Barnes' strong Masters run only part of his improving game
By Craig Dolch, PGATOUR.COM Contributor
For Ricky Barnes, the difficult part is getting into the majors.
Once he's there, he seems to ignore the searing pressure of playing when history -- and not just your spot on the money list -- is at stake.
Barnes' 10th-place finish Sunday in the 74th Masters was his second consecutive top-10 showing in a major, coming on the heels of last year's co-runner-up finish in the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.
What makes these strong efforts so puzzling is Barnes has only one other top-10 showing in 51 career starts as a professional on the PGA TOUR (a ninth this year at the Northern Trust Open). Asked why he plays so well in the marquee events, Barnes used a word not often associated with the four majors.
"It's fun," he said. "I definitely enjoy myself. I think a lot of it has to do with the (more difficult) setups -- I can finish 4- or 5-under, and I'm top 10. You don't need to go shoot 12 under to finish in the top 10. That's kind of always the style that I've always played. Who knows what it is, but it's always fun when you're competing."
And it will be even more fun if Barnes, 29, can keep the momentum from Augusta National into this week's Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head. That was something Barnes failed to do after last year's surprising near-miss at Bethpage Black. Instead of using that finish as a springboard, Barnes seemed to hit a figurative wall after the U.S. Open.
He failed to finish in the top 30 in his next 10 starts after Bethpage Black, at one point missing six consecutive cuts. Barnes barely held on to his PGA TOUR card by finishing 120th on the money list, with 81.7 percent of his earnings coming off that one magical week.
Why did Barnes' game head south after he nearly won the national championship in a spirited duel with champion Lucas Glover, Phil Mickelson and David Duval? Who knows? Then again, after Barnes outdueled Hunter Mahan to win the 2002 U.S. Amateur, who would have thought it would take Barnes seven years to earn a trip back to Augusta National, this time as a professional?
"This," Barnes said, "is a fickle game. It's a very humbling game, as well. So why it has taken this long? Who knows? But you got to appreciate it when you're here.
"No one had higher expectations on me than myself. Maybe I put too much on it or whatever it was. But it was a good learning process. I went through the Nationwide Tour and I spent three or four years out there and once I got out here you kind of know the level that you have to (be at) to keep your game week in and week out to compete."
Barnes has been much more consistent this season. He has made nine of-10 cuts, and his only miss came by a shot. His tie for 10th at Augusta National improved his FedExCup standing to 46th place.
Barnes opened the Masters with a 68, but his scores got higher with each round (70, 72 and 73). Starting the final round eight shots behind leader Lee Westwood, Barnes knew his hopes of winning were slimmer than Anthony Kim's waist.
Barnes birdied the third hole for the third consecutive day, but any chance for a special afternoon ended when he bogeyed the next two holes. It didn't help that Barnes, who consistently outdrove Tiger Woods when they played together in the 2003 Masters (where Barnes finished 21st, as low amateur), played the four par-5s in even par Sunday.
"The weekend was up and down," Barnes said. "I had good spurts of five or six holes, then go off for a couple and then come back. I'm not going to complain about top 10s in majors when I really wasn't in the hunt today. In fact, if I would have got to 8 (under), 9 (under) early and did something, I'd probably be a little bit more disappointed, but I didn't make anything early on."
Barnes at least finished with a flourish, chipping in for birdie on the last hole to salvage his 73 and ensure himself a return trip to the Masters next year by finishing among the top 16. For a guy who has played in just three majors during his seven seasons as a pro, that's a meaningful accomplishment.
Even if it wasn't at the top of his to-do list Sunday.
"I wasn't shooting for that today," Barnes said of earning a spot in next year's Masters. "I wanted to come out and shoot a good score, get something in the 60s. I wanted to get a better turn score so maybe I could make some highlights on the back nine with some par-5s.
"But I'm close. I grinded it around, chipped in the last hole, and here we are. We'll see you guys next year."
Craig Dolch is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
Shop your favorite brand name golf equipment and accessories at SHOP.PGATOUR.COM
FANTASY
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 