Mikes Diary - Round 3 - 2008 Masters
Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:30:06
It's strange because I played fairly well overall. I actually hit more greens on Saturday than Friday, and only missed two fairways, the seventh and the 18th. Yet my score was seven shots higher.
In part, it's because I didn't putt as well in round three as I did in the second round. I wasn't great with the putter on Friday, but I certainly did roll in a few good ones and that certainly didn't happen on Saturday.
To make putts here, you really have to put together the speed and the line. If you're not right on with both of them, you're not going to make very many putts. Today, I seemed to be just off a little all day.
Still, I thought that I might be able to get something going on the back nine, but that didn't happen. The wind seemed to switch on me a few times as I was pulling clubs. On both 12 and 14, I hit what I thought were perfect shots into the green. I honestly thought I'd have kick-in birdies on both, but the wind came up at just the wrong time and I ended up with bogeys on both holes. That's a four-shot swing that was huge.
On 12, I actually don't know how my ball stopped where it did. The ball was actually hanging over the lip of the bunker. I said to Aaron Oberholser, who I was playing with, that I could hit 50,000 balls there and never get it to stop in that spot. My next task was to try and play the shot. There was almost no way to get high enough in the trap to get a stance so I could hit it. Somehow I managed to get creative and get my club on it - unfortunately the result wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Still, just making contact was an achievement. I even had to get Brennan to help me out of the bunker.
The 12th is such a great hole. When you realize it's only a bit over 150 yards you sometimes scratch your head and wonder what makes it so difficult. But short holes can be just as tricky as long ones, and the 12th is a good example of that.
In fact, Augusta National is like no other course. There is such a fine line between playing great and playing just average and it can something as simple as getting the read correct on a putt or getting the wind right on an approach shot. There really is no margin for error if you want to post a good score.
Tomorrow I'll go out and just try to play as hard as I can and see if I can learn a little more about Augusta National. I don't think you ever finish that lesson but it's still fun trying.
As always, thanks for your support.
Mike
