Interesting quote from today - Monty

["Richard"]

He flat out said that they should have stopped the technological advanements with balls in the 90's when the first ball came out that was much longer than the rest. There was talk about the masters using a different ball to limmit the distance but that was before they lengthened the course to 7400+ yards. There would be no point now since they would most likely have to shorten the course... but that is one course that doesn't have to worry about spending money since they have so much.

Watching the golf channel right now and they are saying only a handful of players even have a chance to win this thing. I'm sure this isn't what bobby jones had in mind when he started the masters. Funk has said that he has no chance to win this!

Another thing I heard was a lot of players are being forced to hit the same clubs jack and arnold used to hit on those holes. How can that be a bad thing? They have to combat the technology somehow... or do they? what is the big deal if the scores are -15, wont there be many people at -15 and -14?

There is obviously something wrong if some of the players are going into it thinking they can't win it. What would you suggest to combat the technology advancements? I would have said change the ball but that isn't likely so what is likely?

I haven't been watching golf for very long but from what I'm reading and what I'm hearing the players saying I think its pretty sad what has happened to agusta national over the last decade

[Golfpeasant]

And the U.S. open, and the PGA...its pretty much a long ball hitters game now...

Now someone should start a tournament, course length 6700 or so, and make the fairways INCREDIBLY thin, and the rough INCREDIBLY penal, and see what happens...

["Richard"]

I think the scores would be the same...

[SGH]

I know that length doens't necessarily equal skill. However, Augusta demands the whole package: long and short game. Therefore, in my mind, it rewards the BEST overall player.

I see nothing wrong with running a tournament where only the top four or six players in the world have a chance to win it. It is a Major after all.

[DavidY]

I like to see rough that is similar to a US Open on most PGA tourneys. I like to reward players who are accurate and penalize others who are not. Golf should not be all about the long hitters IMO. Golfers who are short and accurate should have a similar chance to win most PGA tournaments. Right now, most long hitters just rip it into the rough and still have a chance to go at the hole. It doesn't help that the fairways are typically wide open and the greens are massive. Narrow the fairways, have smaller greens and thicker rough (thick enough so a golfer cannot go to the hole...but have to pitch out) are what I would do to most PGA courses.....if I was a PGA commissioner for a day.

Dave

[DavidY]

I know that length doens't necessarily equal skill. However, Augusta demands the whole package: long and short game. Therefore, in my mind, it rewards the BEST overall player.

I see nothing wrong with running a tournament where only the top four or six players in the world have a chance to win it. It is a Major after all.

If that's the case, why even have the others particpate in the Masters? Just invite the top 5 or 6 and have a shootout.

Dave

[powerdriver]

The PGA needs to make changes no doubt. I think an intersting format would be to have an invite only major where the top 10 at the end of the year compete for the PGA Belt. Make the course long and the fairways narrow. Turn it into a circus.

[KickerOfElves]

Retief made a good point about "keeping Augusta the same as Bobby Jones envisioned it..." He said yeah, Jones wanted a certain hole to require a 3 iron approach, but back in Jones' day that green would be running around 2 on the stimpmeter (if they had such a thing back then, which they didn't). That 3 iron had a chance to stay on the green, where now even a perfectly struck 3 iron is likely to roll off the green into a hazard, or into the water.

Also, Jones' 3 iron is probably the same loft as today's 4 or 5.

Apples and oranges...