April 5, 2002
Welcome to another edition of Inside the PGA Tour. I thought this month I would touch on the aura of The Masters with this marquee event being contested next week.
Lots of talk has centered on Augusta National's recent facelift. The course has been lengthened some 300+ yards to combat the technological advances of today's equipment. This has spurred much debate that this tournament now falls in the winning hands of a certain few, namely Tiger and a small band of high-ball bombers on Tour. Augusta has always prided itself on being a major championship with the idea that winning scores would be as close to par as possible. I'm sure the late Bobby Jones, who designed this great golf course, never imagined payers would be hitting sand wedges into the 18th green. For that reason, the hole now measures some 50 yards longer.
I can't say whether the changes are good or bad for this event since I have yet to play Augusta. I can say that there is no doubt golf is rapidly changing as we know it. Technology is definitely going beyond its limits and, as in all professional sports, the younger athletes are bigger, stronger and more technically sound than ever before.
Recent articles have been written that the Augusta committee is considering equipment restrictions and possibly using a universal ball for this event. I seriously doubt if this would happen, but keep in mind that The Masters is separate from the PGA Tour and is allowed to set its own rules.
Getting away from the technology issues and back to the real point of this article, the aura of this great event is still such that every golf professional wants to one day walk the pristine fairways at Augusta National. The golf course is the best-manicured piece of land on earth. This is definitely the hardest ticket to find on Tour, as they do not become available until a person dies or decides to give it up. Even the professionals must pay for the limited amount of tickets they receive for their family and a friend.
The Masters is also probably the toughest tournament in which to earn an exemption to play. Any win on the PGA Tour used to be an automatic ticket, but that category was eliminated a few years back. Another example of the Augusta committee having final say on how their event is going to be staged.
Wednesday of tournament week all professionals in the field have the opportunity to compete in the par-3 event, which is contested on an adjacent nine-hole par-3 course. This is one event professionals do not want to win as no winner has ever gone on to then win The Masters itself.
The tournament tees off on Thursday morning with Lord Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and, until last year, the late Gene Sarazen hitting the ceremonial first tee shots. From that point to Sunday afternoon, players jockey for position, for The Masters is not won until contending with the back nine on this final day. Holes 11, 12 and 13, referred to as "Amen's Corner," offer just some of the drama that unfolds during the grand finish to the coveted green jacket.
I must say this is one tournament I always watch on television. The USA Network and CBS do a masterful job with the help of their television sponsors to bring 56 minutes of coverage every hour. This year we'll see the entire final 18 holes being aired on Sunday. If you love golf like I do, then sit back and enjoy the action!
Go Bears,
Jerry will be addressing questions from you next month, so submit questions by clicking here with any PGA Tour or Baylor related issues about which you'd like to read.
