Stuart Appleby has a little advice for the few internationals playing the Australian Masters this week.
Anything but a full on assault will end in tears.
Appleby gave a glowing assessment of the hosting Metropolitan Golf Course, laced with a warning for anyone that might stray off the straight and narrow.
“The fairways are just magnificent,” he said.
“They don’t even make carpet as uniformly… they’re the best fairways in the world, no doubt.
“You could throw another five million (dollars) at this golf course and you wouldn’t get it in better shape.”
Appleby joins high-flying Australian Adam Scott at the Masters, along with US golfers Kyle Stanley and Boo Weekly.
While world No.2 Scott is the strong favourite, Appleby said he was wary of a different challenge.
“(Scott) knows the biggest opponent this week… will be the golf course,” he said.
“The golf course has got teeth all over it, everywhere.
“Bunkers that are just dying to rip your ball into them.
“Good golf doesn’t equal good score.”
So the answer to those who aren’t familiar with the Melbourne sandbelt?
“You have to strike your ball well this week, and you’re going to have to putt well,” he said.
“There’s no ‘I’m not driving real great, I’ll hit a 3-wood’ (or) ‘I’ll just play to the middle and two-putt’.
“It’s not going to work.
“(It’s all about) length control, because the greens aren’t huge, and then make putts.
“You don’t get lucky when you shoot under par around here and if you’re a little bit off, you will get slapped.”
At 43, Appleby feels like a veteran of Australian golf – and never more so than on Tuesday.
Appleby spent the morning playing a practice round with three juniors with a combined age that barely has him covered.
Teenage prodigy Ryan Ruffels was one, likely to a partner to Scott and Geoff Ogilvy for the opening two days of the Masters.
“Just to play with guys who effectively used to be kids at the golf club, to think they’re playing the Australian Masters is bloody ridiculous,” he said.
“I couldn’t have played my way in.”
“I’ll get on my rocking chair in twenty years time and say ‘I remember playing with that kid’.”
