Sad news from the home of the Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club. The famous Eisenhower Tree lining the left side of the 17th hole was destroyed by the recent ice storm in Georgia. The Club tried everything they could but the Eisenhower Pine Tree has been removed.
Augusta National Eisenhower Tree Damage
The Eisenhower Tree became famous because of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He hated the tree and motioned for the tree to be removed. That’s when Augusta National’s co-founder Clifford Roberts declared the president “out of order.”
The tree has caused many a player problems, including Tiger Woods.
Eisenhower Tree (left)
Rumor has it that Augusta National has had a backup tree picked out, ready for a time like this. I suppose we will find out what they decide to do in a couple of months when the 2014 Masters Tournament begins.
Below is a statement from Augusta National’s Billy Payne on the loss of the Eisenhower Tree:
“Like so many of our family, friends and neighbors in this community, Augusta National Golf Club has been busy cleaning up after the historic ice storm this week. Everyone affected remains in our hearts and prayers, and we likewise hope for a speedy and complete recovery for all.
“The loss of the Eisenhower Tree is difficult news to accept. We obtained opinions from the best arborists available and, unfortunately, were advised that no recovery was possible.
“We have begun deliberations of the best way to address the future of the 17th hole and to pay tribute to this iconic symbol of our history – rest assured, we will do both appropriately.
“I can report that the golf course sustained no major damage otherwise. We are now open for Member play and we will be unaffected in our preparations for the 2014 Masters Tournament.”
Will Tiger Break Jack’s record? I might break your jaw if you ask that question one more time…
The results are in… Love it or hate it, Tiger Woods has won his 11th PGA Tour Player of the Year award, as voted on by his peers. While I may have preferred to see Adam Scott or Phil Mickelson win POY, based on the pure numbers I can’t say I disagree with the outcome.
The Numbers
Tiger won five times on tour in 2013: Farmers Insurance Open, WGC Cadillac, Arnold Palmer Invitational, THE PLAYERS (always write “The Players” in ALL CAPS, it’s what they do) Championship, WGC Bridgestone. Two of the five events were World Golf Championships events. These events have stronger fields in terms of world rankings.
Five wins makes a great career for most tour players. For perspective, these PGA Tour players have recorded five wins in their entire careers: Nick Watney, Justin Rose, Scott Verplank, Billy Mayfair, Hunter Mahan, Tom Lehman, Padraig Harrington, Bill Haas, Luke Donald, John Daly.
Tiger led the season long FedEx Cup points standings until the final round of the playoffs where he “ran out of gas.”
Woods led the world golf rankings by a large margin over #2 Adam Scott.
Woods also led the money race, finishing at $8,553,439. The closest competitor was Henrik Stenson at $6,388,230.
Tiger also won the Vardon Trophy for adjusted scoring average at 68.985.
Looking at these numbers it is an easy pick, as Scott and Mickelson both only had two wins.
No Majors
The funny thing about this season is that most Tiger Woods fans would call his season disappointing. I can’t say I disagree there, based on the standard which has been set.
I believe that major championships, just like in FedEx Cup points and world rankings, should have considerably more weight in calculating awards like Player of the Year. A major in my mind is worth several regular tour victories. How many? I’d say at least three. That’s why I would have had no problem voting for Adam Scott or Phil Mickelson, if I had a vote to begin with.
Rules Infractions
2013 was quite a year for Tiger with regards to rules infractions. First was the bizarre situation at The Masters where Tiger’s approach on the par-5 15th doinked off the pin and into the water. He then made an improper drop and later signed an incorrect score card as he did not assess himself the penalty. Nobody would have known about the improper drop had Woods not commented that he dropped his ball farther away from the original position. But the Masters rules committed ruled in his favor before his round concluded and Woods was not disqualified. Tiger haters were throwing fits online, calling for him to be disqualified, while fans argued the opposing view.
Then there was the drop on the 14th hole at THE PLAYERS (always write “The Players” in ALL CAPS, it’s what they do) Championship. Woods pulled his tee shot left into a water hazard. The position which he dropped was harshly questioned on the air by Johnny Miller.
Finally there was the infamous ball moving problem on Friday of the final FedEx Cup event at East Lake. Tiger was in some trees and moving loose impediments from near his ball. His ball moved at which time he immediately stopped as if to say “uh, oh. I just caused the ball to move.” But he didn’t call a penalty on himself, nor did he call a rules official over. After video review, PGA Tour rules official Slugger White tacked on two more shots to the already double-bogey Woods scored on the hole. Despite seeing the video several times, Woods still refused to admit moving the ball.
