brettig
New Yorker
As we know, the Masters at Augusta starts next thursday and everyone is anticipating how the lengthened layout will be handled by the world's best (i read Mark Calcavecchia shot a 63 in practice there a few weeks ago so itll be interesting). However the main purpose of this post is to complain about a change of entry criteria introduced in 2000- namely removing the passage of entry into Augusta's field by winning a PGA tour event in the previous 12 months. This was done so more space could be opened up for international players, but i reckon that the rule could be brought back without any huge change in the field (an additional 3 or 4 guys would get in, tops).
What it will do is add considerable tension and value to events held in the weeks leading up to the Masters. There are several stories of players who won the week b4 the Masters and proceeded to make a great run at the title- like Davis Love III in 1995. Steve Elkington, 1st round leader at this weeks Bell South event in Duluth, Georgia made the point that right now it is possible for a guy to win both the final two events prior to the Masters and not be exempt for the year's first major...something I find kinda ludicrous. Even missing a winner from 2 weeks prior is a loss for the Masters, as it is deprived of in form talent, and therefore a potential title contender.
[This message has been edited by brettig (edited 04-05-2002).]
What it will do is add considerable tension and value to events held in the weeks leading up to the Masters. There are several stories of players who won the week b4 the Masters and proceeded to make a great run at the title- like Davis Love III in 1995. Steve Elkington, 1st round leader at this weeks Bell South event in Duluth, Georgia made the point that right now it is possible for a guy to win both the final two events prior to the Masters and not be exempt for the year's first major...something I find kinda ludicrous. Even missing a winner from 2 weeks prior is a loss for the Masters, as it is deprived of in form talent, and therefore a potential title contender.
[This message has been edited by brettig (edited 04-05-2002).]