Instagram Roundup: Tiger's Heroic Recovery, Arnie's Tractor, Bobby Jones's Birthday And A Creative Masters Teaser

A vintage Tiger Woods shot Saturday at Bay Hill. He trails Henrik Stenson by five heading into Sunday's 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational finale, Dan Kilbridge reports. A fantastic leaderboard should make for a great last day.

V I N T A G E 🐅

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Mar 17, 2018 at 1:07pm PDT

The tractor belonging to Arnold Palmer's dad was brought down from Latrobe and parked at Bay Hill this week to commemorate the influence of his father.

Arnie’s Tractor.

A post shared by Joshua Kelley (@j.e._kelley) on Mar 17, 2018 at 7:04pm PDT

Saturday was Bobby Jones' birthday. The USGA posted some images of the amateur golfing great.

Born on this day in 1902, Bob Jones won four @usopengolf titles and five #USAmateur crowns, becoming the first player to win 9️⃣ USGA championships. It’s a feat only @TigerWoods has matched. 📸USGA Archives 🖥 usgaphotostore.com

A post shared by United States Golf Association (@usga) on Mar 17, 2018 at 7:27am PDT

The Masters has begun their social media efforts earlier than normal and feature this look at the club's co-founders.

16 days until #themasters, created by co-Founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts. #cominginapril

A post shared by The Masters (@themasters) on Mar 17, 2018 at 4:01am PDT

Christmas Comes Early Files: Every Final Round Masters Broadcast Since 1968 Now On YouTube!

Some day we'll look back fondly on the years when we'd relive great Masters moments on YouTube watching a jittery cell phone recording of someone's television set. Or not. 

H/T to Sean Zak at Golf.com for alerting us to this incredible treasure trove of broadcasts.

Where to start? It's overwhelming. Here is the menu.

Shoot, might as well go back 50 years ago and work my way up to the present!

Enjoy.

And just for giggles, I screen captured this and will come searching for the number a year from now:

Surreal: Tiger Moves To Masters Betting Favorite Stage (In Vegas Anyway)

The various UK punters aren't quite unanimous yet in making Tiger the 2018 Masters favorite. Can't wait to see what my ShackHouse bud House has to say about this Sunday night...

However, Jeff Sherman at Westgate Las Vegas has installed Tiger at 8-1 following his continued strong opening round play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, reports Golfweek's Kevin Casey.

Typically, Tiger's Masters odds have been wildly inflated by curiosity bettors and while most futures numbers are fairly silly, I can't come up with a strong reason to argue against his placement is out of line.

After all, his health seems great, his mental state is fantastic, the putting sensational and the power is back. Other than having not won at Augusta National since 2005 or a tournament since 2013, it seems a matter of time. 

The 8/1 is silly given how many players are on their game as they approach a place where track records matter, but favorite status seems perfect legitimate. And so surreal.

To put the difference this time around in perspective, never forget the T17 in 2015 where he came into Augusta with no rounds, no body and none of the positive energy he has now. (This Michael Bamberger SI piece is a good reminder how different that Masters lead-up was.)

Masters Extends Invitation To Shubhankar Sharma

A smart move by Augusta National to invite this year's two-time European Tour winner and contender at the WGC Mexico City.

Besides quickly moving up the world rankings to 66th, Shubhankar Sharma is now an honorary member of the media, so we'll welcome him to the press center with open arms!

For Immediate Release:

Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, announced today that Shubhankar Sharma has accepted an invitation to compete in the 2018 Masters. A 21-year-old from India, Sharma will be making his first appearance in the Tournament. 

“Golf is a global game, and throughout our history we have extended invitations to deserving international players not otherwise qualified,” Ridley said. “As his results have proven, Shubhankar Sharma is a remarkable young player, and we look forward to welcoming him to Augusta National in April.” 

Sharma has won twice in the past four months, at the Joburg Open in December and the Maybank Championship in February. He recently finished T-9 at the WGC-Mexico Championship, holding the lead after 36 and 54 holes. Now ranked No. 66 on the Official World Golf Ranking, the Masters will be the first major championship appearance of his career. 

