BRYSON HITTING TRADITION FOR SIX

WIN or lose the Masters, vicious visionary Bryson Dechambeau has started a revolution that threatens to render Augusta National obsolete.

There are plenty of beautiful, traditional courses which have been cast aside because the big hitters have outgrown them.

But if golf’s Mona Lisa was to go the same way it would be a calamity for the sport.

And Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington believes Dechambeau’s 200mph ball speed and 400-yard drives have put Augusta on notice.

The course was ‘Tiger-proofed’ when Woods was in his pomp and has undergone minor extensions since – but there are practical limits to how much bigger it can grow.

The Irishman said: “If there’s just one Dechambeau (right), Augusta can ignore him.

“It doesn’t matter how long he is, he still has to hit his irons well, putt well and avoid some of the disasters.

“The problem comes when there are 20 Dechambeaus. Then they can’t ignore them all.

“And there will be 20 in 10 years’ time because of Bryson. He has significantly changed the game.

“He has got into the heads of a lot of players. I can’t tell you how many in Europe and the States have asked me about speed and how to hit it further on the back of Bryson.

“You go to the driving range on a Tuesday and there might be 50 players working on their maximum speed. You never saw that before.”

Harrington believes the answer must be to put technological brakes on the golf ball – and that Augusta National has the clout.

“It should be done for the good of the game,” he said. “The problem the R&A and the USGA have is the fear that the players will say ‘no’ and I believe they would.

“The pros fear change. But they won’t say ‘no’ to Augusta.”