Thursday, April 10, 2014
It's The Masters at Augusta, Golf's Hallowed Ground
Phil Mickelson is always a force at The Masters. And this year, with Tiger Woods out for the first time in 20 years because of back surgery, Mickelson will be the golfer the crowds follow. Phil has won three green jackets between 2004 and 2010. He’s vying for his fourth this weekend and is one of the favorites to accomplish that feat. According to the bookmakers, Mickelson is just behind co-favorites Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy (9-1) with odds of 12-1 to claim a championship on Sunday. The fan favorite spoke with reporters on Wednesday about his strategy to win in Georgia, revealing that he removed a sand wedge and a gap wedge from his bag, according to CBSSports.coms’ Kyle Porter. Mickelson said he's always nervous before he starts because The Masters is the most important tournament of the year for him. But Phil was at +3 on Hole No. 10 in Amen Corner. Leader Bill Haas is in the clubhouse at -3. But Mickelson just made a long putt on 10 for a bird to go to +2. Perennial crowd favorite Fred Couples shot a -1 today, as did Fowler and McElroy. ~~~~~ The Masters has an aura in the world of golf...and sports....that few other events can match. Maybe hockey's Stanley Cup, the British Open and the America's Cup of yachting. Even if you don't follow golf, watch a little of The Masters this weekend. Enjoy the most beautiful golf course in the world. And see pro athletes as respectful as only the hallowed ground of Augusta can make them. Breathe in the hovering presence of Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan and Sam Snead and Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. And Arnie Palmer, whose charisma still lights up the game of golf as no other player ever has, and probably as no player ever will again.
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Well said...
ReplyDeleteAmen.
ReplyDeleteAugusta national is the most beautiful, unsuspecting hardest test of golf that is played on non-link courses.
Nothing at Augusta is for certain until the last golfer competes #18 on Sunday afternoon. If it can happen in golf it will sometime at Master's Week to someone who seems to be the certain winner.
F O R E
There may be 3 or 4 other courses with the same beauty, test of golf and serenity. Pebbles Beach in N. California, Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh, PA, St. Andrew’s (the home of Golf) in Fife, Scotland, and Muirfield in Edinburgh, Scotland. I have been allowed to play them all more than once. But my favorite is still Augusta national. It’s where all the great names of modern golf have been taught a lesson or two by the ghost that dawdle there.
ReplyDeleteIf Augusta was ever in the needed a slogan it should be something like … “ The Home of The King – AP”
Thank you Casey Pops for the space. Politics and world affairs can rest a day
DeleteFrom an old history book on the creation of the course and name of the Masters:
ReplyDelete"Nineteenth hole - 90 yards
Clifford Roberts, Grantland Rice and some of the other governors thought it might be interesting to have a real nineteenth hole, so that the loser could have the opportunity of getting his money back by playing double or quits.
This nineteenth hole will be an attractive plateau green, narrow at one end, where the flag will usually be placed, but wide at the other end so as to give a safety route to the player who has not the courage or skill to pitch to the narrow end of the green.
MacKenzie went on to say he was aware of only two other golf courses with an actual 19th hole, Knollwood in New York and Tam-O-Shanter in suburban Detroit.
Despite the support of co-Founder Clifford Roberts and others, the idea was “ultimately abandoned for unknown reasons,” according to the Augusta National archives. It is believed there was a concern that the hole would obstruct the view from the Clubhouse of those playing on the 18th green."
A game of "gentlemen"