Birdies becoming a rare species
It was five years ago that Ernie Els carried a three-stroke lead to the 14th tee on Masters Sunday, one arm metaphorically slipped into that longed-for green jacket.
The South African finished with four pars and a birdie and lost. Phil Mickelson snatched the jacket away with five birdies in his final seven holes, capping an electric Sunday widely considered tops in recent memory.
Fast-forward now to 2008. Trevor Immelmann took a two-shot edge into the final round, completed 15 holes in 1-over par and saw the margin grow to five.
Immelmann's stretch run of double bogey, scrambling par and par became all but meaningless. At that point, many patrons already had begun hoofing it back to Washington Road.
It was the latest symptom in a malady that worries Masters purists the venue that once defined Sunday fireworks has lapsed into a dud.
"I think the birdie chances have gone away," mused Geoff Ogilvy, ranked No. 4 in the world. "It's all kind of hard now."
When the 73rd Masters tees off Thursday on Bobby Jones' prized ground, it will be the third edition following Augusta National's latest dose of growth hormone.
The first two at 7,445 yards have not been so well received.
In 2007, the coldest, most brutish Masters anyone could remember produced eight rounds in the 60s and 42 in the 80s. Zach Johnson prevailed at 1-over-par 289, the first over-par winner since 1956.
Last year wasn't quite so harsh until Sunday, when winds gusting to at least 29 mph inflicted havoc. No one in the final 11 pairings broke par, and Immelmann's closing 75 matched the highest by a Masters champion.
Suddenly, the Masters bore a disconcerting likeness to the U.S. Open a survival slog.
"I miss guys being able to go out there and shoot 31 on the back nine and win a championship," said Tiger Woods, runner-up to Immelmann last year after a 71.
Stewart Cink was even more succinct.
"It's not as much fun to play," he said. "It's still fun, but you don't feel like you have a chance if you're six back going into the last nine holes anymore."
That's the drama on which the Masters was built.
Gary Player's sizzling 64, erasing a seven-stroke deficit in 1978. Art Wall's five birdies over the final six holes in 1959. Mickelson's charge past Els for his first green jacket.And, of course, Jack Nicklaus' stirring back-nine 30 to claim his sixth jacket in 1986.Not only did it produce great visual theater, but also for the ears roars echoing across the rolling landscape that would leave fans and even players guessing who might be heating up."At Augusta," two-time champion Ben Crenshaw said, "you don't hear noises like that anywhere in golf from the crowd level."Perhaps inadvertently, he then added a kicker: "Used to, anyway."Since Mickelson's half-leap to punctuate his 2004 triumph, critics say, each Masters has gotten progressively duller.Woods' 2005 playoff victory over Chris DiMarco is remembered for that wait-wait-wait chip-in from off the 16th green. Fewer, though, recall the bogey/bogey follow-up that summoned extra holes.The next year, Mickelson won after forging a three-shot lead on Fred Couples with five holes to play. Johnson took control in 2007 with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14.The adage said the Masters didn't really begin until the back nine Sunday. Of late, that's signaled the wind-down.When Immelmann's five-shot lead was posted last year, observers said, the grandstands behind Nos. 15 and 16 cleared out quickly."The best part of watching the Masters was seeing if someone was going to eagle 13 or eagle 15," Ogilvy said.The Aussie pointed to Tom Watson's roller-coaster bid in 1991, where he dunked one into Rae's Creek at No. 12, but followed with eagles on both the 13th and 15th to put pressure on eventual winner Ian Woosnam."That's just completely far-fetched fantasy that it's going to happen now," Ogilvy concluded.Others, though, acknowledge that Augusta has been plagued by wicked weather the past two years. Johnson's win came in weekend wind chill as low as the mid-30s; blustery winds messed with last year's Sunday."Look at the fact that after three rounds, I was 11-under-par and Brandt Snedeker was 9-under-par," Immelmann said. "Maybe you can tell me how often that happens."Since 1997, in fact, just three 54-hole leaders have been in double digits under par."Augusta National's defense is the incredible design of the second shots and the green complexes," Immelmann continued. "You really need to be able to control your distance, your trajectories, your spin on the golf ball."
