Wake up the Echoes

Sorry Notre Dame fans, this blog is not about the Irish. In fact, it's not even about football.

It's about......The Masters, "a tradition unlike any other". Or is it, anymore?

It always seems to produce the most exciting drama in all of golf, and indeed, in all of sport. Or, at least, it did.

The back nine on Sunday at Augusta is golf at its finest, with one shot after another producing some of the most thrilling moments in golf history. Or, at least, it was.

After enjoying an unprecedented run from 1986-1998, and great moments at varying times through 2005, the last three years have been ho-hum by Masters standards.

This is not coincidence.

Beginning with major course changes in 2002, and continuing with minor alterations through 2006, holes were lengthened and tightened, and mostly, on Augusta's second nine.

Phil Mickelson won his first green jacket with a birdie at the 18th in 2004.

Most of us can recount the late-day, final round heroics of Tiger Woods in 2005, chipping in on the 16th, with that ever-present Nike logo staring at us for just a moment before dropping into the cup.

Great drama......but other than that, the finishes have been less thrilling since 2002.

That great 13-year Masters run from 1986 through '98, was highlighted of course, by that incredible charge by Jack Nicklaus in 1986, coming from 7 shots back on the second nine, punctuated by the birdie at seventeen that finally gave him the lead.

What was the other highlight of that day? Those wonderful, and to other golfers, intimidating Augusta National roars.

But lately at Augusta, this kind of drama has been missing. No roars echoing through the pines on the back nine, just muted applause as the contenders make one nice par after another, with maybe a rare birdie mixed in.

The powers that be at Augusta National decided, especially after Tiger's 2nd Masters win in 2001, that golf technology was getting too close to rendering its wonderful course largely obsolete. They didn't want 20 under par winning the Masters.

But they went too far. A happy medium needs to be reached, and it wouldn't be that complicated.

Simply return the two par 5's on the back nine to their original distances, which would be 490 yards on number 13 (from 510 now), and 500 yards (from 530) on number 15. That's it. Nothing else need be done.

Remember, golf is as much about momentum as any sport, and to gain momentum, especially at a major, sometimes you need a big shot to help you along. These par 5's would give the players that opportunity.

Jack Nicklaus doesn't ignite those huge Augusta National roars, and thus doesn't win the tournament, if he doesn't make eagle at 15 in 1986. The momentum he garnered from that enabled him to make consecutive birdies at 16 and 17 to close out his round.

Return the two second nine par 5's back to their original distances, and restore the roar and wake up the echoes at Augusta.