Sharma will become the fourth Indian player to compete in the Masters, following Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri. 

Two qualification criteria remain active for this year’s Tournament: winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship and the 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the Masters. 

The 2018 Tournament will mark the 82nd playing of the Masters and is scheduled for April 2 – 8. For a complete list of invitees, please visit masters.com. 

First Look: Augusta National's New Patron Entrance From Above

At least, this is the first view I've seen...you can swipe between images using the arrow that will appear on the right. 

While looking for a photo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson's planned round at Augusta National Saturday, I stumbled on these shots. Note the new structures that include an expanded shop and other elements all put under one massive roof, as well as an expansion west of Old Berckmans Road that I'm less sure of identifying the exact purpose. We'll know in a few weeks.

Bryan's flight home this morning. ⛳️👌🏼🌺🍑🏌🏼🏆

A post shared by Lorri Gail Moffatt (@lorrigailmoffatt) on Feb 22, 2018 at 8:11am PST

Augusta National Files Plans To Lengthen 5th Hole

John Boyette with the exclusive Augusta Chronicle details on plans filed by Augusta National to realign the Old Berckmans Road to extend the 5th hole by a significant yardage. The plan submitted does not appear to significant change the angle of the tee shot, though the original bunkering has been pushed down the fairway.

From Boyette's story:

According to the preliminary plans, filed by Augusta firm Cranston Engineering Group P.C., a total of 23.1 acres would be affected. The approximate start date would be May 1, which comes after this year’s Masters, and the approximate end date is Nov. 1. Masters Week begins April 2 this year, with tournament play April 5-8.

Work is also scheduled to begin this spring at neighboring Augusta Country Club with changes to its eighth and ninth holes, the two holes affected when Augusta National purchased land from the country club last year.

Work at the Augusta Country Club, according to plans filed Feb. 9, is expected to begin in May and end by November

From the purely Jones-MacKenzie point of view, it will be interesting to see if the fairway bunkers and slopes require recontouring to retain the original dynamics intended to reflect some Old Course strategies.

Reminder: LAAC And Spot In Masters Underway In Chile

The repositioned (by two days) Latin America Amateur Championship is underway at Prince of Wales Country Club. A papal visit led to the event's original dates being altered by five days.

Even Augusta National, the USGA and R&A stand down for the Pope!

The telecast times:

Live broadcasts of all four rounds will be available across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The scheduled times for each round’s live broadcast are listed below, with all times local to Santiago, Chile:

First Round: Saturday, Jan. 20: 3-5 p.m.
Second Round: Sunday, Jan. 21: 3-5 p.m.
Third Round: Monday, Jan. 22: 12-2 p.m.
Final Round: Tuesday, Jan. 23: 12-2 p.m.

Championship highlights will air on Tuesday following the completion of play; viewers can check local listings for specific broadcast times.

ESPN will provide event coverage in this year’s host country, as well as throughout Latin America. Other broadcasters include ESPN and ESPN2 (United States), Eurosport (Europe), Fox Sports Asia, Fox Sports Australia, SuperSport (Southern Africa) and TSN (Canada). All of the coverage will also be streamed live on the official event website, LAACgolf.com.

Masters Chairman Fred Ridley discussed the state of the event with Todd Lewis of Golf Channel, and refreshingly, refused to say in year four if it's fair to know exactly what impact the event has had.

Also, a return to the Dominican Republic for 2019 was announced Saturday.

LATIN AMERICA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP TO RETURN TO CASA DE CAMPO IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN 2019

SANTIAGO, Chile –The Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) will return to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic for its fifth edition, which will be held January 17-20, 2019. Championship organizers made the announcement today during the 2018 LAAC currently underway at Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago, Chile.

Founded by the Masters Tournament, The R&A and the USGA, the LAAC was established to further develop amateur golf in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
The LAAC champion receives an invitation to compete in the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. In addition, the winner and the runner(s)-up are exempt into the final stages of qualifying for The Open and the U.S. Open Championship. The champion is also awarded full exemptions into The Amateur Championship, the U.S. Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which he is eligible.

