Justin Rose found himself in a bind at No. 17 last year. Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Several players acknowledge the impact on the 14th, a bunkerless, uphill par 4 with a steeply pitched fairway that sends many drives into the right rough. Geoff Ogilvy says a second-cut lie there forces the run-up approach "that Bobby Jones intended" and is a shot today's players aren't comfortable playing.
Former U.S. Open and PGA champion David Graham has spent 15 years on the Masters Cup and Tee Marker Placement Committee and sees the second cut making its impact best felt under firm conditions.
"If you put the player on the fairway in firm conditions, he is more likely to execute with more confidence knowing that he's going to make better contact with the ball," Graham says. "If the greens are soft, then I'm not really sure anyone has a plus or minus advantage from the secondary cut."
For every example of increased difficulty, players can point to the rough's helping hand. Raymond Floyd, who won the 1976 Masters, thinks the taller grass is saving many players "from making double and triple bogeys," singling out the par-5 second hole where hooked drives are less likely to reach a little-known creek down the left side.
Sandy Lyle feels the second cut has improved several holes for the player "by giving us more grass under the ball." He cites the shade-prone seventh as well as the area of rough now sitting between the edge of the 13th fairway and the tributary of Rae's Creek. "The thin lies sometimes made it very hard to get clean contact. Now the ball sits up better," Lyle says.
And what about the man who has won three of his four Masters since the addition of the longer grass?
"I think it would play harder now if they took away the second cut," says Tiger Woods. "I'm sure it would be a more interesting test."
Woods is convinced that pulled tee shots on the first two holes are prime examples of Augusta National simplified.
"Now they get held up by the rough -- I'm sorry, second cut."
At least he knows what to call it.
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