Masters trip was far from Flesch's mind last season
If there was a star of the PGA Tour's B-movies in 2007, it was Steve Flesch.
Flesch won twice, but they were second-tier events that didn't get him a coveted Masters Tournament invitation.
Here's why: In 2007, Augusta National Golf Club added a qualification rule that it had dropped in 1999. Tour winners once again earned invitations to the 2008 Masters, with two exceptions. The invitation wasn't extended if it came the same week as a World Golf Championships event or during the seven-tournament Fall Series.
Flesch's victories fell in both categories.
Indirectly, though, the wins helped get him in the 2008 Masters because he finished among the top 30 on the season-ending money list, ending up 26th.
His two victories came six weeks apart, at the Reno-Tahoe Open in early August (the tournament opposite a World Golf Championships event) and at the Fall Series' Turning Stone Resort Championship in late September.
At the time of the first win, Flesch wasn't thinking about making the Masters. He was happy he didn't have to worry about keeping his playing card for 2008 by finishing among the top 125 money winners.
"I was playing that bad," Flesch said. "I don't know what turned my game around. I just started hitting it good and putting it good, and lo and behold I won twice. Two wins weren't enough (to get in the Masters), so I was just hoping to hold on to the money list."
He did, and now he's back for his fourth Masters. He missed the cut in his 2001 debut, tied for 17th in 2004 and tied for 29th in 2005.
Since that 2005 tournament, 155 yards have been added to Augusta National, making it play to a robust 7,445 yards.
Flesch isn't a long hitter, so the added yardage is not a welcome development. But he knows that medium-length hitters Zach Johnson (last year) and Mike Weir (2003) have beaten the long hitters at Augusta National.
Last season, Flesch ranked 124th in driving distance (an average of 286.2) while Johnson was 161st (280.4) and Weir 108th (287.1).
"You're only going to win that week if you have a phenomenal putting week," Flesch said. "Take a guy like Tiger (Woods) -- he doesn't have to hit it as great, or putt as great, to be in contention there, because the course is a lot shorter for him.
"When Tiger and Phil (Mickelson) and John Holmes go around there, they're playing a 600-yard shorter golf course than Zach and Mike and I because they outhit us 50 yards every hole. You take that over 14 holes, that's 700 yards.
"It makes a big difference. Certain holes out there, for instance the first hole, is not made for a 3- or 4-iron (approach) shot. It's an 8- or 9-iron shot. I know they say that's how it played when they first designed it. I guarantee you when they first designed that course those greens weren't running 13 on the Stimpmeter. They were running 7 or 8."
Flesch believes Augusta National officials "have overdone it a little bit" with the added yardage.
"I'll be the first to say it's eliminated over half the field from having a chance to win it," he said. "I know they say it's Tigerproofing. I think it only makes it easier for him and the other hitters to have a chance to win it. They've done everything they can to keep the shorter hitters from having a chance unless they absolutely have a phenomenal putting week, which Zach did."
Despite all that, Flesch is happy to be back.
"I'd always want to be there," he said. "As a tour player and as a professional, that's a tournament I want to compete in even if I have no chance of winning. because it's such a special week."
Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.
