Azinger Furrows Brow At Furrows*

From the Dayton Daily News, Bucky Albers reporting:

"It's a joke, really," Azinger said after turning in a 71 Friday that left him at even par after 36 holes. "Peter Lonard is one of the best fairway bunker players I've ever seen. We were the same. He couldn't hit it out, and neither could I.

"It neutralizes everybody who is a good bunker player. The best players in the world are trying to separate themselves from the next guy down. It just makes it harder. Jack (Nicklaus) separated himself his whole career."

Someone mentioned that bunker shots weren't Nicklaus' strong suit. "He was not a great bunker player, but he was never in them," Azinger said.

Azinger said the players have no say-so about playing conditions, and he doesn't think they should have any input because each would prefer conditions that favor his skills.

Update on 2006-06-05 02:16 by Geoff

After his final round, Azinger had this to say:

"I think that they probably avoided the bunkers this week. I didn't hit too many bunkers, and it cost me big time. I didn't hit it very good, so it's supposed to cost me. I don't have a problem with the concept that a bunker should be difficult, but I do have a problem with a bunker being prepared in a way that makes somebody who's phenomenal the same as somebody who's terrible, does that make sense?"

And I'm not sure about this logic...

"If you hate the bunkers being easier, just take them out. Make the whole place grass, if the bunkers are that easy, make the whole place grass. They're not that easy."

How about hard bunkers and less tall grass?