Gary Player and Lee Elder look out to the audience during a standing ovation after Player presented Elder with his award. (Ron Cockerille)
Golfers honored at dinner
Web posted 04/05/00
Change is good.
Since he succeeded Jackson T. Stephens as chairman in May 1998, Johnson has overseen some of the most significant changes to the Augusta National course in its 68-year history.
The 68-year-old Johnson defended the alterations, headlined this year by expanded rough and shrunken fairways.
``I think that Bob Jones and Alister Mackenzie would have had to address the changes that have taken place, with the distance of the golf ball, and the equipment, and the condition of the players,'' Johnson told reporters Wednesday.
Several prominent players expressed surprise, even shock, over the narrowing of fairways. The ninth and 10th fairways were narrowed by 10 yards, according to Competition Committee Chairman Will Nicholson, and the ninth fairway was moved slightly to the right. Nicholson also said there will two prominent new pin positions on reconstructed greens - back-right on No. 13 and far back-left on No. 16.
``Them changing it the way that they did, it's not the same Augusta now, not at all,'' said three-time Masters champion Gary Player. ``In the past, they always made the greens harder and quicker, and that has always been the great test of Augusta. It was a wider golf course, but the difficulty, the challenge, has been mostly on the greens. Apparently, they're going to go about things differently now. Well, it's their course and their championship, and they can do what they like.''
Player was especially harsh in his views on the changes at No. 17, where the tee was moved back and three trees were added behind Ike's Tree.
``I really enjoyed 17, and I remember talking to Bobby Jones years ago, and we spoke about how No. 17 was always designed for nothing more than a 7-iron,'' Player said. ``If you get a little breeze in your face, Ernie Els last year had to hit a 3-iron to the 17th green. And that green is not designed for a 3-iron. So I think what they've done to No. 17 is they've ruined the hole. One hundred percent ruined it.''
In defense of the narrower landing areas, Nicholson said Wednesday the widths of the fairways are still ``reasonably generous by major championship standards,'' at an average of 36.57 yards. He said the landing area is approximately 275 yards from the tees.
Johnson also addressed the changes to the qualification system to earn a Masters invitation. He defended the most controversial change - dropping the automatic invitation to winners of PGA Tour events, with the exception of The Players Championship, which had been in place since 1972.
``That (qualifying for the Masters with a tour victory) did provide some excitement,'' Johnson said, ``but with the World Golf Ranking having the acceptance that it has, and with the prospect of it becoming better, and our moving up from the top 30 money winners to the top 40, we are very comfortable with our qualifications.''
Johnson joked with reporters about how he managed to skirt the issues of course changes at Tuesday night's annual Champions Dinner.
``I was glad to get out of there unscathed,'' Johnson said.
