91Èȱ¬

it was a great tournament - so much so that I feel slightly flat, now it's over - would have liked Perry to have won in regular play, though, by holing his putt on the 18th

Augusta is a course that is at its best when you can attack the pin and be rewarded if you do so (rather than being punished by stupid reactions on the green) but will have a nightmarish task getting up and down if you don't. This week, it was at its best.

great blog

The problem is, Iain, that it was the soft greens, nothing else, that made all the birdies possible. And, while there were undeniably some great shots played (Mickelson's approach to the seventh was different class), it just isn't as challenging, or as much fun to watch, when they can throw darts at the flags. If there was more bounce and roll in the turf - and, rain notwithstanding, they have the tools to present the greens however they like - and they moved a couple of tees forward and chopped down some of the more stupid trees - we'd see more creative shotmaking, still plenty of birdes, and it would be much more interesting to watch. Everywhere else in the golf world, people are cutting down trees and turning off irrigation systems. Only Augusta is bucking this trend. It's a very bad thing.

Majors have been relly boring in the last few years as organisors try to 'Tiger Proof' them by making the greens impossible to keep a good shot on. On top of this we see narrow fairways with wicked rough just off them. It is then the player who makes the least mistakes who seams to win.

Crowds don't cheer a good drive that just missed the rough, but roar when a player sinks a birdie. Let's go back to course that reward good shot making and get the atmosphere back. Well done Augusta for making this Masters so much more exciting.

I think it was a very exciting Masters, and one of the best majors in recent times. However, I think for the most part the course was set up too easy. On the par 5's many players were coming in with mid irons at times. While you want exciting golf, this is meant to be one of the most prestigious tournaments and a serious golf challenge. It was nerves made the tournament exciting, rather than the sheer quality of the golf.

Final day, Phil shot 30 on the front nine – he missed two short putts on the back nine, as well as a shocking double on 12 and a bad bogey on 18 – could easily have been 8/9/10 under par. This is not the way final day majors should be decided. Tiger was 6 under coming to 17, after missing many makable birdie putts. Uncharacteristically he made two terrible bogeys coming in. McIlroy shot 31 on the back nine. This tells me that too many holes were set up way too easy.

I still am not a huge fan of par 5 holes in majors – all 4 par 5’s played under par this week, and were all reachable in two for many. They ranked as the 4 easiest holes. Why do they not make at least one par 5 the way it was intended...to take 3 shots to get to the green. Tiger is well over par for par 3 and 4’s for all his rounds at the masters, but is over 100 under par on the par 5’s. Something is wrong with that.

Good point No. 6! Somearblog

Definitely agree with SomearBlog, par 5s should only be reachable in 2 if a player hits a couple of really great shots. Sadly, US TV audiences get bored if nobody is shooting really low scores, so don't see any likelihood of this being changed any time soon. A major championshp should test every aspect of a player's game, and I think Augusta was just a bit too accessible this week. On the plus side, it made for cracking Sunday night viewing.

Hats off to the players who reached the play-off, and I must say I'm glad Tiger missed out. Wonderful player, but just leaves me cold how the cameras follow his every movement, including his now incessant spitting, scowling when he misses a putt, and his general bad mood when he's not winning. It's a game for goodness sake, just wish he'd relax and enjoy it.

Great to watch another major in which the objectionable Woods featured only briefly.
His tantrum-like reaction to a bad shot is like that of a spoilt child, and was epitomised during the final round when he missed simple approach shot, and instantly blamed the outcome on a sudden gust of wind, when the flag was absolutely still, to within 18 inches only seconds later to see Phil Mickelson stiff a miracle approach from behind a tree.
My enjoyment of the final round was increased immeasurably by the demeanour of Woods, who throughout was clearly rattled by the fact that the majority of the galleries were obviously 'rooting' for Big Phil.
despite his talent and his achievements, I have never liked Woods as a sportsman, and his post match interview with the media was in sharp contrast with Mickelson - the latter being accommodating and gracious, the former, terse and self-absorbed.
I for one hope that he spends a few years in the 'major' wilderness to teach him some humility amd an appreciation of what sport really means.
His constant spitting in apparent disgust is another of his unpleasant habits which i for one have not missed.
At least Angel Cabrera will not have to put up with any unjustified garbage about the value of his win being diminished by the absence of Woods as was implied by the sycophantic media when Padraig Harrington won his two majors.
Incidentally,I cannot belive that no-one has commented on the conspicuous absence of any meaningful european challenge at the masters, and the general decline in european golf in general. British golfers in particular appear to be too concerned with their pretty boy images than knuckling down and winning important titles on a regular basis - Dougherty,Rose,Poulter, all flatter to deceive.
And finally please leave Rory alone to mature at his own pace, and not that of the news hungry media, who want to crown him as the new king of golf, and who will no doubt rush to bury him when he fails to deliver to their timescale. for his sake, and that of the game, his talent should be nurtured carefully, not ruined prematurely.