Masters greens viewed as soft, receptive this week

Tiger Woods spelled out the situation for Augusta National Golf Club’s greens after Friday’s round, and another day of tight approaches and low scores showed little change Saturday.

Players have made considerable charges over the course of three days at this Masters Tournament, resulting in the lowest three-day scoring average since 2011 at 72.9. The third-round average of 72.2 is also the lowest since the fourth round in 2011.

Piece together the clues and it potentially comes down to greens that have been described as “soft” and “receptive” all week.

“Five-irons were making ball marks, things like that, things that you just don’t normally find here,” Woods said Friday. “But it’s up to the committee. I was telling the guys earlier, there’s no SubAirs going.

“If they turn the SubAirs on, they can suck the moisture out of this thing and get them firm, or they can live with it like it is, and we can go out there and make a bunch of birdies.”

Multiple golfers, including Woods, referred to making ball marks with longer irons. The SubAir system, which helps take moisture from greens to make them drier and firmer, was also a buzzword after another night of rain entering the third round.

“I think there were a few more accessible pin locations today after the overnight rain,” Ian Poulter said. “It definitely softened the course. I didn’t really hear too much of the SubAir today.”

Poulter said he assumed the system was used to wick away some of the overnight moisture. Chris Kirk observed that greens were possibly slightly faster than Friday, but not by much.

Regardless of whether the system was used, players have noted greens more favorable for low scores. The field has hit 64 percent of greens in regulation, led by Poulter’s 81 percent. Jordan Spieth, who set the tournament’s 54-hole scoring record at 200, is second at 78 percent.

“If you hit the green, it’s going to stop there,” 2013 champion Adam Scott said. “The course is as receptive as I can remember it, to be honest.”

2007 champion Zach John­son said the softness took him by surprise on No. 7 when he thought he hit a pitch well past the hole. It stopped six feet past and he made par.

“The greens are still a little receptive considering the humidity and temperature,” Johnson said. “At one point, it was overcast. We had rain last night. It’s just all of that.”