by Gary Williams | Apr 13, 2024 | Blog
Oftentimes golfers give the impression that they are never satisfied. Friday at Augusta National exposed the frayed edges of a field of players taxed to the limit by a grueling examination of golf. The calamity of Jordan Spieth on the 15th hole Friday morning that resulted in a quadruple bogey 9 was the first of so many colossal blunders by the best players in the world. Viktor Hovland’s had a 3-inch back stab that effectively ended his week. Zach Johnson made a triple bogey on the 12th hole and the patrons, 150 yards away gave him a smattering of applause because they truly had no clue what he made on the hole and Johnson reflexively told them to F-off. Not a good look. Justin Thomas was at level par standing on the 15th tee and 75 minutes later he was 7 over par and headed back to Jupiter, Florida for the weekend a fractured golfer. The scoring was historically high, the winds were unrelenting and the path of play challenged daylight. But the beauty of an elite golf competition is that you sleep on it three nights.
I arrived at Augusta National on Saturday morning at 7:15 am. It was cool and serene with emerging light all around as I made my way from the press building to the area where patrons first step foot on the lush overseeded turf of this historic venue. I had never witnessed the procession of patrons being given entry just to the right of the first fairway and after the brief instructions which included “no running and have a fabulous day” the people were off to put their chairs down at various points only to wait hours before a competitive golf shot is struck at those locales. I proceeded up to the main entrance to the clubhouse and swiftly walked through the building and out the back door. I wanted to walk across the golf course and through all the crosswalks to see which memories would strike me first at each hole I walked across and through.
The 18th hole was on my left as I proceeded down the hill and there are a collage of moments that sprang to mind but I stopped at the big fairway bunker on the left side of the fairway to recall the bunker shot struck by Sandy Lyle in the 1988 Masters in the final round. From there I crossed at the front of the 8th tee and thought of the two-shot swing in the final round of the 2014 Masters. First-timer Jordan Spieth made bogey and Bubba Watson made birdie, his 3rd birdie in five holes. The players were then tied walking to 9 tee and Spieth would bogey the 9th to fall behind and never catch Watson again on that Sunday. The 2nd green was my next stop and Louis Oosthuizen’s albatross is front and center in my mind as I can see his ball drip into the hole in the final round of the 2012 Masters. The 4-iron from 253 yards would be one of the most famous shots of all time had he won the Masters, but Bubba produced his own miracle shot in the playoff to make the “2 on 2” a de facto footnote. The 3rd hole is one of my favorites and I always am reminded of Jack Nicklaus chipping in for birdie in the final round of the 1998 Masters at age 58. He would finish 6th, just another reminder of how well elders are treated at the Masters.
The 7th hole cross walk follows the 3rd hole and I have multiple Tiger memories from the 7th that sprang to mind. His hole out 2 in the final round in 2010 and his bullet tee shot in the final round in 2019 when he was teetering, and Francisco Molinari looked bulletproof. Molinari made bogey and Tiger made birdie and it was game on. I then walked behind the 6th green and the hole-in-one by Chris Dimarco in the first round of the 2004 Masters was first to mind. Chris almost made a one the following day as well and was agonizingly close to winning two Masters in back-to-back years. Making my way up the hill right of the 6th hole and to the left side of the 5th fairway, one of the hardest holes on the course, where few likely remember in 1995 Jack Nicklaus made 2 not once but twice on the hole known as Magnolia. I stopped to examine the 5th green closely as it was originally intended to be an homage to the road hole at St. Andrews and when you look at the front portion of the green you realize that green couldn’t be built today at almost anywhere.
Once I got to the long and steep flight of stairs that sits conspicuously behind the 6th tee and the 5th green, I sat down to look down at the 16th green. Who knows what might happen there this weekend but Tiger’s chip-in in 2005, Nicklaus’ long birdie putt in 1975, Jack’s almost hole-in-one in 1986 and Greg Norman’s rinsed tee shot in 1996 flooded my thoughts.
The activity on the golf course at 8:15 this morning is uncommon since there would not be any golfers reaching the far end of the golf course for hours. Augusta National is a severely tilted piece of the land from the top of the hill by the clubhouse down to Amen corner and the 12th green and it also disorients your mind because of all the moments we know of, witnessed in person, or saw on television for a lifetime. This place makes me emotional. It makes me miss my dad to the point that I am tearing up writing these words because all of my best firsts in golf were with him, including here. I am grateful to have these moments and the motivation to venture out on the golf course early on Saturday morning considering how compromised I was several years ago by my alcoholism. I have never taken being here for granted but now more than ever I am humbled to be given the time and filled with gratitude to seek the solitude that mornings like today can provide.
