The speed of the greens has become an issue for Augusta National Golf Club – and not in the way everyone initially imagined.
After his first round, major champion Shane Lowry suggested conditions at the Masters could become incredibly difficult due to the lack of rain, giving Augusta National an opportunity to test the players.
“I think this could be the toughest Masters we’ve played in a while,’’ Lowry said. “You look at the forecast. They can do whatever they want with the golf course this weekend.
“Over the last few years, we’ve had a day every year where it’s been raining or it’s been heavy rains. It’s kind of helped us a little bit, but I think before the week is out, it’s going to get very, very crusty around here,” he added.
Except that’s not what happened.
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Several golfers, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, complained about the speed of the greens – or lack thereof.
“I was surprised at the greens. I felt like the greens would get firmer as the week went on, but I think they may have saw how difficult it was late in the day yesterday. It felt like they softened them up a bit, but I couldn’t imagine them doing that the rest of the weekend,” Scheffler said after his round.
The four-time major champion wasn’t the only one complaining about the greens, though.
Andrew Novak, who missed the cut after shooting a four-over, 76, suggested the practice green wasn’t rolling at the same speed as the greens on the course.
“I three-putted four times early today because I was not prepared at all the for how slow the greens were,” he admitted. “Just on the putting green and stuff they were still rolling fast. I didn’t realize how much slower they are going to be this morning, and, yeah, it took me a little too long to adjust to that.”
Another golfer who had trouble adjusting to the speed of the greens was world class putter and former Masters champion Jordan Spieth. While he didn’t lament the course change, Spieth was shown on the broadcast consistently missing putts short en route to a one-over, 73.
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