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 Lefties went 40 years between major titles, from the British Open
triumph by New Zealander Bob Charles in 1963 until Canadian Mike
Weir won the 2003 Masters.
Now you can hardly stop them. Following Weir, southpaws Phil
Mickelson and fellow American Bubba Watson have accounted for five
Masters wins in the last 11 years.
The European Ryder Cup team, meanwhile, has become nearly
invincible, beating the U.S. side in eight of the last 10 match-play
contests, but Europe has failed to produce a Masters winner since
Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain in 1999.
"It's just cycles," former victorious U.S. Ryder Cup captain and
former major winner Paul Azinger told Reuters.
"Anybody can win at any time. You just got to look for the player
that's got some power and can drum up some magic around the greens.
That's what's required here. You have to be magical around the
greens."
Mickelson conceded that the course set up better for lefties. "There
are holes that sit better for left-handed players," said Big Lefty,
the 2004, 2006 and 2010 champion.
Said Watson: "It's the only course I've won twice at, so it's pretty
good."
Augusta National always favored a right-to-left draw for
right-handed players, but after Tiger Woods began making mincemeat
of Augusta National's par-fives with his length off the tees, 'Tiger
proofing' measures were taken.
Masters officials strategically planted some trees to promote
accuracy off the tee and lengthened several holes. A left-hander's
cut shot is easier to control than a draw, swinging the balance
toward the portsiders.
FRIENDLIER TO LEFTIES
Mickelson acknowledged that Augusta National had turned friendlier
to lefties since when he first played it in 1991.
"There are a number of holes where you want to move the ball
right-to-left -- like the tee shot on 10, tee shot on 13, tee shot
on nine," he said. "There are holes that hitting a cut makes it a
lot easier."
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Mickelson's successes moved Germany's Martin Kaymer, whose
right-handed fade did not fit Augusta, to moan: "I wish I could play
the Masters left-handed. I can fade it all day. And if you're
left-handed, that's what you get to do."
English Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter said that was a key to Europe's
recent Augusta struggles.
"Left-handers have won six of the last 12 Masters," Poulter told
England's Telegraph.
"And, to my mind, they have an advantage at Augusta, particularly
the big-hitting lefties like Bubba (Watson) and Phil (Mickelson). I
can't think of any high-profile big-hitting left-handers who are
European, so there you go."
European players once ruled at Augusta. Between 1980 and 1999,
Europe won 11 Masters, including five of six from 1988.
Said world number two Henrik Stenson of Sweden: "There's been a
couple of close calls obviously, and I'm sure we'll see European
winners here in the near future."
The near future could come as soon as Sunday as world number one
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland enters as the betting favorite with
a chance to complete the career grand slam.
(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)
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