2010 Masters, Wednesday Clippings
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Who was it that used to complain about the lack of stories filed early in the Masters week? Oh right, that was me.
Well, three hours and some carpel tunnel, here's a lively list of Tuesday stories (and I'm sure there are many more posted in the night I missed, so my apologies to those of you hoping for content from say, Wednesday's Augusta Chronicle special section).
Mark Lamport-Stokes gives us an update on the 91 degree weather, the golf course and the new Augusta tradition of not showing their hands until a late Wednesday transformation.
"The course is playing a little shorter because of the heat," twice champion Phil Mickelson told reporters on Tuesday. "The ball is going a long ways in the practice rounds.
"The grass is a little bit longer around the greens and we can chip, as opposed to being forced to putt. I don't know if that's going to change Thursday or not."
There is a chance of rain in the late afternoon on Thursday for the opening round at Augusta National, although sunny conditions have been forecast for the weekend.
"If they can get the greens firmer and faster, it looks like looks the golf course is going to be firm and fast," said Irishman Padraig Harrington, a three-times major winner.
"It looks like it will be one of those years here where there will be a lot of control (required for approach shots), and in likelihood being a very firm and fast control."
Jeff Babineau posts a bunch of fun notes and observations, with this from Jack's press conference:
Here’s the money closer: Nicklaus was headed to the Champions Dinner Tuesday and was told that part of defending champion Angel Cabrera’s planned menu for the evening included (gulp) blood sausage.
“Blood sausage?” repeated Nicklaus, pausing to think about it. “Oh. I hope he enjoys it.”
Uh, waiter (in high pitched voice), bring me the Emergency-Foreign-Winner New York Steak, medium rare, and put aside two desserts for me. Right away. Yes Mr. Nicklaus.
Rex Hoggard has the scoop on the Champions Dinner menu:
The meal begins with grouper ceviche over plantain chips, followed by empanadas de carne y pollo (beef and chicken turnovers) and grilled Argentine style rib eye steak with a Malbec demi-glaze for the main course.
For dessert the Argentine went with panqueque de dulce de leche (caramel crepes with vanilla ice cream).
Jim McCabe with some Tuesday sights and sounds, including a Todd Hamilton visit to the merchandise pavilion.
Lorne Rubenstein is drooling over the new practice area.
Now, I'll probably never hit balls on Augusta's new range. But so what? It revved me up, made me want to hit balls, got me thinking about swing planes and flying right elbows and tempo and whether the arms move the body or the body moves the arms. My head was spinning.
PLAYERS
James Corrigan on Ian Poulter's meticulous preparation.
Poulter stood on the driving range yesterday, confident that plenty of his job was already complete. Two painstaking days at Augusta last week convinces him that, "I am better prepared for a major than I've been before". "I've done all my homework, I can't do anymore," he said. "I've never felt this ready."
With that he flipped out a book from his back pocket to provide evidence of his meticulous reconnaissance. Here were the crib-sheets he will use to plot his way up the leaderboard. Whenever Poulter is shown on a green over the next few days he will be seen reading the notes which inform him of the contours and breaks for each green. To the layman's eye it is just a mishmash of lines and squiggles, not dissimilar to Arsène Wenger's chalkboard.
"Look at it," said Poulter, with more than a hint of pride. "You can't put any more lines on these diagrams of the greens. It's physically not possible. I've scanned all the greens as closely as I can. It's taken me hours to compile. I spent five hours on the first nine last Monday and five hours on the back nine last Tuesday. I've tried to create every scenario imaginable in and around the greens."
Damon Hack sums up Phil Mickelson's press conference and his the hope that Amy Mickelson will be making an appearance this week.
Sam Weinman notes that Phil tolerated the Tiger questions quite ably Tuesday.
And Larry Dorman makes this point about Phil's lackluster play of late:
So will Mickelson, who will go off at about 5 to 1, mount such a performance? Although his Masters track record shows he plays his best when his game is on an uptick — he tied for 10th the week before his ’04 win and won by 13 strokes the week before his ’06 Masters win — he also might be one of the few golfers who can find his game here.
Brian Keough on Padraig Harrington's focus and the best line of the day by a lot:
But Harrington insisted that he wasn’t one of the Tiger huggers and only had time to look after himself as he tees it up at Augusta for the 11th time.
Harrington rapped: “I didn’t watch Tiger’s press conference. There is the small matter of a golf tournament going on this week and a bit of work to be done.
“A couple of people commented on it. Most reacted by saying how much better Tiger’s press conference when he was being asked questions rather than having a prepared sort of statement.
“As regards to content, the only one I got was, did I give him a hug; I think he said he got lots of hugs.
“But I’m Irish. I don’t even hug my brothers.”
Mike Walker sums up the highlights of Jack Nicklaus' presser. He's sounding more and more like a member everyday:
On Tiger-proofing and Jack-proofing Augusta National As equipment changed and the golfers started playing better and the scores started getting lower, things had to be done that would have to adjust that philosophy to the best it could to stay with what Bobby Jones had wanted, but they had to adjust it to modern golf.
I'm not sure the golf course today would be the golf course that Jones would have done, because I don't think his philosophy was the same. Is it a good golf course today? Yeah, it's a darned good golf course today.
Was it a good golf course then? Under the conditions that we played then, yeah, it was a darned good golf course then. But the golf course has changed over time. But it's the only golf course I know that has totally changed what they have done to adjust to what's happened with the times of the game and done it very, very well.
Connor Threlkeld writes about Ray Floyd's retirement from Masters competition.
Sean Martin covers U.S. Mid-Am Champ Nathan Smith's second masters appearance as well as a list of the other ams in the field.
PAIRINGS
Here they are on the newly-weirded out Masters website.
Gary Van Sickle is thankfully back to his cynical self today:
In an amazing and remarkable coincidence, Tiger Woods drew a late tee time for Thursday's opening day of the Masters, which means ESPN will be able to televise most of Tiger's round, probably all of his back nine.
Steve Elling writes about KJ Choi and Matt Kuchar drawing Tiger Woods.
Kuchar's caddie was trudging off the eighth hole when he was asked if he had seen the pairings, issued at midday.
"Yeah," he said glumly.
Try not to look so happy, someone said.
"OK," he said, flashing a forced grin before repeating the answer with faux enthusiasm, "yeah."
Dave Shedloski quotes Kuchar putting his best spin on the pairing.
Bob Harig outlines how this will play out in terms of us viewers.
Woods' opening shot will be shown live Thursday on ESPN's "SportsCenter." Full television coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.
There will be an hour of coverage online (Masters.com, ESPN.com) beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
NOT THAT I CONDONE GAMBLING, BUT...
Should you be in a pool or placing a few dollars on the Masters, here are some prognostications...
The Golf.com/SI/Golf Magazine group make their picks.
Helen Ross at PGATour.com runs through the entire field, while the Rob Bolton caters his Fantasy Insider column to the tour's Group A-B-C format.
Jason Sobel ranks the field from top to bottom.
Dan Mirocha considers the chances of 20-somethings.
TRANSCRIPTS
The following players--Steve Stricker, Geoff Ogilvy, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Matteo Manassero, Padraig Harrington, Chang-Won Han, David Duval, Stewart Cink and Angel Cabrera--can be seen here.
IMAGES
Golfweek's Tuesday gallery.
The Augusta Chronicle offers these Tiger practice round images including this excessive Tiger hug. Don't be surprised if O'Meara WD's with a rib injury or complains of shortness of breath. There hasn't been a hug like that since Michael grabbed Fredo on New Year's Eve in Cuba:
