From a fan’s point of view, America’s two biggest majors may appear distinct.
The Masters is a reunion, a celebration of the game in a grand setting. The U.S.
Open is golf’s ultimate test, played on the some of best, most difficult and
most historic courses in the country. But as a player, those qualities have
little meaning inside the ropes, where the goal is to be mentally tough, make
good decisions and execute good shots. The odd thing is that for all their
differences, the course setups at the Masters and U.S. Open course have become
increasingly similar—ever-narrowing fairways that reward accuracy off the tee,
as well as fast, firm greens that demand well-judged approach shots and precise
putting. That said, each still requires a different approach, which I relish
as a player.
As soon as the PGA Championship is over, I start thinking about
the Masters, whereas I don’t start thinking about the U.S. Open until after the
Masters. Since we play Augusta National every year and the course is so
strategically fascinating and complex, it’s easy to ponder what I could have
done better or how I can improve my attack of the holes.
For instance, I
made triple bogey on the par-5 2nd hole in the first round last year. After
driving it left near the creek (where you simply can’t miss), I managed to chip
out, leaving a long third. I tried to hook a 3-iron into a pin all the way left
but found more trouble than had I hit 3-wood toward the 7th green, leaving a
simple wedge into the length of the green. Situations like this are where the
older guys make good decisions: Just when I think they’ve hit it in the wrong
spot, they are actually in the perfect spot for the day’s hole
location.
Despite that early mistake, I was in contention until I made a
quadruple bogey on the 15th hole Saturday. I laid up, thinking the pitch would
be fairly simple. But the shot, over the lake to a very shallow green, is much
longer than it looks. I’ve seen a lot of players spin that shot back in the
water, and it’s easy to think: “What are they doing with all of that green
to spare?”
Having done it myself, I have found it’s not as easy as it looks.
At Augusta, you do not fully appreciate many of the nuances until you have made
a double or triple bogey by hitting it in the wrong spot.
The U.S. Open is more of an execution contest in which players have to
concentrate on hitting it long and straight, and most of all, getting the ball
to land softly. Much success depends on getting up and down from 100 yards and
in, so it’s no coincidence that Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk, who specialize in
this department, have done well.
