Chairman Payne: They're Just Better Athletes

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Sounds like someone has been spending too much time around Chief Inspector Dawson!

In an interview to Brett Ogle while Down Under for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Augusta National Chairman suggested that we've had it all wrong in thinking equipment has driven spikes in distance that has forced the home of the Masters to add 500 yards, mow fairways grown longer than they'd like toward tees to create ball-roll slowing grain, buy neighboring property for new tees, and plant absurd looking pine trees at the course where Bobby Jones made it evident trees were not to be used as a hazard.

Nope, apparently it's all in the genes and workout programs of today's golfers, who unlike schlubby types from the past like Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, are much stronger today.

Thanks to the Aussie Golfer for transcribing a Fox Sports interview:

“You know the kids keep getting longer. I really think for a four or five-year period we blamed it on the equipment,” Payne said. “I really think it’s the conditioning of these young kids.”

“You know they come to the game now much more athletic than they were in the past.”

Apparently the Chairman hasn't seen PGA Tour rookie of 2014 Chesson Hadley and his skin and bones averaging 291.8 off the tee! Or...oh why bother. It doesn't matter.

What matters is that Augusta National has to resort to measures it should not have to all to allow manufacturers to claim they are selling you something longer and straighter than ever. Is it really working for anyone at this point?

GCSAA: Dan Jenkins To Receive The Old Tom Morris Award

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Naturally, the Ancient Twitterer had a witty line ready to go for the press release acceptance:

"I'm honored to win this award, especially named for a guy who I'm almost as old as," Jenkins quipped in reference to Old Tom Morris. "It's terrific. I didn't know a lot about grass, but I knew a lot of superintendents all around town. The profession has made a lot of progress. Courses nowadays are so consistently wonderful with all the things they can do with them."

State Of The Game Podcast 47: Dan Washburn & China

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After an exclusive three week tour of Europe, Scandinavia and the sub continent, State of the Game is back!

We're going to try and record a news-driven episode later in the week but with big men's events heading to China the next few weeks and his stellar new book to talk about, we welcomed Dan Washburn. Dan is a recovering journalist now working for the Asia Society out of Brooklyn. However his embedded account of life in China focusing on three men whose lives are tied to the golf industry is not only a fascinating look into the strange golf explosion, but a breezy, enlightening way to learn about life in China.

I recently got to hear Dan speak at USC when he was in town promoting the book and was thrilled to get him on State of the Game. You can check out Dan's book and website here, and buy it here at Amazon,

As for the show, you can listen to the MP3 here, listen here, subscribe to the show via iTunes here and listen to episode 47 here on iTunes.