Forget that 18-under stuff that Jordan Spieth pulled off last year at The Masters.
Forget that 64-66 kinda start that Spieth threw at the rest of the field and basically made it a boring weekend at Augusta in 2015.
The wind is coming and perhaps some rain on Thursday.
When the weather is perfect, Augusta National can be had. Throw in some medium wind and it’s tough. Now add some wind that gets up around 20 miles per hour and you’ve got problems if you’re a player.
The weather forecast for the tournament will start with a good chance of thunder showers on Thursday, cooler temperatures with the front and yes, WIND!!!!
The back nine at Augusta National sits down in a giant bowl. That’s the best way to describe it. You can tell from television when you see the big drop at the 10th then the steep hill climb to 18 green. In person, it’s even more dramatic. When the winds blow hard, it swirls through the bowl and can create nothing but doubt and havoc on second shots into the difficult 11th, total chaos when trying to pull a club at the par three 12th, one of the world’s toughest holes under 160 yards in lenth. Same for the second or third into the par five 13th and par five 15th and the par three 16th.
No dancing around the fact that it is going to be tough, tough, tough with that much wind. The greens will be more receptive on Thursday if it rains but they can control the moisture. When money is no object, you put in the sub-air systems under each green that can basically suck all the moisture out of a putting surface. Augusta National has them.
At Augusta National, there is plenty of room to drive the golf ball and very little rough to speak of. The defense comes on the second shots with the greens and their undulations.
Wind will bring more possible contenders into the picture and it will favor the grinders and the plodders.
The tee times came out on Tuesday and it’s tough to tell who has the advantage of the draw, it will depend when the rain hits on Thursday.
