USA: GOLF - Jack Nicklaus and Augusta National Chairman talk about controversial changes to the famed course.

Record ID: 873444

  • Title: USA: GOLF - Jack Nicklaus and Augusta National Chairman talk about controversial changes to the famed course.
  • Date: 6th April 2006
  • Summary: DARREN CLARKE TEE SHOT AT THE 8TH
  • Embargoed: 21st April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAC5SD9TVS20853E3OOKFSL4ASL
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Club chairman Hootie Johnson was again left to defend changes to the Augusta National course on Wednesday (April 5).
    Tweaked and stretched to an imposing 7,445 yards, the Augusta layout that will test U.S. Masters golfers from Thursday (April 6) week is the second longest in major championship history.
    Six of the holes have been lengthened with the addition of new tees and some of the fairways have been narrowed with extra bunkering, trees and rough. With sunny, dry conditions forecast for the week, Augusta National has finally started to bare its teeth and many players are not happy.
    Some of the most outspoken critics have been Augusta's greatest champions, including world number one Tiger Woods and Augusta members Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, who between them own 14 green jackets.
    Nicklaus, who played his final competitive round at Augusta last year, has been uncharacteristically outspoken about the changes.
    "You're trying to corral the long player somewhat, yet allow his abilities to still come out and yet make it fair where an average length player still has a way to play the game," Nicklaus told a news conference in Augusta on Wednesday.
    "Should we have been consulted? Not necessarily. Could we have been consulted? I suppose. But I think the intention here is to do what is right for the game and what is best for Augusta. Do I think it is exactly what I would have done? Probably not"
    Augusta chairman Johnson would not rule out more changes.
    "We are comfortable with what we are doing with the golf course for the Masters tournament," Johnson stated. "I said, we are comfortable," he fired back when pressed on the criticism from top players. "They are entitled to their opinion."
    Some players have complained that playing Augusta is no longer as much fun as it once was, to which Johnson responded championship courses were not supposed to be fun. In an attempt to keep pace with the high-tech advances in modern golf technology, Augusta's guardians insist the facelift is part of an ongoing effort to maintain the course's integrity and ensure it will be played the way it was originally designed.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register