What knee? Or Watney?
April 8th 2009 21:59
In the early part of this decade The Masters was one of those event that you used to think only certain players could win – you know the ones, Tiger, Phil, Vijay – then along came along Mike Weir, Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman to blow all theories out of the water.
It used to be the Masters was considered the domain of long-hitters but Weir and Johnson in particular showed that being able to thread a needle with your short irons was equally important.
So long hitting, as long it’s in the fairway, or accurate iron play … either can work. The key is getting to the right part of the greens to give yourself the easiest putts.
And that’s what hasn’t changed over the years at Augusta: the need to putt well. Tiger said this week that some years at Augusta he putts well and wins. In other years he putts badly and doesn’t win.
The greens are so tricky, so subtle, so fast, that you need to be both confident and accurate.
So in looking for my top tips for the Masters I’ve added putting stats to my usual categories of form at the course and current form.
To my mind the best players this year have been Geoff Ogilvy, Paul Casey, Tiger Woods, Nick Watney, Sean O’Hair and Retief Goosen.
Of them, the best form at Augusta is easily held by Tiger (four wins), Goosen (second or third four times), Casey (three times in top 11) and Watney (one start for 11th).
Of those four the best putters are Woods, Goosen and Watney.
So they are my three tips. As simple as that.
It used to be the Masters was considered the domain of long-hitters but Weir and Johnson in particular showed that being able to thread a needle with your short irons was equally important.
So long hitting, as long it’s in the fairway, or accurate iron play … either can work. The key is getting to the right part of the greens to give yourself the easiest putts.
And that’s what hasn’t changed over the years at Augusta: the need to putt well. Tiger said this week that some years at Augusta he putts well and wins. In other years he putts badly and doesn’t win.
The greens are so tricky, so subtle, so fast, that you need to be both confident and accurate.
So in looking for my top tips for the Masters I’ve added putting stats to my usual categories of form at the course and current form.
To my mind the best players this year have been Geoff Ogilvy, Paul Casey, Tiger Woods, Nick Watney, Sean O’Hair and Retief Goosen.
Of them, the best form at Augusta is easily held by Tiger (four wins), Goosen (second or third four times), Casey (three times in top 11) and Watney (one start for 11th).
Of those four the best putters are Woods, Goosen and Watney.
So they are my three tips. As simple as that.
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