This afternoon will be tense, entertaining, stressful and filled with high drama, but I’ll remember my Saturday morning, walking alone, reliving great moments and being thankful for this precious time at this special place.
by Gary Williams | Apr 11, 2024 | Blog
The eve of any major championship takes on the same atmosphere except for the Masters. The presence of the Par 3 contest brings a little levity and distraction from the mundane and fatiguing dynamic of the other three majors. The big golf course is closed, and the attention of the fans overwhelmingly is trained on the delightful short course. The par 3 course at Augusta National is another example of the vision of the club. George Cobb originally designed the short course in 1958 and today many new private destination clubs construct short courses as an additional asset for their memberships and Augusta National was WAY ahead of the curve.
There were breezy and humid conditions on Wednesday with impending storms on Thursday. Every player has expressed how firm the golf course is right now and most think it’s with the knowledge that Thursday could be a wash out. The golf course is generally not super crispy and the last time I felt it was edgy was 2014. Bubba Watson won his second green jacket, but the final leaderboard was eclectic… Jonas Blixt, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Kevin Stadler, and the over 50 set of Bernard Langer and Miguel Angel Jiminez. Bouncy and firm opens up the field to shot makers and bunters and here’s hoping the windy, low humidity and sunny days from Friday on means it’s wide open. Those conditions also lend itself to Tiger having his best chance for a record breaking 24th straight made cut. Nobody is a better ground game player than the 5-time champion.
Wednesday observations:
- I’m not an egg person. I’m really not a huge breakfast guy but the scrambled eggs at Augusta National are the lightest, fluffiest, eggs I’ve ever had. Add to that the most consistent bacon and you have a rock-solid breakfast. The grits are average, very average. That’s the weak link on the morning breakfast menu in the Press Building.
- The chairman of Augusta National, Fred Ridley, conducted his annual press conference and he shared some interesting notes about the present and the future. I asked him what the data showed them about year one at the lengthened 13th hole in 2023 and Ridley said despite the wet and softer conditions they were encouraged by the “go for it” numbers. More players choose to go for the green in two even though average distance to the green was increased. He went on to say that they need three to five years of data to really get a snapshot on the effects of the changes.
- By 2026 the club will construct a new players facility for players, their families and support staff. They will also build underground parking for the players to continue to improve the convenience and experience of the players.
- The chairman also suggested that the door is not completely closed to the idea of a women’s professional event despite the serious challenges of the calendar.
- Ridley is made it clear that the club supports the governing bodies impending roll back of the golf ball and that opens the slim possibility that at least three of the majors would be played with a different and shorter golf ball than the PGA Tour if the tour does not adopt the modified local rule starting in January of 2028.
- In the summer of 2014, I was playing in a Champions Tour event in Chicago and on the shuttle back to the hotel from the draw party Hale Irwin heard that I was going to run the NYC marathon that November. Irwin said when we get to the hotel, he would race me to the elevators from the parking lot. He won the race; he was 68 years old at the time. I saw Hale today and reminded him of that moment and he reminded me that he won the race. Irwin is known for the three U.S. Open titles, but he was very good at the Masters. He had four straight top 5’s from 1974 to 1977. At 78 years old he looks super fit and likely capable of still beating me in a race.
- I met Keegan Bradley, and his now wife Jillian, when they were dating 12 years ago. Today, to see them with the kids all decked out in caddy gear is the latest example that time is precious and swift.
- I walked out to get a closer look at the alterations to the 2nd and 6th greens. The 2nd green on the hard right-hand side will not be as easy to putt back down toward the hole from the back of the green and that is the traditional Sunday pin. The change to the right of the back shelf on 6, which is also a Sunday pin, is subtle but will impact balls on the edge of the green in a disadvantageous way.
- I made a point of standing a hundred yards off the tee on the 10th hole. From that vantage point you can see the MacKenzie bunker which is the most artistic in shape of any green on the golf course. Its, in my estimation, the most majestic view on the golf course with the grand loblolly pines leaning behind the putting surface.
- Crowds today were massive in line for the main merchandise building with the time elapsed to get inside the building exceeding an hour. The huge concession area on the other side of the merchandise building was also swelling well outside the building.
- The permanent trophy that resides in the stately sitting area in the main clubhouse is spectacular. I made a point of going and seeing it this morning as I made my way over to the big tree to meet some friends for a chat. The collage of photos of all the champions that adorn the area just inside the main door to the clubhouse next to the registration area is very underrated.
- I think this tournament will be won by Scottie Scheffler. It’s the chalkiest of picks but I’m not trying to be clever, I’m simply leaning on the most reliable go in the game right now. Of course, it may be one of at most a dozen players, but I’ll take the favorite. I expect Koepka and Rahm to be there late, and I’ll play the Spieth card to top 5 because it’s what he does here. I think Tiger plays the weekend because it’s what he does. I will be there in the morning, weather permitting, to watch Nicklaus, Watson and Player hit their tee shots and I will be filled with gratitude.
Its time.
