Augusta National came under fire this week as golf fans thought the club made a mistake with the course setup.
Thursday proved to be brutally difficult, with balls bouncing off the back of greens thanks to their firmness in the dry heat. That was set to only develop as the week went on, as fans awaited the most difficult Masters of all time.
That didn’t transpire, because Augusta National decided to water the greens before the second round. That made it far easier for the players who took advantage with low scores over the next two days.
Fans were incredibly disappointed by this, but speaking after his third round, Justin Rose explained why the move was completely necessary.
Justin Rose says Augusta National could have been ‘unplayable’ this week
Rose has consistently mastered the conditions this week to put himself firmly in the mix on the final day. He explained why he thought Augusta National played tougher than what the general consensus said.
The 45-year-old said, “Given the weather, it was going to be harder.
“Definitely. I think the fact that there’s no wind and the ball is going a long way, and I think the fairways are now running out. You are hitting 9-iron into the front pin at 11. That’s a 540-yard hole. If that’s playing a little softer and wetter, you’re a 4-iron in there, so yeah, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword.
“When it’s slow, it’s long. Obviously now it’s playing a bit shorter because it’s firm. So if you are really on your game, there’s a few more short irons, and the greens are just playable enough where with a 9-iron and a wedge, you can control your ball into certain pin locations.
“If it was playing as long as it normally is with the greens the way they are, that would be a pretty unplayable test to golf. I think what we’re gaining off the tee is offsetting a little bit the firmness of the greens.”
So with that said, it’s a good job the green jackets decided to water the greens, otherwise this tournament could have become a bit of a farce.
Justin Rose explains why he feels different than he did at The Masters last year
Rose has famously had a series of near-misses at The Masters, including two playoff losses. Last year he birdied 10 holes on the final day to force a playoff with McIlroy, but he said he feels far better after his third round this year.
After shooting a 69, he said, “I mean, after Saturday I was pretty crushed actually last year. I felt like I walked — I felt like I had really given away the Masters and any opportunity I had to win that day.
“I think I had way too many putts. I think I lost five strokes on the greens that particular day, played really nicely tee to green, turned a 69 to a 75 is how it felt. I started the day seven back. Yeah, you know you can shoot 61. You know you can, but seven back is a long way to come from.
“This week has been a lot more consistent from that point of view, and so it feels a little different going into tomorrow. I think I had to have a big mental reset going into the final round last year. You know, this year it’s like — it feels like a little bit of a free run at it.”
Rose has McIlroy and Young in his sights from three shots back, and he’ll feel confident that he can finally snatch the Green Jacket on Sunday.
