GWD_MAY_16

INSIDE
T H E
TOUR
IAN POULTER
It feels like five minutes since I made my Masters’
debut, but as I head to Augusta for the 12th time,
my love for the famous course is as great as ever.
The Masters is the only major that has pretty much
always been held at the same time of year. Apart from
a couple that took place in March, including the first
in 1934, early April is the time we all look forward to.
It’s no coincidence that this time of year is also when the
course is looking at its best. This is when spring hits the Deep
South, when the azaleas and dogwoods are in full bloom, and
when Bobby Jones rightly thought this former nursery would
amaze the world with its beauty. And, although the golf season
started in Malaysia in early January for me, the Masters is still
the start of the season proper.
Last year I shot two 67s over the weekend to finish in a tie
for 6th, nine shots behind Jordan Spieth. What especially
pleased me about 12 months ago was
I found 60 of the 72 greens in
regulation – five more than anyone
else in the field. It was just a shame
I didn’t get a good enough start to
make the weekend pay!
As the first major approaches, I
begin to think more and more about
the specific shots I will need to play
Augusta National well; big hooks off
the tee and a super-sharp short game.
The course has a reputation for
suiting players who move the ball
right-to-left. That’s not my natural
shape, but I love the place and think
it sets up nicely for my game. Over
the years, the ‘right-to-left’ factor has
been taken out a little bit. A lot of
limbs from trees have been lost due
to the frost, which means you don’t
have to sling it quite as far round the
corner at the 10th, for instance; and
the same at the 2nd. So a couple of
drives have opened up, and because
fairways are wide, a solid straight
drive will pretty much always put
you in a good position.
For me, the par 5s and par 3s are
key to Augusta. During the week,
you’ll play 16 par 5s, and I always aim to be double-digits
under par for these. That puts you in a really nice position. In
order to achieve this, I practise hitting wedges from 50 to 90
yards off slightly downhill lies; a tough shot at the best of
times, when there’s no crowds and no pressure. If you don’t hit
a good drive at the 15th, you’re laying it up, on a downslope;
and it’s the same on the 2nd. The 13th is a key hole, and again
the chances are you’re going to be playing on a slight
downslope, maybe with the ball above your feet, if you lay up.
With the par 3s, I try to focus on playing them sensibly and
avoiding a high number. There are a couple of very tricky pin
‘I used to put 50p pieces into the
TV for a glimpse of the Masters...
appearing in my first one is a
memory I’ll take to the grave ’
locations on the right tier of the 6th, which make you use a lot
of focus on the tee. At the 12th, it’s all too easy to make a
mistake and get caught in the wind. And the 16th has two very
difficult pins on the right-hand side.
But, for me, the real beauty is how it tests your imagination
– you really have to manage distance control and constantly
think about leaving yourself in a good position to putt. When
I do miss greens, I feel very comfortable on the tight chipping
areas; and it goes without saying that I love the fast greens.
Having said that, much of my short game practise will be
left until the week itself, just because it’s so difficult to replicate
the conditions. It’s only those last few hours when you can get
used to the wickedly fast left-to-righters, and right-to-lefters.
It’s weird to think that I’m about to
make my 12th appearance at Augusta.
It doesn’t seem like that long ago
when I made my debut, back in 2004.
I can still remember the massive buzz
when I got my first invitation through
the post. The thrill of your first trip
down Magnolia Lane and your first
glance at the course from the balcony
of the clubhouse never leaves you. If,
like me, you spent some of your
childhood putting 50 pence pieces
into the back of a TV, turning the
knob, and fiddling madly with the
aerial well after bedtime just to make
sure you could catch a glimpse of the
action from the Masters, then
appearing in your first one is a
memory you will take to the grave.
I’m looking forward to this year as
much as ever. I just love the course,
and it’s been a reasonably happy
hunting ground for me – I’ve only
once finished outside the top 35
(I missed the cut in 2013).
As I write, the PGA Tour is on the
verge of arriving at the Florida swing.
It’s a time I always look forward to,
not least because I can stay at home
for some tournaments. Playing from ‘home’ makes you relaxed
and happy. If only every week could be like that!
I should really have won the Honda Classic last year; and
just thinking about it still bugs me a bit, so I’ve got some
unfinished business to sort out there! It was a massively
disappointing week, given I had a three-shot lead going into
the final round; and despite making two doubles and a triple,
was only a shot out of the play-off.
Ian Poulter is a 14-time Tour winner and Ryder Cup player.
He writes exclusively for Golf World.
26 Golf World May 2016