American golf tended to make its greens too soft and it was ”infatuated” with long courses, Tiger Woods said here on Friday.
The 14-time major winner praised the Kingston Heath links course being used for this week’s Australian Masters as forcing him to think about his game rather than the manicured layouts he plays on the US PGA Tour.
Woods gave another masterclass for his rivals as he cruised to a three-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Australian Masters on Friday with an unblemished round of 68, featuring four birdies.
The world number one is a great fan of the Melbourne course and had a few disparaging words about how courses are set up for his fellow professionals in the United States.
Asked where he rated Kingston Heath in terms of world golf, Woods let rip.
”I think it would be hard to get it to stay this dry in America because in America they always need green, perfect conditioned golf courses,” he told a press conference.
”Everyone tries to make the golf courses look like Augusta [the US Masters course], soaking it and then when you do that you make it softer and easier for us [to play].
”So when you do that you have to make the golf course longer, but if you just kept the golf courses faster then all of a sudden these golf courses would become really difficult.”
Woods said that ”everyone in the States is infatuated with [course] length.”
”You know, adding length and making it longer that way, trying to make it more difficult,” he said.
He said playing Kingston Heath was a great test of his skills.
”It’s pretty cool to play a golf course and when you head out to play you have to think.
”I certainly have always enjoyed playing golf courses where you have to think and plot your way around the course.
”You don’t need a golf course of 7 500 yards for it to be difficult, just get the golf courses a little drier.” — AFP
