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Augusta, Ga., April 2 — The 2007 Masters marks Gary Player's 50th time competing here, and even with the last half century's remarkable changes in the game, Player said he thinks we've only seen the beginning.
"We are in our infancy with golf," Player said Monday. "It's only a matter of time before players start hitting the ball 400 yards."
The three-time Masters champ said technology paired with athletic ability hasn't even scratched the surface of where the game is headed. "We've only had one big man play golf in my 60 years that I've been associated with, and that was George Bayer. But wait until you get the Michael Jordans and the Shaq O'Neals coming out to play golf. Four-hundred yard (tee shots are) going to be common."
While past champions like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have come out publicly against many of Augusta's changes over the years, Player seemed to think the changes were inevitable.
"The members have done a brilliant job," he said, and pointed out that players today are using the same clubs for many approach shots that they used when the course was shorter. "What they are hitting to the greens, that's exactly what we used to hit into the greens," he said.
Brett Quigley, who is playing in his first Masters, practiced with Player on Monday and said he received some sage advice from the champ from South Africa.
"His knowledge of this course, his enthusiasm for the game is second to none," Quigley said. "Playing 50 Masters, I can't even imagine it. I can't even fathom it. He was talking about having dinner with (Ben) Hogan and (Bobby) Jones. Just incredible stuff. No one else has those memories, or has those experiences."
