Date: April 08, 2009
Author: Sportal

Ogilvy backs Augusta knowledge

World No.4 Geoff Ogilvy believes his familiarity with Augusta will play into his hands as he shoots to become Australia&aposs first-ever US Masters winner this weekend. Ogilvy, who won the 2006 US Open, said Augusta reminds him of the sandbelt courses he grew up on in Melbourne and he is hoping that experience will help him into contention on Sunday. “I think it&aposs a course that suits me quite well. I think there&aposs a bit of space off the tee, which is handy for someone who has never led the driving accuracy stats,” Ogilvy told reporters. “The greens are very similar style to the Sandbelt in Melbourne, where if you miss it on the wrong side, you&aposve got no chance, and if you miss it on the right side, it&aposs relatively simple. It&aposs more about working out, where to miss it and not miss it in the wrong spots; and super fast, breaking putts like we have in Melbourne. There&aposs a lot of things about this place that suits me.” Ogilvy said that the more he plays arguably the world&aposs most famous golf course, the more he feels confident that he won&apost make silly mistakes. “This golf course is just learning it and learning from experience where to hit it and where not to hit it, and play shots that you&aposre comfortable with and try to avoid the places that you&aposre uncomfortable with,” he said. The Victorian admits that his win at Winged Foot in 2006 has given him belief going into majors and that has changed him as a player. “I mean, I guess before the US Open, I went to majors thinking it would be nice to win one of these one day. I know I&aposm a good player and I know I could, but lots of stuff has got to go your way,” he said. “I guess now when I turn up to Majors, I know I can win one; I know if I play well, I&aposll be competing in there on the weekend. I guess it&aposs just, I went from thinking about winning Majors to knowing I can, and I come here – I don&apost know how you say that the right way, but more confident about it I guess.” Ogilvy has dismissed concerns that changes to Augusta will make it a very different course to play, saying that the 5th will be the only substantially different hole. “The only change that I&aposm going to say that would make any difference is the new pin on five if it gets used. It&aposs actually a reasonable pin to putt at, the one at the left, but it&aposs an incredible pin to look at from the middle of the fairway, 180 yards away. It looks like it&aposs off the front edge of the 6th tee,” he said. “But the smart play on five has always been to hit in the middle of the green and putt up to every pin. It&aposs still going to be the same story; it&aposs just an extreme-looking pin.” “Talked about yardage differences on a few of the holes. It&aposs really hard to tell on seven, because the stuff&aposs all been fixed up behind the tee. It all depends where they put the tee markers I guess. I guess the one will be 5. If they use that front pin or the left pin on 5, that will be the difference. The rest of the course will be the same.”