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HILTON HEAD ISLAND – The winners of the Verizon Heritage and The
Masters will each be presented with a brand new sports jacket for their
accomplishments. At the Heritage the jacket is tartan, a plaid pattern
usually seen in Scottish kilts, and at The Masters the coat is Augusta
National’s legendary shade of green.
While the coronation at each event is of a similar nature, not much else binds the two tournaments together.
Harbour Town Golf Links, site of the Heritage, is one of the shortest
tracks on the PGA TOUR playing only 6,973 yards and is one of only
seven courses on the PGA TOUR measuring under 7,000 yards.
Augusta National’s layout now measures 7,445 yards, the second longest
for a major championship next to the 7,514-yard monster at Whistling
Straits for the PGA Championship.
Harbour Town is lined with moss-draped live oaks, while Augusta is
framed with Georgia pines. At the Masters you can cut the tension with
a knife, while in Hilton Head you’re more likely to be cutting in to
freshly caught seafood. The greens at The Masters are the most feared
in all of golf. At Harbour Town, they’re small demanding precision
shots but once the ball lands it doesn’t trickle too far from its
intended target.
It’s safe to say that the players are enjoying themselves off the
course this week and enjoying attacking the pins after being humbled
and frustrated while vying for golf’s first major championship at The
Masters.
"Last week is so challenging, and they made the golf course so much
more difficult at the end of the week you're just totally drained,”
said Justin Leonard after shooting a 66 Thursday at Harbour Town. “I
kind of equate it to last week was like final exams, and this week is
like spring break. You come here, it's such a relaxed atmosphere; we go
on bike rides and do a lot of fun stuff with the kids. Golf is almost
secondary here."
Stewart Cink finished tied for 3rd place at The Masters, his best
career finish in the event. He shot an opening round 67 at the Heritage
and attributed some of that success to the shift from a pressure-packed
atmosphere to a more tranquil setting.
"Something about the relaxation and the atmosphere here, and just the
way everything seems to feel about the place,” said Cink. “Not just
inside the ropes, but the trees, the houses. It's relaxing and puts me
in a frame of mind. That's what's led to the success."
To make matters worse at the Masters, the wind kicked up on Sunday and
scores soared into the upper 70s. Conditions couldn’t have been better
Thursday at Harbour Town, and are expected to be all week, with little
wind and temperatures in the upper 70s. Favorable scoring circumstances
were certainly a welcome sight after a Sunday that was downright nasty.
“"The course has always made me feel a little bit uncomfortable,” Cink
said of Augusta National. “I think it makes everybody feel a little
uncomfortable.”
"Last week there were so many factors, where the wind is coming from,
where you can and can't miss it,” said Leonard. “And then what the ball
is going to do once it hits the ground is such a big thing there. You
still have to focus the same but it's a little easier to be comfortable
with what kind of shot you're going to play here.”
Another reason why the players love coming to the Heritage the week
after the Masters is the family-driven atmosphere in Hilton Head.
Leonard said his family rented a house and they’ll continue to spend
time together at night, cooking and eating dinner at home and they’ll
even find some time to ride bikes around the island.
Leonard said the family time won’t decrease now that he is in contention.
“No, we’ll probably go on a little bike ride tomorrow and do those fun things,” he said. “That stuff goes on all week.”
Both Cink and Leonard have claimed the tournament championship at the
Heritage. Cink is a two-time winner, taking home the tartan jacket in
2000 and 2004, while Leonard claimed victory in Hilton Head in 2002.
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