07 April, 2008
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By PGA Professional John Peters
Course management and the ability to negotiate Augusta will play a major part in deciding who will wear the Green Jacket, however the real winner will be who can master the course's infamous slick greens.
PGA professional John Peters, coach to LET rookie Lydia Hall, Wales' regional coach and the reigning PGA National Pro-Am Champion, gives an insight on how the professionals will take on the greens and why the best putter will out-gun the big hitters.
The secret to winning the Masters is still about how well you manage your game around the greens of Augusta National. There's been a huge amount of discussion on the amount of length added to the famous rolling fairways at Augusta and yet this major has produced many champions that are not renowned for their prestigious length off the tee but more their course management, imagination and feel around the fast sloping greens, which at times can only be compared to putting on a marble staircase.
It's your skill around the greens rather than your length off the tee that makes the difference.
The defending champion Zach Johnson, whilst not a short hitter, is not considered as one of the power brigade with huge drives measuring well over 300 yards. He is far below that and currently lying in 189th position on the USPGA Tour's longest driving stats, more proof that it's your skill around the greens rather than your length off the tee that makes the difference around Augusta.
The secret to putting well at Augusta is not just down to feel, its finding the right spots or levels on the green to be able to attack the hole positively with their putts. There's far more care taken by the professionals to position the ball in the right areas on the greens to make putting easier and this is the case more so at the Masters than at any other venue in professional golf. This means you'll see at times the pro's playing away from the flag position leaving a longer putt with less borrow from below the hole rather than at the flag with the risk of a downhill swinger than needs a putter with a cashmere insert to stop the ball from rolling off the green.
But golf is not an exact science so players will still find themselves on the wrong side of the hole from time to time and this is where their imagination has to be good and their assessment on what is possible and what is not. Many players when putting will visualise a hole shorter or longer than the actual hole they're putting to when faced with up or downhill putts. If the putt is downhill they will imagine a hole considerably shorter and putt positively to this point on the green thus allowing the weight, contours and speed of the green to take the ball down to the hole and vice versa for an uphill putt.
When they have a putt with a lot of borrow/movement they will pick a point where they feel the ball will start to break, this is generally the point where the ball starts to lose pace. Again this strategy allows them to putt positively accelerating the ball to this spot on the green. When the pace of the ball starts to slow this is when the ball will start to break and then it's down to the slope, pace and simple weight of the ball to find its way to the hole.
Television does not portray just how undulating and quick the greens really are.
It has to be said that there are some putts, especially at Augusta, which are almost impossible to get close due to the severity of the slopes and pure speed of the greens. The professionals are very aware of this and will condition their minds to accepting the fact than when they get the wrong side of the hole that they are likely to be left with a considerably longer putt for par or birdie than normal.
Television does not portray just how undulating and quick the greens really are. I have never had the pleasure of playing at Augusta, very few have, but I have played at Valderrama in Spain where the European Tour stages the Volvo Masters at the end of the season, and players in the past have compared the speed and slopes on the greens to Augusta National. This was the most taxing rounds of golf for concentration, strategy for approaching and putting on greens I have ever experienced. Given that in Augusta players are playing for a Major title and millions of people will be glued to the screens around the world, you've got a recipe for high drama and excitement with many highs and lows for the world's best players in each of the four rounds they will play.
In assessing who could win the Green Jacket, my tip would be to go for the players showing the best form in the stats around the greens. Tiger is the obvious favourite but for assuredness around the greens look out Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott and Steve Stricker.
John Peters is head PGA professional at Machynys Peninsula G&CC , contact him on 01544 744 888.