Final Comments
Tiger is a very polarizing figure no doubt. Reading social networking threads and blog comments regarding Tiger can be quite entertaining as the fans and haters tend to go at each other’s throats digitally.
I was quite surprised to hear Tiger cite “running out of gas” as a reason for his poor performance down the stretch of the FedEx Cup playoffs. When I first heard that statement I thought, “what the #$&? He’s a world class athlete!”
But Woods is not getting any younger. Perhaps all the wear and tear on those knees and back are catching up to him? Maybe. I suspect the bulk of the fatigue Woods was referring to was mental. Anyone who plays golf would understand that.
How many majors Tiger wins from this point on, if any at all, remains to be seen. Any conjecture is just that, conjecture. Personally I’m very tired of the constant “will Tiger break Jack’s record?” dribble from the mainstream golf media. Its so old, and its getting older. Maybe that dribble will “run out of gas” too.
I hope so.
7:15PM ET
Play has completed. Fred Couples and Jason Dufner limped home in the last group. They both shot +3 on the day and now sit seven shots behind the leader.
Bubba Watson made birdie on the final hole to move into solo 4th and a spot in the 2nd to last group with Louis Oosthuizen.
I’ll be posting the final Saturday leaderboard shortly and tomorrow’s pairings.
6:15PM ET
Phil Mickelson’s 3-wood came up short right on the 18th fairway and he had to hit a 30 yard hook to get the ball on the green. That’s just what he did, an incredible shot. Then he made his birdie putt to finish one back of Hanson and almost assured himself of being in the final group tomorrow. Phil has made birdie on the 18th three days in a row. I wonder if that is a record.
Groups still on the course include Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen, Matt Kuchar, Jason Dufner and Fred Couples.
6:00PM ET
Peter Hanson just knocked his approach on 18 to one foot. He’ll tap it in for an amazing 65. He could seriously do no wrong today. He’s opened up a two shot lead at -9.
Louis Oosthuizen and Phil Mickelson are tied for 2nd (-7) currently on the 17th green and 18th fairway respectively.
5:25PM ET
Peter Hanson just took the solo lead (-7) with a birdie on the 15th hole. Phil Mickelson is behind him in the fairway.
Matt Kuchar just 3-putted the 13th for a bogey to drop to -5.
Lee Westwood hit a fantastic approach to 11 and made birdie to get back to -4.
Louis Oosthuizen is solid at -6 through 11.
4:30PM ET
Big WOW. Phil Mickelson just eagled the 13th hole. Add that to a birdie on 10 and a birdie on 12 and he’s tied for the lead at -6 with Louis Ooosthuizen and Matt Kuchar.
Lee Westwood just 3-putted #9 a few minutes ago, including missing a 1-foot putt. He now is one shot worse than the -4 he started with.
Padraig Harrington birdied five of the last six holes to shoot a 68 and end -4, tied with Mahan.
This is getting crazy.
4:30PM ET
We have a new solo leader, Matt Kuchar at -6 after making birdie on the tough 9th hole.
Meanwhile Rory McIlory is melting down. Rory has gone from -4 to +2 in eight holes. Just watched him 3-putt from about eight feet.
Lee Westwood made bogey on #7 to drop to -4, two shots back.
The leaderboard is so crazy right now it is nearly impossible to blog anything that makes sense.
4:00PM ET
Matt Kuchar is now tied for the lead in the Masters at -5 after making birdie on #7. He’s tied with Jason Dufner and Lee Westwood.
Westwood tied the lead with a birdie on #2.
Rory McIlory is leaking oil. He has dropped three shots now, after doubling #1 and bogeying #5.
Unfortunately, Fred Couples is +4 for his first five holes. He’s dropping fast down the leaderboard.
Hunter Mahan is -4 on the day through 14.
3:00PM ET
Tiger Woods has finished his 3rd round. Woods shot even par for the 3rd, staying at +3. Eight shots off the lead and the leaders haven’t teed off yet. Pretty much hopeless for TW.
Rory McIlory is on the course now and astonishingly has double bogeyed the 1st hole for the 2nd time in three days. McIlory falls back into a logjam of players at -2.
Louis Oosthuizen and Lee Westwood have finished the first hole, both with pars. The 2nd to last group players are still at -4.
