anxiously waited until March to come to Augusta National for the first time, and he hardly also played.
” It had been pouring down and about 45 levels, ” Schauffele said. ” Therefore it was quite miserable, to be honest. I used to be so excited to be here, and there was clearly only about two or three members that travelled in from England to play. These were manning the storm, and the caddie and I and one of the nearby caddies here were manning the particular storm. I didn’ t perform any holes. I just walked plus kind of looked and rolled several balls, because I was freezing. ”
He spent 2 days at the club, and it only obtained slightly better.
” The next day I showed up and it had been clear, but it was about 34 levels, ” he said. ” All of the guys in the shop are fooling that this is the hardest the training course can play. ”
His preparations for the Masters didn’ t end there. Schauffele had taken advice from a few other Hillcrest residents, Charley Hoffman and Phil Mickelson , to find the slickest greens with the most incline. That would be San Diego Country Club, so he or she tried to play there a few times just before he arrived.
Great preparation? Not really.
” It was a little bumpier and sluggish than what we have out there, ” he said.
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BUBBA’ S SON: Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and his wife adopted their 1st child, Caleb, shortly before Watson won his first green coat. The boy is now 6, as well as the Masters is growing on him.
” He loves the particular Par 3, ” Watson stated. ” He loves walking around along with Dad. He thinks he’ s i9000 really doing something, being a caddie. He looks forward to it at this point. He talks about it – `Who are we going to play with? ’ – so he can see if he’ s got any other friends having fun with us. ”
Watson joked that his son doesn’ t like golf because that’ s what keeps his father away from home. But he recognizes the particular Masters.
” This individual just knows this tournament, you obtain a green jacket, ” Watson mentioned. ” I don’ t understand if it’ s because of the advertisements, but he knows. And there’ s one commercial that Golfing Channel is playing that he waddles out in `14, when this individual waddles out with his hands in the pocket, so he knows that’ s him. So when that industrial comes on, he stops and appears and sees that it’ s i9000 him. ”
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AGELESS WONDER: Jack port Nicklaus holds the record since the oldest Masters champion, winning within 1986 when he was fouthy-six.
Bernhard Langer isn’ to sure how much longer that will final. Phil Mickelson is 47 and it is the biggest threat to that record this season, especially with Mickelson having won the particular Mexico Championship last month.
But it isn’ t simply Mickelson.
” The people are much fitter nowadays than golf players have ever been, ” Langer mentioned. ” You have guys like Mickelson, Fred Married couples and a few others later on that are still long enough to mood this golf course or to have a possibility if their short game is good. Plus it’ s going to be more of these in the future, because we’ re learning how to be real athletes. … They have got physical trainers, mental coaches, anything. They watch the diet. And that will provide you with longevity. ”
20 years ago, Nicklaus was 58 whenever he made a Sunday cost – on the front nine, not really the back nine – and linked for sixth.
Langer has been on the fringe of legislation two of the last four yrs. The German is 60 this season and not ruling himself out.
” My goal is certainly to stay contention, ” he said. ” Two years ago, I didn’ capital t play to finish fourth or 5th or third or whatever. I desired to win, and I played incredibly aggressive right out of the get-go plus got caught a couple of times with actually bad breaks. … But yes, my goal is not just to maybe associated with cut or something. I would like to stay contention, like to be on the leaderboard and have a chance on Sunday in order to win the trophy, or the eco-friendly jacket in this case. ”
