Wind bumps scores 2 strokes
Mike Weir just couldn't figure it out.
His game? No. The wind.
Weir, the 2003 Masters Tournament champion, shot 2-over-par 74 in Sunday's final round. He said the wind, which stiffened the 19 flags (representing the players' countries) flying atop the main scoreboard adjacent to the first hole, wreaked havoc from all fronts.
"Sometimes it was straight into the wind," Weir said. "Sometimes it was down. Sometimes it was across. It was swirling all over."
Windy conditions provided quite a contrast from the first two tournament days, which featured sunny, dry weather. One day after a brief shower hit the course, temperatures were in the mid- to high 60s with wind gusts up to 35 mph Sunday.
According to weather.com, Augusta saw a steady 16 mph wind. Bubba Watson said it made for a two-club difference. Watson, who eagled the par-5 15th, hit a 3-iron into the wind from 225 yards out. Normally, the PGA Tour's leader in driving distance would hit a 5-iron from that distance.
"Today," he said, "was just into the wind."
Weir said the wind forced players to really concentrate on what to hit at the famous par-3 12th. The middle hole in Amen Corner played 155 yards, but with the wind, the tee shot could be anywhere from a 6- to a 9-iron, he said.
"The wind," he said, "was pretty swirly."
How much difference did the wind make? On Saturday, 24 of 45 players shot par or better. On Sunday, only nine players did so.
The course played two shots higher in the final round (74.66 average) than the previous round.
"What it does is magnify mistakes on a day like today," David Toms said. He shot 80.
Miguel Angel Jimenez navigated his way through the blustery conditions, posting the day's low round with 68.
"It's not too easy," he said, "because you have to look at the wind, take care of too many things that are going on on the golf course to play with the wind."
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.