Justin Rose is at -3 through 12, two shots off the lead. Others at -3 right now are Bubba Watson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Sergio Garcia (just bogeyed #1).
Brandt Snedeker has the round of the day going right now. He is -5 through 16 holes. Now at -2 for the Masters.
2:10PM ET
It is moving day. Some players are moving and some like Tiger Woods are not. Tiger is now on the 15th tee and is still at +3, the same number he started with this morning.
Players who ARE moving include Francesco Molinari who started the day at even par and is now -2 through eight holes.
Jim Furyk started the day at =1 and has it to -2 through five holes.
Nick Watney has birdied the 2nd hole and goes from -2 to -3.
The biggest mover so far is Justin rose. Rose started the day at even par for the tournament and has it to -3 after three consecutive birdies on holes 6-7-8.
Phil Mickelson is on the course now. He has just finished the first hole and is at -2.
Charl Schwartzel is moving, but in the wrong direction. He started the day at +3, but is now +6 through 14 holes. Charl is playing with Tiger today.
12:30PM ET
Tiger Woods got off to a hot start this morning. Coming into the round at +3 for the tournament, birdies at #3 and #4 brought him to +1. But he made a bogey on the par-3 6th and is currently at +2 through seven holes.
Graeme McDowell has made up one shot through the 6th hole, going from +3 to… check that. He just made bogey on the 7th. Back to +3.
Brandt Snedeker is making a move on moving day. Birdies at #2 and #3 have brought him from +3 to +1 through seven holes.
Sang Moon-Bae made an eagle on #2 and has moved from +2 to even par through five holes.
Players moving the wrong direction are Bjorn, Karlsson, Verplank and especially Castano (started at +5 and now +10)
| 2012 Masters Saturday Pairings & Tee Times |
| 9:15 AM |
Kelly Kraft (a) |
|
| 9:25 AM |
Angel Cabrera |
Trevor Immelman |
| 9:35 AM |
Thomas Bjorn |
Patrick Cantlay (a) |
| 9:45 AM |
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano |
Edoardo Molinari |
| 9:55 AM |
Keegan Bradley |
Luke Donald |
| 10:05 AM |
Rickie Fowler |
Steve Stricker |
| 10:15 AM |
Robert Karlsson |
Bo Van Pelt |
| 10:25 AM |
Ross Fisher |
Anders Hansen |
| 10:35 AM |
Martin Laird |
Scott Verplank |
| 10:45 AM |
Charl Schwartzel |
Tiger Woods |
| 10:55 AM |
Martin Kaymer |
Scott Stallings |
| 11:15 AM |
Graeme McDowell |
Brandt Snedeker |
| 11:25 AM |
Sang-Moon Bae |
Kevin Chappell |
| 11:35 AM |
Bill Haas |
Geoff Ogilvy |
| 11:45 AM |
Stewart Cink |
David Toms |
| 11:55 AM |
Kevin Na |
Webb Simpson |
| 12:05 PM |
Hideki Matsuyama (a) |
Adam Scott |
| 12:15 PM |
Francesco Molinari |
Justin Rose |
| 12:25 PM |
Padraig Harrington |
Hunter Mahan |
| 12:35 PM |
Fredrik Jacobson |
Ian Poulter |
| 12:45 PM |
Gary Woodland |
Zach Johnson |
| 12:55 PM |
Jim Furyk |
Y.E. Yang |
| 1:15 PM |
Jonathan Byrd |
Sean O’Hair |
| 1:25 PM |
Henrik Stenson |
Nick Watney |
| 1:35 PM |
Aaron Baddeley |
Peter Hanson |
| 1:45 PM |
Phil Mickelson |
Vijay Singh |
| 1:55 PM |
Ben Crane |
Charles Howell III |
| 2:05 PM |
Miguel A. Jimenez |
Matt Kuchar |
| 2:15 PM |
Bubba Watson |
Paul Lawrie |
| 2:25 PM |
Sergio Garcia |
Rory McIlroy |
| 2:35 PM |
Louis Oosthuizen |
Lee Westwood |
| 2:45 PM |
Fred Couples |
Jason Dufner |
7:35PM ET
Once again, quite a while ago Fred Couples finished with a 67 today at is tied for 1st at -5 with Jason Dufner.
Thankfully Tiger Woods is finished for the day. A up-and-down par on 18 gave him a round of 75, his 2nd worst round at the Masters. In the post round interview Tiger said, “I didn’t quite have it today with my swing.” Tiger finishes the day tied for 40th at +3.
