The ‘ridiculous’ change Augusta National made in 2006 which David Duval was firmly against

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In the eyes of many, Augusta National is as close to golfing perfection as it gets, with The Masters marking the unofficial start to the season.

The Masters is potentially the most iconic event on the golfing calendar. First played in 1934, it has been the opening major of the year for the large majority of the last nine decades.

Augusta National is, without fail, in pristine condition every April. Every blade of grass would be able to tell a story of a shot played from it in which The Masters has been won or lost over the years.

But that does not mean that Augusta has escaped criticism over the years.

David Duval criticised Augusta National over changes which annoyed Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus

In 2006, a number of players, past and present, voiced their frustration with changes made to the idyllic venue.

Between 1997 and 2006, over 500 yards were added to the distance of the course.

As reported by the Guardian, Arnold Palmer claimed that Augusta National was not the course that he had known for the previous half a century. Meanwhile, Jack Nicklaus accused the club of ruining The Masters as a tournament.

It was telling that two men who had made so much history among the Georgia pines felt compelled to speak out.

And speaking to Golf Digest in 2008, former world number one David Duval said that he was in full agreement with the two icons.

“I’ll just say it’s silly, stretching that course to almost 7,500 yards with those funky greens. The idea that they’re Tiger-proofing the course is ridiculous. They’re Tiger-prepping it. Or Ernie-prepping it,” he said.

“It doesn’t necessarily hurt me, although I don’t hit it quite as long as those fellows, but it’s definitely cutting down on the number of players you figure can win. I thought it was great what Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer said, criticizing the changes. I don’t understand what they’re doing at Augusta National. Does anybody?”

Augusta National’s critics may have spoken too soon

Woods did have a phenomenal record at The Masters over the first decade of his professional career. Obviously, he won by 12 shots in 1997 to confirm his status as golf’s superstar.

Interestingly, 2005 saw his penultimate win at The Masters. Woods finished no worse than sixth over the next five years, but he did not win again until 2019.

Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman won in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Neither would have been considered long hitters at that time.

And of course, The Masters has still delivered some incredible tournaments over the last two decades, particularly with Woods’ most recent win, and Rory McIlroy’s emotional triumph six years later.

Equipment has improved significantly in that time, negating some of those changes. But it does appear that some of the harsher criticism about the layout was slightly over the top.