Saturday, April 07, 2007

The Masters: Chillin' in Augusta [J. Mark English]

The deep freeze is the latest down in Augusta, Georgia. Richard Hinds of the Sydney Morning Herald writes:

Global warming has been blamed for everything else. So you may as well add to the list the carnage that has taken place at the US Masters this year.
In the decade since Tiger Woods ripped Augusta National apart with his record total of 18 under par, the length has been drastically increased, trees added and rough grown where there was none. But, almost always, there has been heavy rain to soften the treacherous greens.

This time, however, after an unusually warm spring, the greens have been baked so hard the millionaire members could use them as helipads.

As a result, entering the weekend, the Masters had become a survival of the fittest with only three players under par and most of the world's top players struggling to stay in touch.

In a tie for first at two under par were American Brett Wetterich and South African Tim Clark. Another American, Vaughn Taylor, was at one under.

Of that group, only Clark, who finished second behind Phil Mickelson last year, has notable Augusta form.

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