The 2019 LAAC will mark the championship’s return to Casa de Campo, which hosted the event in 2016. It was then that Costa Rica’s Paul Chaplet claimed the title and went on to become the first player from Central America to compete in the Masters and the second-youngest competitor in Masters history at 16 years old.

“It gives us great pleasure to welcome the Latin America Amateur Championship back to our beautiful resort and country,” said Andres Pichardo Rosenberg, president of Casa de Campo and a native of the Dominican Republic. “This championship is a truly special event that is helping advance the game throughout our region and paving the way for Latin America’s future golf stars. We are honored to play a role in supporting this mission as hosts and look forward to seeing the most talented amateur players once again rise to the challenges our course offers.”

Shark Talks Weakness Of Today's Players Inside 150, Why The Masters Can Make Players Use Anything They'd Like

We forget that when Greg Norman is not hawking golf carts and posting shirtless Instagram images, he can be a keen observer of the game.

In an interview with an unbylined Gant News writer filing for the CNN affiliate, Norman touches on Patrick Reed knowing so little about his clubs, LPGA players being more accurate with their drivers and many other topics.

But the two getting my attention involved what he sees as a big change in the prowess of today's players with a wedge approach (inside, gulp, 150 yards).

“If you look at today’s top players, their distance control inside 150 yards with a wedge is quite amazingly poor,” he said.

“These guys are 20ft short, 30ft left, 20ft long, their distance control is not consistent. It could just be the way they play — when it works, it works and when it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

“In our era, every time you’d put a pitching wedge in your hand, if you didn’t think you’d get the ball inside 10ft every time, or seven out of 10 times, you weren’t having any control over your golf game.”

I do see this in watching many of today's players compared to Norman's era and wonder what the exact cause is that makes Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson such standouts in this distance.

On the topic of distance, Norman agrees with others that this is about sustainability and Augusta National could be the solution.

“I remember the eighth hole at Augusta was nearly impossible to reach in two and now these guys are hitting irons in there,” said Norman who finished second three times at The Masters, perhaps most notably in 1996 when he blew a six-shot lead and Nick Faldo took the green jacket.

“Augusta can’t lengthen itself anymore but the tech is going to allow these players to keep hitting it longer year after year.

“If they sent out an invitation to the players and said ‘you’re going to use a gutter percha ball and a hickory shafted golf club, go get them worked out, practice before you get there, the best player will still win that week.

“The best players have that ability to make that adjustment no matter what they’re using.”

Vegas Will Give You 20-1 On Tiger Winning 2018 Major

Love the optimism but it's just not a tempting bet even as Jason Day reported to Australian Open scribblers that Tiger says he's feeling great.

Bill Speros explains for Golfweek.com.

China’s Lin Yuxin Finishes Birdie-Eagle In Asia-Pacific Amateur, Earns Spots At Augusta And Carnoustie

China’s lefthanded 17-year-old Lin Yuxin captured the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship to secure invitations to the 2018 Masters and he 2018 Open at Carnoustie.

He birdied Royal Wellington's 17th and eagled the par-5 18th to card a six-under-par 65 and finish 14-under, three ahead of compatriot Andy Zhang. Lin becomes the third Chinese players to qualify through the Asia-Pacific Amateur.

“I’m very, very happy I got the chance to win this event and play two majors,” said Lin, who trailed Zhang for much of the round. “I’m very proud of myself. It means a lot to me to play in the Masters and The Open next year. It’s a great experience.”

 “Andy played really solid today,” Lin said. “He didn’t make a single mistake until 15. His iron shots were really good and he made a lot of putts. I actually thought it might not be my day, but I had a good finish.

“I was just trying to stay aggressive and hit as many drivers as I could. Even though I wasn’t playing that well for 12 holes, I still stuck with that plan. Andy is a very steady player, but I had to stay aggressive and get birdies.”

