After Amen Corner, Crenshaw Winds Up Without a Prayer

Rain was expected for the third round of the Masters Saturday, but it failed to appear. Nevertheless, the waters of Augusta National Golf Club drowned the hopes of Ben Crenshaw to repeat as champion.

Just when it appeared that Crenshaw was ready to challenge the leaders, he hit into the water twice in Amen Corner, went five over par in two holes, shot a five-over-par 77 and lost all chance to be the first to successfully defend his title since Jack Nicklaus in 1966. His 54-hole total of 223 leaves him 11 strokes behind Raymond Floyd, the leader.

The 11th, 12th and 13th holes were long ago named Amen Corner, and they have ruined the title hopes of many a golfer.

The affable Crenshaw was six strokes behind the leaders going into the third round. After barely missing a birdie putt on the 11th, he was one under for the day and one over for the tournament. He had missed numerous birdie chances but seemed on the verge of a hot streak.

Disaster struck on No. 12, the shortest hole (155 yards) on the course. Crenshaw hit an 8-iron on the toe, and notorious Rae’s Creek, which runs in front of the green, swallowed it up. He hit his next shot into the sand trap in front of the green and failed to get out on his first try. Next, he hit the ball eight feet beyond the pin, missed his putt and settled for a monstrous quadruple-bogey 7.

Obviously upset, Crenshaw tried to hook his drive around the corner on the short par-5 13th. He hooked it too quickly, and it wound up in another creek. When he missed a six-foot putt for his par, he was suddenly six shots over par and out of contention.

Probably no player on the PGA Tour has more ups and downs than Crenshaw. There are no average performances for the 33-year-old Texan. Most of the last year has been down. This year, in the nine tournaments he entered before the Masters, he missed the cut five times and was disqualified once. His best finish was a tie for 18th in Hawaii.

Actually, he had played poorly most of the time since winning the Masters last year. One of the problems, he admitted, was the divorce last October from his wife, Polly. But he felt that by now all that was behind him.

A keen student of golf history and tradition, Crenshaw probably cherished his victory in this prestigious tournament as much, if not more, than any other winner. The emotional win in the Masters may have contributed to his problems. He said he was on a high that lasted much longer than a month. He had trouble concentrating on anything after the 1984 Masters.

But, he felt the return to the scene of his triumph was the remedy. When he fired a two-under 70 on the first round, his confidence returned. Although he double bogeyed the 11th Friday and finished with a 76, he was still within striking distance in a wide open tournament.

“Before I teed off this morning,” Crenshaw said after his disastrous round, “I really thought I had a good chance to win again. Sure, I put two shots into the water, but the real problem was what it has been all year--poor putting. I just have no feeling with the putter.”

Throughout his career, Crenshaw has been regarded as an outstanding putter, one of the best in the sport. But a look at the records show just how sour his putting has gone. He is 134th among those on the tour in putting. Sometimes the putting statistics are misleading, but not in this case. He ranks 150th at getting on the green in regulation. It means that he has probably had to chip up from close range and still has missed most of his putts. Seldom does a pro rank so poorly in both putting and getting on in regulation.

Crenshaw, seventh best in putting last season and often selected by golf magazines as the best putter on the tour, began his third round by three-putting from 60 feet. His par attempt was a three-footer. Although he birdied No. 2 after just missing a 40-footer, there was one frustrating experience after another the rest of the front nine.

On three, a 15-foot putt for a birdie from the apron came up short. The next hole, his birdie bid was a downhill 15-footer that just slid off to the left by an inch. On five, his 20-footer from below the hole barely missed on the right. The toughest putt he had on the front nine was an 18-footer downhill and with a break to the right on the sixth. He holed it. On seven, he was 10 feet away and was just short. On eight, his chip hit the flag but rolled six feet past and he missed his birdie again. He saved par on nine by sinking a curving four-footer.

The back nine started out much the same. He had a 12-foot birdie attempt on 10, and it just missed on the right. It is probably not too surprising that when he missed again on an eight-foot birdie attempt on 11, he lost a little of his concentration on the disaster hole.

“I really made a nice second shot on 11, putting it right in there where I wanted it,” he said. “I have no idea how I missed that putt. The one 18-footer for the birdie on six was tougher than all those others I missed.

“I took out the 8-iron on the 12th and hit the ball on the toe. Until then, I really had hit the ball well today. It was a terrible feeling to see that ball disappear into the creek.

“Then, I hit the wedge into the trap, left my first shot in the trap and missed the eight-foot putt coming back. That’s how you make a quadruple bogey and knock yourself out of the tournament.

“Knowing that my only hope left, faint as it was, was to go for an eagle on 13, I tried to wheel my drive around the corner. I wound up in the water again. I still had a chance to par the hole despite the penalty, but missed a six-footer.

“On the 15th I had about a seven-footer for a birdie. It tried to come out, but rolled around the cup and stayed in. That was far to late to start a run.”