Never too early to start talking about this GREAT event!! With these comments, wonder if he will be back in the booth this year.......those guys are kinda picky about what you say about their course!

Notes: Faldo decries changes at Augusta National - 12/09/2008
By Associated Press

Three-time champion Nick Faldo stopped playing the Masters when he took over as lead golf analyst for CBS Sports. After watching the last two from the booth, he doesn’t have any doubt he made the right choice.

“It’s a fear factor, that place,” Faldo said.

In comments that probably won’t be repeated from the CBS tower during the Masters, Faldo lamented how difficult Augusta National has become, suggesting that it has caused even the most skilled players to become conservative with a smaller chance of being rewarded.

“If you don’t have an opportunity to reward yourself, it switches off the best players,” he said last week at the Father-Son Championship in Orlando, Fla. “They’ve got the flair and the skills to go for it, but going for it is suicide.”

Faldo won in consecutive playoffs in 1989 and 1990, but his third green jacket was the most memorable. Trailing by six shots to Greg Norman, he closed with a 5-under 67 and won by five shots when Norman shot 78.

“That was the best of the weekend,” Faldo said of his 67. “Yeah, that’s what you really are looking for. Augusta was always the one where … you can shoot your 65. If you play really well, you’re shooting 3 and 4 under. You get rewarded. That’s what you got to be careful of. Bottom line is you got to reward the guys. You’ve got to be given the opportunity to hit career shots.”

The Masters record book shows Faldo withdrew in his final Masters in 2006, although he recalls a second-round score of about 77. What he remembers most is standing on the ninth fairway and trying to figure out how to land it on the green with a 3-iron.

“When you’re standing there thinking, ‘I can’t hit that green. Where do I now look?’ … That’s when I thought, ‘I’m more than happy now to be a CBS man,”’ he said.

While they need to be careful not to change the character of a great course and a great tournament ; they also need to address the incredible distances these guys are hitting the ball. They hit five iron from 220 yds at times , so it seems the definition of a "career shot" may be changing. Obviously , if a par five is playing driver-nine iron , that would not constitute a "reward" for these guys......it's more like a give-away. No easy answers for the re-designers.......if they soften the greens , they lose the character of the course. The short and medium length hitters are being eliminated from the tournament if they have to hit some kind of high three iron to the hood of a buick type green , but Tiger and the fellas are hitting six or seven iron....so what do you do ???

Birdie fest or challenging par.........which way do you go ? I hope they don't eliminate the roars or the greatness of a legendary golf course.

Not sure if there is a real answer here,,, !!! But I am not sure on Faldo's remarks. Seems they never have this course set for a runaway affair !!!!

I wish they could figure out how to get the Sunday roars again...............to me that was a big part of The Masters. I am assuming that is what Mumbles meant when he was talking about "career shots."

Wonder if he will be allowed to broadcast again. He is not the only one that has made these comments.

Am sure he will,,,, !!!!

Not that long to wait

Sure would be nice to Keep the Cup !!!!!!