Be careful not to scoff the next time you notice a companion wielding a nine-wood, or some such implement. These lofted woods are no longer the weapons of wimps, judging by an analysis of competitors' equipment in the US Masters last weekend.
Jesper Parnevik carried a Callaway nine-wood for high, soft-landing approaches at the long 13th and 15th holes. It worked on the 13th in the first round, but landed the disgruntled Swede in the water at the 15th the following day, when he failed to make the cut.
Of the 96 competitors in the field, 23 had a five-wood or higher, compared with 12 in 1998 and 10 in 1997. Indeed Darren Clarke substituted a five-wood for a two-iron; Brad Faxon carried a six-wood and Tom Lehman carried a sevenwood. Callaway was the leader in fairway woods at the Masters, followed by Orlimar, Taylor Made and Titleist.
There was also a remarkable growth in the popularity of the driving iron, as manufactured by the Japanese company PRGR. Looking like a small-headed wood, it was used by Brandel Chamblee into a fresh breeze for a 216-yard second-shot which finished five feet from the hole at the 13th in the opening round. Normally, he would hit it about 230 yards.
Then there was the driver, which was largely successful in masking the only weakness in the newly-crowned champion's game. Jose-Maria Olazabal used a Bridgestone X-100 titanium head with a highly-visible Proforce shaft. This is sometimes referred to in the US as the Lake Launcher, because it is painted in the gold and purple of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team.
But Titleist won the overall battle of the drivers, ahead of Callaway, Ping and Taylor Made. And with its Scotty Cameron, Titleist also led in putter popularity, ending the long-time dominance of Ping. Odyssey were third and TearDrop fourth.
An analysis of competitors' shoes indicated that tournament professionals are still reluctant to abandon metal spikes in favour of cleats. At the Masters, 56 players wore metal, compared with 52 last year. This reflects the pattern on the USPGA Tour as a whole, where metal is preferred by a 55 per cent.
Runaway winner of the most inane question posed during interview sessions at Augusta last weekend has to be the one by an American scribe to Greg Norman after Sunday's final round. "Greg, can you describe the difference between the one (hug) today and the one you got in '96 (from Nick Faldo)?"
A bemused Shark eventually answered: "Well, Jose's a lot thinner."
With all the talk about perfection at Augusta National, especially regarding course presentation, it is perhaps not surprising that a few sceptics felt obliged to test the waters, so to speak. In effect, they wanted to discover if there was a price to be paid ecologically for the cultivated splendour that we witnessed last weekend.
The American magazine Golf Digest have now admitted that, in pursuit of some answers, they set about having a sample of pond water analysed last year. And among other things, the man assigned to the job discovered just how heavily Augusta National is guarded by Pinkerton security.
Luck was on his side, however, in that he was drawn for a Monday morning tee-time in the annual media lottery. That was when the dastardly deed was done. While walking across the Sarazen Bridge at the 15th green, he submerged a bottle into the pond and secreted it in his golf bag when the caddie wasn't looking.
The result of his skulduggery? After the water had been scientifically tested for 285 pesticides and industrial chemicals, it was established that the only thing tainted about the entire exercise was the man who took the sample. And so, the green jackets had chalked up another triumph.
Given his two victories at Harbour Town, it can't have been his record in the MCI Classic which had Payne Stewart playing the blues at the Blue Nite Cafe on Hilton Head Island earlier this week. According to reports, he showed himself to be a dab hand at the harmonina.
At 87, Byron Nelson feels he is getting too old to continue as an honorary starter of the US Masters. Perhaps he was disappointed at slightly topping his drive last week, having got in considerable practice prior to the event. But there is no indication of 97-year-old Gene Sarazen stepping down.
"It was the hardest day of my life," said the venerable Squire about that early-morning assignment on opening day. He went on to explain: "Because you don't play golf at all and you're afraid you're going to miss the ball and become the laughing stock of everybody."
The Wilson company, to which he has been attached for most of his professional life, built up the grip of a women's threewood for Sarazen. And he has also turned to wearing a copper bracelet as a cure for arthritis. "These hands are 97 years old," he said. "All the meat is gone. They're all skin and bones." Perhaps, but his wonderful spirit remains undaunted.
When writing last week about Jumbo Ozaki, who had an opening 71 in the Masters, Augusta Chronicle columnist Rick Dorsey referred to "alleged reports of mafia ties". It appears that Ozaki read it with interest.
Indeed so moved was he by the piece that he felt obliged to send his translator to Dorsey later that day with the message: "Jumbo not happy you mention mafia."
Just when we had got used to the notion of the annual Par3 Tournament at Augusta National being gentle fun for all concerned, it appears that it can get a little serious at times. Like in last week's event when, in response to a nine-iron hole-in-one from Fuzzy Zoeller at the ninth, playing partner Arnold Palmer reached into his pocket, took a rubber band off his bankroll and peeled off 10 fresh $100 notes.
It seems that betting of this nature is commonplace, but there was an interesting twist on this occasion. When Zoeller took the money from Palmer, he proceeded to wave the notes in triumph. Then the 1979 Masters champion gave two of them as a gift to Frankie, the nine-year-old son of the American amateur competitor, John "Spider" Miller.
Though Zoeller's large band of supporters have never wavered, neutral observers saw this gesture as a further attempt at restoring his Augusta image after the alleged racial remarks made about Tiger Woods two years ago. "I'm more relaxed than last year, but I'm still very careful," he said. "I don't want to get tattooed again."
Last Sunday was the eighth occasion for Greg Norman to be in the last pairing in the final round of a major championship. This time, he was a stroke behind Jose-Maria Olazabal after 54 holes, but on the first seven occasions he led the tournament by a variety of margins. His only win, however, was in the 1986 British Open at Turnberry.
The list reads: 1986 US Masters - leading by one stroke after 54 holes - final round of 70 - finished tied second to Jack Nicklaus; 1986 US Open - leading by one - 75 - tied 12th to Raymond Floyd; 1986 British Open - leading by one - 69 - winner by five; 1986 USPGA Championship - leading by four - 76 - second to Bob Tway; 1993 USPGA - leading by one - 69 - lost play-off to Paul Azinger; 1995 US Open - tied for lead - 73 - second to Corey Pavin; 1996 US Masters - leading by six - 78 - second to Nick Faldo; 1999 US Masters - trailing by one - 73 - third to Olazabal.
This Day In Golf History . . . On April 17th 1953, Babe Zaharias underwent surgery for cancer in a Texas hospital where doctors were confident she should be able to return to competitive golf. But by way of proving how doctors can differ, her own physician had said the previous day that she would never play championship golf again.
As it happened, the hospital were right. Within a matter of months she was back on tour and her five victories in 1954 included the US Women's Open, which she won by no fewer than 12 strokes. Sadly, it was to be her last appearance in the Open. Though she won two events in 1955, she was in and out of hospitals until her death the following year.
Teaser: Arising from the incorrect ruling whereby Bernhard Langer was permitted to move a pine-cone on his backswing while in a hazard during a second-round 66 at Augusta, Decision 13-4/13 is worth considering. It poses the situation: A player accidentally moves a loose impediment in a hazard. Does the player incur a penalty?
Answer: No, provided the loose impediment was not moved in making the backswing and the lie of the ball or area of the intended swing was not improved.
