Course takes a toll on frustrated Price

The Journal Sentinel staff

Augusta, Ga. Nick Price waved the white towel Friday.

The Augusta National Golf Club had beaten him into submission. Again.

The world's top-ranked golfer was frustrated, disappointed and a bit angry but mostly just puzzled after missing the 36-hole cut in the 59th Masters.

"This course and I," Price said with a tight-lipped smile, "do not have a good relationship right now."

Price bowed out of the Masters when he followed his opening 76 with a 73 on Friday. His 36-hole total of 149 was five shots in arrears of par.

Thus ends Price's bid to win a third straight major championship. He took the British Open and PGA titles in 1994, when he led the PGA Tour money list with $1,499,927.

He has won 17 tournaments worldwide in the last three years, but for whatever reason, he cannot handle Augusta National. Price has never been known as a great putter on fast greens, but that doesn't explain the many bad shots he hit here this week.

"The thing that's hard to take is that I really don't play well here," he said. "It would be dis Leg 1 ends here appointing if I finished my career never having played well here."

Price missed the cut for the second time in three years. He tied for 35th in 1994 but has failed to break par in his last nine rounds at Augusta. For the last three years, his stroke average at the Masters is 75.0.

"I don't know, maybe April is not a good month for me," Price said. "Maybe it's something psychological with the golf course."

It's ironic, however, that Price holds the course record with a 63 that he shot in the third round in 1986.

"That 63 ruined my scoring average here," he joked. "That's what makes it so frustrating. I feel like I can play this golf course."

Copyright 1995
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.