Ben Crenshaw Is Not Done With the Masters

Within the historical past of the Masters, Ben Crenshaw’s identify is writ massive.

He was the low beginner, that means the beginner who performs the most effective that week, in back-to-back years, 1972 and 1973. In 1984, he gained the match, besting Tom Watson by two strokes. Nevertheless it’s his 1995 victory at age 43 that’s one for the historical past books.

Simply days after his coach and mentor Harvey Penick died, he paired once more with Carl Jackson, the Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership caddie, to win by one shot. When the ultimate putt dropped, Crenshaw draped himself round Jackson in an emotional embrace on the 18th inexperienced.

Crenshaw, 70, hasn’t performed within the match since 2015, however he has grow to be a guiding presence on the annual Champions Dinner. He’s additionally among the many high golf course architects. He and his enterprise associate, Invoice Coore, have designed or renovated a half dozen programs rated within the high 100 on the planet.

Forward of his fiftieth Masters, Crenshaw spoke in regards to the course, the gamers and the historical past. The next has been edited and condensed.

How has the expertise of the match modified through the years?

With fashionable golf, I’m amazed how Augusta Nationwide has striven to maintain up with the instances. They’ve stretched the size of the holes virtually as a lot as they presumably may in plenty of cases. However the precise intent of taking part in the golf course could be very a lot the identical. You continue to need to drive the ball right into a place so you’ve the most effective angle into these greens. In our day there was no second minimize [of the higher grass just off the fairway that was instituted in 1998] — it was minimize grass all over the place you seemed. The ball would preserve working. It was very strategic in that regard. There have been plenty of cases the place an errant tee ball may run into hassle.

Augusta Nationwide will play 7,510 yards this yr, 300 yards longer than the typical PGA Tour course. Nonetheless, it’s the greens, not the size, that problem the most effective gamers. What are they like?

The greens are outstanding in the best way they play. It’s the contours of these greens and what can occur to the ball. From a participant’s standpoint, Augusta Nationwide could be very a lot in regards to the method shot to the inexperienced. However you study the course over time. You don’t go on to the flagstick. You play over there to get the place you’re going. When a participant is making an attempt to follow and study the golf course, you’ll see the newcomers go to many spots across the greens and hit these chips and little quick pictures. You’ll be able to’t follow them sufficient. I’d hit them from varied spots; I’d hit it someplace I hadn’t been.

So distance issues much less?

Let’s face it, a lot of the emphasis is on how far individuals can hit the ball and what benefit they’ve. That’s true. However when you look over the champions record there are such a lot of individuals with various distances off the tee. It would all the time reward the lengthy hitter who hits it the place it needs to be.

You have been the low beginner within the ’70s, and a winner within the ’80s and ’90s. What challenged you over the many years?

The course goads you into taking probabilities. You understand when you don’t deliver that shot off, you all the time endure the implications of lacking by a really small margin. When you miss a spot on the inexperienced, the ball may go 60, 70 toes away from the place you need it to go. Nobody can play secure and win at Augusta. You’ve received to take probabilities to attain. Nothing offers you extra confidence than whenever you hit an excellent shot. It places the thrill within the recreation. There was nothing like being in competition at Augusta and listening to the group.

What’s the dialog like on the Champions Dinner?

After we’re on the dinner all of us look across the desk and we’re seeing totally different eras of golf. The dialog among the many champions is all the time how they performed, who you have been chasing, who have been your pursuers, what probabilities did you’re taking. There’s a thread woven by all of us that we’re very lucky to be in that room. You all the time need to ask Jack Nicklaus or Gary Participant or Vijay Singh: “You confronted this shot, and also you knew you needed to take an opportunity there. Did it come off as you deliberate?” We confronted the identical challenges, and we received by it.