The winning putt:

Eagle for the win! #AAC2017 #CreatingHeroes https://t.co/C68TwZNbCP pic.twitter.com/o2kfAHhruZ

— AAC_Golf (@AAC_Golf) October 29, 2017

Reminder: Asia Pacific Amateur At Royal Wellington

The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, hosted by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, Masters Tournament and the R&A, kicks off Thursday at New Zealand's Royal Wellington. An invitation to The Masters is on the line.

Michael Jones with a preview for Golf Australia.

Telecast times:

ESPN2 Coverage – All Times Eastern U.S.
Thursday, Oct. 26 (First Round)            1-4 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 27 (Second Round)            1-4 a.m.
Saturday, Oct. 28 (Third Round)            1-4 a.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29 (Final Round)               3:30 – 6:30 a.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29 (Highlights)                 4-4:30 p.m.

Greg Turner and Scott MacPherson have remodeled the course in 2014 into the one we'll see this week.

A nice preview video that should whet your appetite for Royal Wellington:

Update on 2017-10-26 06:45 by Geoff

**Well since the first video was removed, let's try this one!

Firefighting Mid-Am Champ's Masters Dream: A Practice Round With Tiger Woods

Not that Tiger ever sets goals for injury return on such things, but the older, maybe more sentimental and "making progress" Woods might just relish the chance to fulfill the dream of U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion Matt Parziale. After all, it would mean Woods was even well enough to play The Masters.

From Doug Ferguson's story on the Massachusetts firefighter who won the U.S. Mid-Amateur last week, earning him berths into the Masters and U.S. Open:

Parziale was 9 when he watched the Masters for the first time and saw Woods break 20 records on his way to a 12-shot victory. He was 16 when Woods won a World Golf Championship at Capital City Club, the very place where Parziale realized so many of his golf dreams.

So when asked if he could play a practice round at the Masters with one person, Parziale didn’t hesitate.

“Tiger, and there’s not even a close second,” he said. “I play golf because of Tiger Woods. I was the perfect age to see him.”

Ridley: "We will take whatever action, whatever course of action is necessary to protect the integrity of Augusta National.”

Brentley Romine reports on a media call with new Masters chairman Fred Ridley was asked about the golf course in the face of most distance gains since the last round of changes.

After saying something vague about the Jones design philsophy ("strategy and skill were equal components in how the golf course should be played"), he issued this strong statement:

“We will take whatever action, whatever course of action is necessary to protect the integrity of Augusta National golf course,” Ridley said.

Now that could mean many things. Given that the club has planted trees, introduced longer fairway cuts pushed toward tees and added numerous back tees, more lengthening is about all the club can turn to without further damaging the Jones approach.

Jones and MacKenzie's very clearly stated design goals for Augusta National are already hanging by a thread, and with a consulting architect who doesn't practice strategic design or even the art of respecting those who practiced the art before him, it appears there is only one course of action that will work: restricting driving distance.

Restoring width and removing recently planted trees, as Michael Bamberger wrote in this suggestion list piece, would also be nice but they won't addres the simple fact that the strategy has been rendered less interesting by modern driving distances.

Chairman Ridley On Distance: “We’re interested in that issue"

While not kicking the door wide open or sharing his views, it sounds like new Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley isn't quite shying away from the issue either.

From Doug Ferguson's AP interview with Ridley discussing several topics related to The Masters.

He also was reserved about how the club felt about the distance the modern professional is hitting the golf ball, referring only to a good relationship with golf’s two governing bodies, the USGA and the Royal & Ancient.

“We’re interested in that issue,” he said. “It’s not my place to talk about what’s good and not good for the game. I might have opinions, but I’m not the person to talk about it. What I can talk about is what’s good for Augusta National and our golf course. Going back to the guiding principles, again, I believe that the philosophies that Jones and (Alister) MacKenzie established here are timeless.”

His predecessor, now-Chairman Emeritus Billy Payne, never seemed entirely comfortable talking about the impact on the course. It seems reasonable to surmise, however, that no one at Augusta National is pleased to have fairways mown toward tees and to be spending more money on possible back tees locations. But what will they do?

I also thought this was of note (and admirable) related to the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock...

He was not directly in charge of the golf course, but “I was the president, so the buck stops there.”