Casey Opens 2020 Masters With 65: Kostis's Assessment And Uh, Bermuda In The Greens?

Following Paul Casey’s 2020 Masters opening 65, GolfDigest.com’s Dave Sheloski caught up with Casey instructor Peter Kostis. The longtime instructor, Titleist peddler and CBS announcer is missing his first Masters since 1990, but explains what Casey’s been up to in finding a post-ZOZO Championship game.

“His posture was slumping because of low energy, so that made a huge difference. Then we got his tempo up and he saw immediate improvement,” Kostis said. “That kind of got him going. He got re-energized.”

Increasing Casey’s tempo in his putting stroke to match it up with his swing was one additional tweak. His backswing was too long and slow. “That’s still in the works, and it’s tough to take a putting change to a place like Augusta, but he’s very good and just going out and trying to play comfortably and not worrying about the technical stuff,” Kostis said.

After his round, Casey spoke to media and according to this item by Golf.com’s James Colgan, Casey seems to not realize Augusta National’s greens are bent grass.

“It’s not just the softness of the greens,” he said. “There’s a little bit of Bermuda still in there.  So, the Bermuda has a twofold effect.  One, the greens are very receptive coming in …  And obviously the putts are not as quick as well.”

Casey pointed to his 6-iron approach into a left hole location on the par-5 2nd. Today, he took dead aim at the flagstick and stopped the ball on the green for an eagle look. In April, that ball would likely bound over the green and leave him with a dicey pitch from the patrons.

“It’s not just the rain. It’s the Bermuda … I haven’t quite figured it out yet,” Casey continued. “Do we have to read a bit more grain than normal? It’s just different. Just a different challenge.”

A 65 at Augusta? Whatever works, mon.