I’m a former Masters champion and here’s my expert guide to Augusta – including the three killer holes
IF you look up the words smooth, cool and calm in a dictionary, Adam Scott’s name should appear next to all of them.
But not today. Not before the opening round of The Masters.
The laid-back Aussie, with a swing to die for and a seemingly unflappable approach to the game, will be “a complete mess” as he waits to hit his opening tee shot.
He explained: “Augusta does that to you. There’s nowhere quite like it and no tournament quite like The Masters.
“So even if I look calm and collected standing on the first tee, that just proves looks can be deceiving.
“My stomach will be churning and the nerves will be so bad I’ll wonder how I can get a tee into the ground, never mind try to hit a drive 300 yards or so down the fairway.
“But to be fair, that is only over the first shot. Regardless of whether my opening drive is good, bad or indifferent, the emotions will all come pouring out and it’s back to business as usual — at least if you’re on your game, anyway.”
Scott’s nerves are partly down to the fact that he remains convinced he can add to his 2013 Masters triumph, even though he is fast approaching the elder statesman stage at the age of 43.
He has an enviable record at Augusta.
In addition to claiming the Green Jacket 11 years ago, he has finished runner-up, bagged three other top-tens and made the cut 20 times in 22 attempts, including the last 14.
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But his last top-ten was seven years ago — so has his confidence taken a hit?
He replied: “No, it’s funny — the first time I played Augusta, as a 22-year-old kid, I made the top ten and walked away thinking, ‘I can win this thing’.
“I was right, thankfully, and I still approach every Masters thinking the same thing — that if I play my best stuff I can win it again.
“That’s probably one of the reasons I’m a complete mess on the first tee. After telling myself so often I can still win here, the thought on day one is, ‘Right then, don’t muck it up with a bad start’.
“Augusta really is where experience counts for more than anywhere else we play.
Just look at how well guys like Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer have played here well into their fifties.
And there have been plenty of fortysomething champions over the years.
“I like to think I know pretty much every blade of grass there — I’ve played off quite a few I should have avoided!
HOLE 1 — TEA OLIVE
445 yards, par 4
SUCH an intimidating tee shot as your opening drive can set the tone for your whole round.
A big-dipper of a fairway and the landing area between the trees on the left and the bunker on the right is wider than it looks from the tee — or so we try to tell ourselves!
It is about 300 yards to carry the bunker, so the big hitters may take it on.
From close range, the second shot to an elevated green, with a nasty bunker on the left, is no picnic.
“But as long as you learn from your mistakes, you can take that sort of thing on the chin and move on.
“For me, the true brilliance of Augusta is the slight angles all the greens sit at. That makes the target areas very small if you want to get close to the flags.
“The intricate slopes and angles are things that often get overlooked but you never stop learning those little subtleties that can make all the difference.
“And of course, those greens — and the many fiendish pin positions they offer up — are the real defence of the course, because some of the old wives’ tales about not wanting to short side yourself etc no longer apply.
“The modern approach is to be as aggressive as possible, get as close to the green as you can as quickly as you can and take it from there.
“I’ve become a more aggressive player than I used to be, which is an acknowledgement that things are constantly evolving and you have to make some adjustments, too.
“Augusta has always been a demanding course, even in other eras.
“It moves with the times better than any other course. And it has evolved to keep pace with a game where the strategy of golf has changed so much in recent years.
HOLE 5 — MAGNOLIA
495 yards, par 4
THIS hole has been lengthened quite a bit in recent years but not just to rein the power hitters in a bit.
Pushing the tee further back brings the bunkers along the left-hand side into play, but also means most of the field will need at least a mid-iron into one of the toughest greens at Augusta.
It is hard to hold the putting surface if you try to fly it all the way, especially if the course is playing firm and fast.
So you have to get creative and try to run something up from the front of the green.
“The power game has taken over and you see fewer ‘smart golfers’ winning big tournaments. That wasn’t how it was when I was growing up and then turning pro.
“I watched Nick Faldo a lot as a kid. He was very conservative, very methodic, almost as if he was playing chess. That’s how he got it done and that’s how he won three Masters titles.
“Augusta still rewards that approach, as long as you are strong and long enough to handle the fact the course has added so much length in recent times.
“Thankfully, I hit it far enough to deal with that and hand on heart, I’m as hungry and determined to win things as I ever was.”
Scott also takes a practical approach to preparing for the biggest events, accepting he cannot hope to keep up with golf’s big-hitting young guns.
He revealed: “I don’t practise as much as I used to. That’s an age thing to be honest.
“There’s some realities to be faced, like the fact I don’t have a 25-year-old body any more. I’m nearer 45, although there are days when it feels more like 65! There’s only a certain amount of strain and load you can do on the range, in the practice area and in the gym. It’s a very different load to ten years ago.
“But against that is the fact that I know my game so much better, what I’m capable of these days, and I don’t feel like I have to push to get an extra few yards off the tee.
HOLE 11 — WHITE DOGWOOD
520 yards, par 4
THE biggest change — and when you think it can’t get any longer they push the tee back more.
Hitting a drive over the hill in the middle of the fairway used to leave a seven or eight iron into the green. But now you are usually on top of that hill with a four or five iron in your hand.
The lake to the left of the green encroaches more than it used to and bailing out right leaves a tricky chip towards the water. Ernie Els said this was “the toughest par four in the universe”. No arguments from me.
“My swing is my swing and I’ve received a lot of praise over the years for how smooth it looks, which is flattering. But you can’t take it for granted.
“Keeping it well oiled is the key there and I don’t feel the need to pound balls for hour upon hour. I just need to keep things ticking over.
“The short game is where I will get the most benefit and practising that is a lot less stressful on mind and body. That’s where you can make the most gains.
“Plus, knowing Augusta as well as I do means I don’t have to play as many practice rounds as guys who are new to The Masters, or have maybe only played there a handful of times. We’ll see.”