Amen Corner Turns Into a Tree-for-All

You might not realize it, but you can almost see the azaleas from here, which means there’s going to be an all-out sprint by a lot of players the next three weeks to get ready for the Masters.

For many, this is the last chance to get their games in shape to stand up to the rigors of Augusta National, which again has been tweaked to make it even more difficult.

This year’s big change is at the 11th hole, where 36 trees have been planted on the right side of the fairway.

Understand, these aren’t saplings, they’re fully grown pine trees between 25 feet and 35 feet tall, courtesy of one of the members, who probably just happens to own a forest.

The reason those trees have arrived at Augusta National is to take away a safe place for the players to land the ball off the tee.

The textbook method of playing the 11th is to shoot for the right side of the fairway, in fact so far right that the 12th tee isn’t a bad place to aim. That would keep the pond on the left side of the 11th green out of play. Now that textbook is out of date.

Many figured the 11th was hard enough already, but with the trees there, you wouldn’t be going out on a limb to say that it just became harder.

The only other change at Augusta National this year isn’t as noticeable as 36 trees. Actually, you can’t see it at all. There is a new heating and cooling system under the 13th green, like the one they installed at the 12th green in 1981. Because the 13th green had to be rebuilt to put the heating and cooling system under it, it’s possible that balls could roll slightly differently.

Anyway, with three tournaments left before the Masters, the players are running out of time to fine-tune. That’s what should make Bay Hill, the Players Championship and the BellSouth three compelling stories that should help us figure out who is a threat at Augusta National.

Or maybe not. Just because somebody wins in the last few weeks before the Masters doesn’t mean he’s a threat at Augusta National.

Only five times has a player won either Bay Hill, the Players or the BellSouth and gone on to win the Masters the same year.

Fred Couples won Bay Hill, known then as the Nestle Invitational, and the Masters in 1992. Tiger Woods did it in 2001 and 2002.

Woods also won the Players Championship in 2001 and then the Masters. In 1981, Tom Watson won the BellSouth, which was called the Atlanta Classic, and followed it up with a victory at Augusta.

Mike Weir, the defending champion at the Masters, is playing the BellSouth, just as he did last year when his preparation for winning at Augusta National included missing the cut at the BellSouth.

There should be some last-minute shuffling to become eligible for the Masters. The top 50 ranked players after the Players Championship are invited to the Masters and so are the top 10 players on the money list.

John Daly won at Torrey Pines last month, but regular tournament victories haven’t equaled an automatic invitation to Augusta National since 1999.

Daly is ranked 63rd, but he’s hanging on to eighth place on the money list and probably needs to play well at Bay Hill this week to keep his spot. Daly didn’t play last week because his hand was slammed in a car door.

A familiar face, Colin Montgomerie, isn’t eligible -- he’s ranked 51st -- but Monty will be at the Players Championship with one more chance to improve his ranking.

Daly is one of six players who have won a PGA Tour event since last year’s Masters and still hasn’t qualified this time around. The others are Tommy Armour III, John Huston, Peter Jacobsen,

Rory Sabbatini and Heath Slocum.

Their best bet? Win the Players Championship. You get a three-year express invitation to Augusta National if you win that one.

But for everybody still on the Masters bubble, good luck to you all. There are 36 new pine trees waiting to greet you at the 11th hole.

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World Golf Rankings

The top 50 players after the Players Championship automatically qualify for the Masters:

Players Pts

1. Tiger Woods 14.29

2. Vijay Singh 10.18

3. Ernie Els 9.21

4. Davis Love III 9.01

5. Mike Weir 7.67

6. Jim Furyk 6.11

7. Retief Goosen 5.80

8. Phil Mickelson 5.05

9. Stuart Appleby 4.91

10. David Toms 4.72

11. Kenny Perry 4.69

12. Padraig Harrington 4.62

13. Darren Clarke 4.44

14. Jonathan Kaye 3.89

15. Chad Campbell 3.71

16. Fredrik Jacobson 3.63

17. Scott Verplank 3.61

18. Robert Allenby 3.54

19. Nick Price 3.50

20. Chris DiMarco 3.40

21. Shigeki Maruyama 3.32

22. Jay Haas 3.23

23. K.J. Choi 3.23

24. Chris Riley 3.17

25. Thomas Bjorn 3.16

26. Adam Scott 3.15

27. Stephen Leaney 3.03

28. Paul Casey 2.99

29. Justin Leonard 2.91

30. Brad Faxon 2.87

31. Charles Howell III 2.82

32. Jerry Kelly 2.81

33. Bob Tway 2.73

34. Peter Lonard 2.67

35. Fred Couples 2.58

36. Kirk Triplett 2.57

37. Craig Parry 2.56

38. Todd Hamilton 2.56

39. Ben Curtis 2.54

40. Trevor Immelman 2.45

41. Shaun Micheel 2.41

42. Steve Flesch 2.40

43. Sergio Garcia 2.38

44. Ian Poulter 2.36

45. Brian Davis 2.31

46. Rocco Mediate 2.31

47. Fred Funk 2.29

48. Stewart Cink 2.26

49. Alex Cejka 2.26

50. Loren Roberts 2.24

51. Colin Montgomerie 2.19

52. Michael Campbell 2.16

53. Bob Estes 2.15

54. Phillip Price 2.11

55. Miguel A. Jimenez 2.10

56. John Huston 2.09

57. Duffy Waldorf 2.08

58. Briny Baird 2.07

59. Tim Herron 2.06

60. Toshi Izawa 2.00

61. Lee Westwood 1.96

62. Eduardo Romero 1.95

63. John Daly 1.93

64. Jeff Sluman 1.89

65. Niclas Fasth 1.88

66. Scott Hoch 1.84

67. Rich Beem 1.83

68. Tim Clark 1.82

69. Rory Sabbatini 1.81

70. Justin Rose 1.81

71. Thongchai Jaidee 1.81

72. John Rollins 1.75

73. Jonathan Byrd 1.75

74. Shingo Katayama 1.73

75. Scott McCarron 1.72

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Associated Press