‘G Mac’ & Eisenhower Now Have Something In Common – A Dislike For Augusta’s 17th.

Graeme McDowell and former US President Dwight D Eisenhower now have something in common – they both hate Augusta National’s 17th hole.

For the second day running McDowell walked off ‘Nandina’ with a bogey five before then dropping a shot at the last in a round of 72 to remain at three over par.

McDowell had pared his opening 11 holes before a first birdie of the round at the par three, 12th hole where he put a 9-iron to 15-feet and holed the putt.

Moments earlier the former U.S. Open champ had missed a similar length birdie putt at 11.

At the par five, 13th McDowell drilled a 2-iron also to 15 feet and just missed the eagle putt.

He was two under for the round and inside the top-35 coming to the 17th

The Eisenhower Tree named after 34th US President Dwight D Eisenhower.

.

President Eisenhower, the 34th US President from 1953-1961, loved Augusta National except for a tree located some 210-yards down the left side and just off the fairway.

‘Ike’ hit the tree so often and in 1956 he tried to convince other Augusta members the tree should be cut down.

But then Augusta Chairman, Clifford Roberts was having none of it and promptly ruled the President out of order.

“The 17th has quietly done my head in over the years,” said McDowell.

“I do have a special place in my heart for many of the holes here at Augusta but as regards to the 17th I tend to hit it left and catch the trees.

“I can see now why the hole did Presidents Eisenhower’s head so I am in good company.”

Also not helping McDowell at 17 is that he and his caddy, Ken Comboy differed with regards to second shot club selection.

McDowell wanted to go with a 5-iron but Comboy insisted on a 6-iron but with his shot landing short and in a greenside bunker for bogey.

Then after a superb drive up the last McDowell played what he thought was a good chip that hit the green but spun back down the slope for him to end his round with back-to-back bogeys.

“Augusta is now becoming one of these golf courses that gets into my head and I end up playing too negatively, and I stop myself from playing too well,” he said.

“I think too negatively going into the greens and then too negatively on the greens, and it ends up beating up a little bit.

“On any other golf course if I miss the green I am thinking of chipping the ball in but that’s not my thoughts here at Augusta.

“So if I am going to win a green jacket, and I want to win a green jacket, then I do need to get my head around this golf course.

”But I’ve just missed too many rounds here and really have not found an Augusta game and really I do need to play two more rounds at Augusta.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Comments are closed.