European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 05, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 the stars and stripes thursday april 5,1990 1990 masters Augusta s no place for beginners 21 rookies the geometry of Augusta National k i boosts  Fieldy Mike Rabun Augusta a. Up the Dawn ing of a new decade has brought an unusually Large number of new faces to the stately clubhouse at Augusta National Golf club each of whom has been Given a word of advice by one of the masters veterans. With the skies having cleared but the temperatures having dipped to Levels that made sweaters the dress of the Day the 85 competitors in the 1990 masters played their next to last practice rounds Over the Augusta National course tues Day. Among those 85 were 21 who have never competed in the tournament be fore. Not since 1966 have there been so Many masters rookies. Robert Gancz is Here for the first time after his sensational victories in Tucson ariz., and Orlando Fla., this year. So is Tommy Armour Iii a Winner in Phoenix and John Huston who Cap tured the Honda classic in Coral Springs Fla. Ireland s Ronan Raffurty last year s leading Money Winner on the european tour will be making his masters debut along with Craig Parry a budding Star from Australia who was third on the european Money list in 1989. Then there is Brian Claar who won an invitation to the tournament by Fin Ishing fifth at last year s . Open and who comes to the masters with no delusions of Gran Deur. Winning the masters is not really in the Ballpark for me said Claar who has put in a less than distinguished year on Therrian Claar tour thus far. I m just going to try to finish As High As i can. Winning would be out of the question until you be seen the course two or three  Ben Crenshaw could t agree More. It has been 18 years since Crenshaw first played in the masters As a fresh faced but talented Amateur. He tied for 19th in his first Effort and 12 years later won the event. Crenshaw knows the troubles that await from the first tee to the final Green. He is fully aware that since the inaugural masters in 1934, the Only first time competitor to have won the tournament has been fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. And most of All he knows that it won t be easy for the horde of first time players who will make up almost a Quarter of the Field. There Are a lot of new folks Here know Crenshaw said. And i guess you could say that because there Are so Man of them this year it increases the chances for a first timer to win. But i Don t think so. That might Bethe Case if it was another tournament. But i Don t think that s the Case  course just takes so much knowing. Thinking that a first timer can win goes against the Grain. I guess it could happen because thes Young Guys just shoot at the pin and go for it All the time. But i Don t think it  of All the newcomers attention will Likely be focused most on Gamez who was a Winner in his first pro Start and who won again in his most recent Start when he Eagle the 72nd Hole at Bay Hilltop beat Greg Norman by a shot. Par 72, 6 scoring the front nine s the Golf course is the most challenging i be Ever played Gary player scoring the Back nine a Augusta National is my favorite course and the masters my favorite Golf tournament. Jack Nick aus Chicago Tribune i played with Robert in a practice round Crenshaw said. He is fun to play with. But the thing he has to learn and everybody has to learn is that you have to hit almost every shot perfect in order to score. The thing that nobody thinks about Are the Little shots you have to hit. Some of the Best Chip shots you will have to hit anywhere Are around these greens. The grass is Cut Down so Short around the greens that you can play the shot any number of ways. You have to use your imagination to figure out which is the Best  can Only sympathize with the newcomers most of whom recognize their shortcomings when it comes to figuring out what to do with a course that can produce trouble in so Many different  need to visit with As Many Veteran players and play As much with them in practice As i can admitted Ted Schulz whose Victory in last year s Southern open brought him his first trip to the masters. I m not going to be scared. But there Are a lot of things about this course1 know nothing  by Bob Green a Golf writer Augusta a. Robert Garnet perfect seven Iron shot at Bay Hill not Only altered Greg Norman s expression it also put a new look on the 54th masters. The theme for the first of the year s great Golf championships remains the same americans fighting off foreign domination of a sport that once was ruled by . Professionals. But Gamez heroics at Bay Hill two weeks ago provided an added dimension to the storied old tournament that begins thursday on the rolling Hills of the Augusta National Golf club course. It gave the americans another card to play in their struggle against a talented cadre of europeans who insist their re cent successes in the masters and Ryder cup Competition have Given them world leadership of Golf. Seve Ballesteros of Spain Nick Faldo of England Sandy Lyle of Scotland Ian Woosnam of Wales and Bernhard Langer of West Germany were the principal Fig ures in Europe s acquisition of the Ryder cup in 1985, and its retention with a win and a tie in 1987 and 89. They also have won five of the last 10 masters including the last two and have added to their ranks Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain and Ronan Rafferty of Northern Ireland. Rafferty 26, the Leader of the euro Pean order of Merit last year and Olaza bal 24, generally Are considered the two Best Young players in the world. But Gamez converted that pairing into a threesome when he holed out the 72nd Hole seven Iron shot for a winning Eagle 2 at Bay Hill against a Field that included All the european stars. It made Gamez 21, the Only two time Winner on the american tour this season and stamped him As a Force to be consid ered in this annual gathering of tic game s greats in what Many consider the unofficial Start of the Golf season. Ballesteros a three time masters Champion and Faldo the current title Holder Are the major european threats on a Short list of probable favourites. Although he played poorly at Bay i i in his first american Start this year Ballesteros record attests to his Affinity Tor the masters and the Augusta National course that is ideally suited to his  has yet to acquire the Green jacket of a masters Winner but any realistic appraisal of those most Likely to succeed this year must include his name. After All he can t forever be Fate schip Ping boy the player who twice missed matters playoffs on last Hole bogeys and was a victim of Larry mizes Pla Yoti pitch in Birdie in 1987. The american leaders Are British open Champ Mark  and two time . Open  Curt strange with Tom Kite and Paul Amger close  comes into the As the leading Money w strange s game is on the upswing slow Start. Ovner Ledother major figures in the exp Emma 85-Man Field include pea Mac Hower Payne Stewart Mark o Meara pc Robsen Fred couples and Scott Hon. Robert game