Tiger’s playing partner Miguel Angel Jimenez finished where he started the day, -3. Jimenez is tied for 8th.
World #1 Luke Donald finished the day at +4, tied for 47th with nine other players.
Nick Watney finished up the day at -2, T11.
7:00PM ET
Tiger Woods hit a really poor 2nd shot on 15 and beaned someone in the gallery right of the green. Following the bad 2nd shot the microphones picked up a “Goddamn it.” He ended up making a good recovery par after trying to flop the 3rd shot but ending up in the bunker.
Then the temper showed itself on 16 tee. Tiger blocked his tee shot right of the par-3 green into the bunker. He let go of his club then turned around and kicked the club a good 10-15 feet. At that point Nick Faldo commented, “We can officially say Tiger has lost his game, and his mind.” The ball was plugged and Tiger was lucky the bunker shot didn’t end up in the water left of the green. Bogey. On 17 tee he’s at +3. More bad swings could make missing the cut a possibility.
Jimenez knocked his 2nd shot in the water on 15 and made bogey. Through 16 he’s at -3.
6:00PM ET
Not too many players left on the course right now.
Tiger Woods is not having his best day. He is showing frustration. Having started at even par Tiger is +2 for the tournament through 13. 52% of fairways hit so far.
Jason Day has withdrawn. I hear it is an ankle injury but not sure yet.
Miguel Angel Jimenez is playing very well, and in Tiger’s pairing. He is -4 total through the 13th hole. He can knock a big crowd of people out of the tournament with the 10 shot rule if he can make a couple of birdies coming in to finish at -6.
There is a group of active players still on the course at -3 which includes Matt Kuchar, Henrik Stenson and Nick Watney. They’re through holes 16, 14 and 12 respectively.
4:20PM ET
Wow. Fred Couples is in the house with a total of -5, tied for the lead with Jason Dufner. Freddy shot a 67 today, after starting with a bogey on the first hole. Turn back the clock.
There’s a five way tie for 2nd at -4 among players who have finished: Rory McIlory, Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson.
Phil Mickelson has really worked his way back into a good spot, three shots back of the lead. Phil shot 68 today, turning a +2 upside down and now at -2.
Tiger Woods is struggling a bit today. He started the round at even par and has made two bogeys and two birdies. Still at even after seven holes.
Luke Donald is quite a bit out of sorts. Donald made double bogey on the par-5 8th hole and is sitting at +5 after eight holes. He’s flirting with the cut.
3:20PM ET
Ouch. Lee Westwood came into the 18th hole with a one shot lead at -6. After hitting a poor approach his chip above the hole surprisingly did not come down. From there, he 3-putted for a double bogey and is now one shot behind the lead.
There’s a FOUR way tie for the lead now at -5 between Fred Couples (yes you read that right), Rory McIlory, Jason Dufner and Sergio Garcia. Dufner is finished while Couples is through 17, Garcia and McIlroy through 16.
Bubba Watson is at -4 through 16.
2:15PM ET
Jason Dufner started the day at -3 and had brought his score to -6 through 16 holes. He is alone in the lead, ahead of Lee Westwood who is still at -5.
My dark horse pick Oosthuizen is in the clubhouse at -4, sitting well.
Fred Couples is playing very well, -3 through 13 holes.
Rory McIlory got it to -4 on the front, and then made bogey on #10. He is in good position at -3.
Phil Mickelson is clawing back. He started the day at +2 and is now +1 through 12.
Sergio Garcia is putting well. He is tied for 2nd currently, at -4 through 13 holes.
Tiger Woods made birdie on his first hole today and sits at -1.
Kevin Na had the shot of the day on hole #13 when he holed out with a wedge for eagle. He finished the round at +2.
Angel Cabrera is struggling greatly. +5 through 12. Needs to make up serious ground to make the cut.
12:15PM ET
Temperatures are colder. Players are all in sweaters. The winds are kicking up a bit as well. Conditions look to be a bit tougher today so far.
Leader Lee Westwood is through seven holes, seven pars. Still at -5.
Peter Hanson is now tied for the lead at -5. He has completed five holes so far.
Jason Dufner had it to -5 but is back at -3 for the first nine.
Rory McIlory has appeared on the first page of the leaderboard. He has made birdie on #3 and #4 to climb to -3.
Phil Mickelson is on the course now. He started the round at +2 and is now +1 through four holes.
Tiger Woods has yet to tee off.
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