One four-letter word dominated interviews as the 3rd day of The Masters reached its conclusion: wind. A meteorological factor recognized as important and unpredictable, but never dominant. Never, perhaps, until Sunday. Players in and out of contention all had more to say on the impact of the wind than ever before at Augusta. For example…

Stuart Appleby:
” Q. It’s supposed to gust tomorrow pretty high, what’s the strategy on that? Can you hit knock down shots here and get them to the green?
STUART APPLEBY: It’s just very, very difficult. At least the course won’t be dry. So the greens should be pretty soft. So that will help. But compared to last year they were very dry and fast and windy. So that was probably as hard as it’s going to play. So we should have – it should be – and it’s not going be to be as cold. So it will be probably the most difficult day I would suggest if the weather’s correct.”

Tiger Woods:
” Q. Having won here four times, knowing the conditions will be difficult tomorrow, what’s it going to take?
TIGER WOODS: Depends what the conditions are tomorrow. It could be, if it’s calm like this today then obviously it helps. You know what to do. But if it’s blowing all over the place it all depends on your timing whether you can time the gusts correctly or not.”

Padraig Harrington:
” Q. All those years of hitting balls on windy days in Stackstown, a windy day here on the final day would probably suit you more than others, and you might need it with the lead at the moment, in that 9-, 10-under par category.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think anybody who’s chasing would like a windy day just because it makes it awkward. If I don’t get the breaks tomorrow, no big deal, so be it. But if the guy leading the tournament has a windy day and he gets a few gusts of wind, it’s a tough day for him. Definitely everybody chasing would always look for an awkward day, tricky conditions, and hope that they get the breaks.”

Interesting point: the only player to make no mention of the influence of the vespers was the leader himself, Trevor Immelman. Why hex yourself, right? If the wind truly dominates, then the wolf’s suggestion of a foreign-born champion might come to pass.

RIP, George Truscott.

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