Saturday 9 April 2016 22:14, UK
Augusta National has hit back this week after last year's record scoring, and Rich Beem believes the destiny of the Masters title will come down to the survival of the mentally fittest.
Whatever the conditions are, The Masters at Augusta is often more about the second shot than even the putting sometimes. Some people overlook the fact that it can be difficult to get the ball within 30 feet of the flag, even if you're in the middle of the fairway.
A lot depends on the angle and what the wind is doing, and even the best ball-strikers in the field find it hard to accept that they shouldn't be attacking the pin on a lot of holes.
That's what makes Augusta one of the most mentally challenging golf courses in the world. One very slight lapse in focus can be so costly.
After last year's birdie fest, the course has hit back this year and there's not much that can be done to counter-act the effects of the winds. They could water the greens more, but it wouldn't take long for Mother Nature to dry them out again.
This tournament has been difficult to watch at times because of how tough it's playing. We've seen some big numbers out there and there will be more over the weekend. A lot of the field are just trying to minimise the carnage as best they can.
It was great to see Jordan Spieth paired with Rory McIlroy for the third round, that's the match-up that pretty much everybody wanted to see. It's just a shame it turned into a "battle of defences" because of the conditions.
Meanwhile, Bubba Watson was out first on Saturday morning playing with Augusta member Jeff Knox as a marker. When I think of all the jobs I'd like to have in life, there can't be many better than Jeff's.
In saying that, on a day like today on a cold and windy morning, I didn't envy him. I spoke with him in the bag room when I first arrived and he was downing plenty of coffee trying to warm himself up.
He wasn't overly confident about what he would shoot, but that was just a bit of modesty. He's played with - and beaten - Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia, and now he's had the chance to play Augusta with a two-time Masters champion.
Wouldn't it be fun just to do that one time?
