Philip Reidnews round up from Augusta.
Lucky hat-trick of bad luck?
THE CURSE of the traditional par three competition on the eve of the Masters has it that whoever wins won't go on to win the championship . . . . not that Pádraig Harrington, a two-time winner of the short-game contest, would concur.
Due to play alongside US Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger in today's competition - when he intends to rib the opposing captain on his recent contretemps with Nick Faldo - Harrington aims to try as hard as he can to make it three wins.
"I'm hoping that (winning) three times might be a lucky charm," said Harrington. "To put some spin on it, superstitious-wise, I believe if you win it twice, you're bound to win the actual Masters."
Not everybody will be teeing up, however. Tiger Woods didn't play last year and won't be competing this time round either.
"It's changed over the years. It used to a lot of fun but now it is a little bit distracting," claimed Woods, whose last outing in the par three was in 2003 when he played alongside Arnold Palmer. Harrington won the first of back-to-back par threes that year.
First played in 1960, when it was won by Sam Snead, the contest has become a Wednesday tradition. The nine-hole course is a Par 27 of 1,060 yards played over DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike's Pond.
Last year's competition was won by Tiger's buddy, Mark O'Meara. Come the championship proper, O'Meara shot rounds of 77 and 76 to miss the cut. The jinx continued.
Today's contest will be televised live on Setanta Sports Ireland.
Some subtle changes
THE BIGGEST change to the course for this year's Masters is hard to detect, even for the players.
Augusta National added six feet to the left side of the seventh green. Unlike the rest of the green, which slopes sideways, the extension is relatively flat so that balls tracking down the slope to a left pin, if hit too hard, could roll off.
Larry Mize, for one, doesn't think that the new pin position on the seventh will affect scores too much on what was the 10th toughest hole in 2007 (averaging 4.295). "But watch me be the first one that putts off it," he quipped.
Other changes include an alteration to the right side of the ninth green to make pin placements possible, and the removal of trees to the right of the 11th fairway, which was widened.
Nick Doughtery, making his debut, is hoping to become the first player to win the major at the first attempt since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
One of 19 players making their debuts, Dougherty has been working with sports psychologist Bob Rotella. "Bob was saying to me it is no coincidence that Fuzzy was the last first-time winner because this course demands patience and acceptance more than any other course. Fuzzy's probably the most laid-back golfer you can get. He's almost horizontal."
Is Colt firing on all cylinders?
WHO'D TURN down an invitation to play in the Masters? American Colt Knost has become such a rare breed.
Knost, a member of the winning US team at last year's Walker Cup match in Royal County Down, secured a place in the field by winning the 2007 US Public Links championship but decided to turn professional and so forfeited his chance.
Knost is the first player since Tom Scherrer 15 years ago to give up the chance to make a maiden appearance.
It wasn't an easy decision to make. Knost received conflicting advice. Buddy Marucci, his Walker Cup captain who played in the 1996 Masters as the US Amateur runner-up to Tiger Woods, told Knost he would be "crazy" to pass up his invitation, but Phil Mickelson urged Knost to turn professional and promised more Masters would await him. "I don't regret my decision at all," said Knost.
Gary's still a big-time Player
GARY PLAYER will break the Masters record this week for most career starts.
The 72-year-old South African is tied with Arnold Palmer on 50 starts, but will go ahead of Palmer this week . . . and intends to keep going for another few years.
"If I can walk around here like an athlete, which I can, and I can play reasonably well, I'd like to keep playing," said Player, a three-time winner.
