Design Change Didn’t Mess With Back Nine

“The back nine at Augusta National on Sunday ... “

Isn’t that line copyrighted? If it’s not, it should be. You hear it all the time.

” ... that’s where the Masters actually starts.”

That’s why there was so much hand-wringing when Masters officials, led by tournament chairman Hootie Johnson, significantly altered five of the holes on the back side in sweeping changes for the 2002 Masters.

Standing apart from the hand-wringers, though, was Byron Nelson, the 1937 and 1942 Masters champion. He applauded the changes -- and still does.

“I think the main thing is how the players hit the ball and where it goes,” said Nelson, 93. “I am not critical at all about what they did. Hootie was right. You don’t want them hitting pitching wedges to a par four.”

The changes? At the 10th, the tee was moved back 10 yards and five yards to the golfers’ left. The tee at the 13th was moved back 25 yards. The 14th tee was moved back 35 yards. At the 18th, one of the signature finishing holes in golf, the tee was moved back 60 yards and five yards to the golfers’ right.

It was all part of a course alteration that affected nine holes in all -- seven par fours and two par fives -- and added 285 yards.

Theories piled up: With a longer course, the risk-reward factor had been done away with. Now, the players would play for par instead of birdie. The back nine would be boring.

Definitive results of the changes were delayed, though. Rain preempted the accounting of the back nine for two years, until last year, when the weather relented and everyone could see for himself just what Hootie had wrought.

It turned out to be something of a classic.

After making an eagle at the eighth, Ernie Els made another at the 13th, then a birdie at the 15th.

One shot down to Els at the turn, Phil Mickelson birdied five of the last seven holes, including an 18-foot putt at the 18th to beat Els by one shot. His score was 31 on the back nine.

Only three others have won the Masters with a birdie on the last shot of the tournament -- Arnold Palmer in 1960, Sandy Lyle in 1988 and Mark O’Meara in 1998.

And even though he finished three shots behind Mickelson, K.J. Choi had an eagle at the 11th, matched Mickelson with a 31 on the back on Sunday and was third.

Sergio Garcia eagled the 13th, also shot a 31 on the back and tied for fourth after closing with a 66.

If anyone doubted that it was one of the most riveting back-nine performances at the Masters, Johnson was not among them. He said the changes from 2002 had proved their validity.

“All along, we thought the changes we made were appropriate and necessary to maintain the integrity and shot values of the golf course,” he said, in an e-mail response to questions. “We wanted to adhere to the design concepts that Bobby Jones, Cliff Roberts and Alistair Mackenzie had envisioned.

“Last year certainly was thrilling, as the best players in the world responded. The course setup for Sunday was consistent with previous years, allowing the players the opportunity to try for an eagle or birdie when necessary.

“Each year is certainly different, but I think Sunday afternoon at the Masters is always exciting.”

Mickelson, who had played the front nine in two over, was at the 12th hole when he heard the roar of the crowd as Els made his eagle at the 13th to go ahead by two shots.

But Mickelson’s back nine was sparkling, beginning with his birdie at the 12th, where he hit an eight-iron to 12 feet. He was five under on the back side.

“To shoot 31, man, that feels great,” he said at the time. “I don’t know what else to say. It just feels awesome.”

Chances are that someone may have that same feeling this year.

There have been only minor changes to Augusta National this year, including the 15th green, which has been re-grassed to create two new pin positions.

The club opened in mid-October and a mild winter, plus rain, have the course appearing lush and grassy, the right place for something spectacular to happen, especially after the turn, which is where the fun starts.