Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 9, 1990 TAG: 9004090287
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: AUGUSTA, GA. LENGTH: Medium
Little did he know the road would detour him toward his most excruciating setback in 27 years of professional golf.
Leading by four shots with six holes to play, Floyd backed off his normally aggressive style of play and ended up being a victim of his own complacency.
"Nobody got running at me early and that dictated play," Floyd said. "I started playing for pars. I thought that was the natural thing to do.
"I was looking at the scoreboard every hole and nobody was making any birdies. That set the tone for the round. I started playing for pars, not consciously, but that's what happened.
"I didn't think I could lose," he added.
Floyd, at 47 still a long knocker, had played the par-5s at Augusta National in 10-under-par through the tournament's first 65 holes. But working with what he thought was a safe cushion, the veteran from Fayetteville, N.C., decided not to try and reach the two haymaking par-5s on the back - the 465-yard 13th and 500-yard 15th - in two.
"At 15, I had 215 yards to the green and I could have hit a 4-iron there," he said. "It's my nature to play this way. But looking back I still think it's the right thing to do."
Floyd failed to birdie either par-5.
Nick Faldo, playing just ahead of him, did, and things suddenly got tight.
When Faldo birdied the par-3 16th and Floyd bogeyed the par-4 17th, it was no longer a one-man game.
Tied at 10 under par, the players went to a sudden-death playoff, which Faldo won on the second hole when Floyd pulled a 7-iron into the water.
Floyd said his swing was out of sync on the back nine, and he thought he would be better served not taking any unnecessary gambles.
"I was in control of it until I pulled a 7-iron at No. 11," he said. "After that, I lost that attitude. The feel of my swing wasn't what it is when I play well.
"I pulled a drive at 18. Then, I got wet with another pull at No. 11 [in the playoff]. It was not a good time to take a bath."
Floyd then pointed out one other unusual happening on a day that for so long was routine business. He said he was denied a birdie putt at No. 14 when his ball hit a penny, which was serving as a ball mark for playing partner John Huston.
"My ball would have gone in the hole if it hadn't hit the mark," Floyd said, shaking his head. "But he had asked me if I wanted him to move it, but I told him, `It's OK.' "
Ray Floyd was anything but OK Sunday night. He realized he had given away what would have been his second Masters title and fifth career major championship.
"This is worse than anything that's happened in my career," he said. "At this stage of a career, how many chances do you get? At 25 and 35 [years old], you can come back and you don't worry about it as much.
"Victory here would have meant so much. To be the oldest guy ever to win a major title . . . . Wow, it means so much."
Keywords:
GOLF
by CNB