on Sunday and followed him from 13 in.  I figured 13 was going to be the end of his chances that day, but somewhat uncharacteristically, he found a way to make a great 5 there out of the #badword# and you could see the spring back in his step as he went to the 14 tee.  He laced that ball and the rest is, as they say, history.  I was a little nervous about that tee shot b/c he let himself get bothered by some very minor movement from a patron behind the tee on 14 (he seems to hear more when he is upset), but not to worry.  His face looked more focused than I can remember, would not be surprised to see him win a few more big ones before he's done now that he's broken the seal.  

I'll add, and it is like saying "water is wet", but The Masters is BY FAR the most deightful and well run sporting event I have ever been to in my 40+ years of life, and I have been to Super Bowl, World Series, Olympics, World Cup, Final 4's, many big bowl games, other golf tournaments including other majors, NBA playoffs, F1, premier league soccer, etc.  There isn't  anything that I have experienced that comes close to the overall experience at Augusta National during the first week of April. The people they hire to work far off the grounds in the parking lots are delightful, greet you with some sort of cheery salutation ("welcome to The Masters, have a great day") and you can tell immediately that the people who run this event have created a culture that permeates even the lowest in the hierarchy.  Another amazing thing they do (and have for many years now) is totally ban cell phones during tournament rounds, and I don't mean you have to keep them in your pocket or have them off - no, you can't bring one in, and if you try, they have scanners that can detect them and you will be politely asked to check the phone before entering.  The impact this has on your hours inside is that nobody is walking around with their heads down texting or snapping stupid pictures or yapping about soccer practice or who they just saw, rather, people interact with each other and truly get immersed into the total experience that is that place and that tournament, from the $1.50 pimento cheese sammiches, to enjoying memories of Arnnold Palmer and all the other greats who have walked the rolling hills of ANGC, to the sheer beauty and genius of that course, a truly timeless and subtle kind of beauty that has to been seen at least once to be fully appreciated.  If you have any interest in seeing this place, I strogly urge you to pay the money and get in there to see it and have an experience like none other in sport.

As I was leaving yesterday I saw an older man in a green ANGC jacket.  The members are there and many have responsibilities during the tournament.  They are also there to help the patrons, and they invariably do this with great southern hospitality and a gentle aplomb that is reasurring and welcoming at the same time. I thanked this guy and told him how much I had enjoyed my day, put out my hand and he extended his.  We had a longer than normal shake, he put his hand on my shoulder and thanked me back, and said "we try to make this better every year for you, I hope we succeeded, thank you for coming".

BBG