Augusta tidbits

[JIHawg]

Don't know what this means, but Monday John Daly came out very early, the only golfer, and did the practice round by himself.  He was the only golfer out there for about an hour.   He seemed to be really serious as opposed to previous years-Fuzzy has always been his practice partner and they just seemed to make it one big party.  We were on the ten green when we heard this huge roar that lasted five minutes-we heard later that Daly hit a hole in one his second shot on 16.

"skip it"  "skip it"  "skip it"-that's the chant from the crowd around the par 3 #16 over the water.  After hitting their regular shots, the golfers go to the edge of the pond and skip a ball over the water.  Some actually get on the green that way.  It's a hoot to watch them play with the crowd.

Tiger-he sure was struggling with his driver.  Hit most to the left, some into the crowd.  He quit after 9 on Monday he got so frustrated.

Tiger's wife-hot hot hot.  But almost all golfers wives and girl friends are.  You can spot them-always  dressed to the nines, usually with long blond hair.  They just stand out, and that's saying something, because there are a lot of hot babes in the crowd, not the hefty big butted female golfers you see at the clubs back home, but really good looking chicks.

You can get close to the golfers-we could have reached out and touched Tiger at one point.  Only in America can regular guys get close enough to the most known person in the world to high five him.  And only in America nobody does it.  This is the most mannerly group of people in one place you'll find in the world.  A few smokers, but otherwise well bred people.

The Japanese golfer had a Nike cowboy hat-big and white, with the side up.  He looked like a cowboy.  Funny.

The fried egg sandwiches are still 1.50.   

I heard the story this trip  of how Jack Stephens got involved with Agusta -he was at one of the few houses on the edge of the course in the 60's at a party.  Jack, being not the social animal, left the party early and walked toward the club house to catch a ride back to his hotel.  As he was walking by, a guy came out of another house and asked him if he played bridge.  Jack was a decent bridge player and answered in the affirmative.  "Come on in" the stranger motioned.  "We need a fourth".

That guy turned out to be Bobby Jones.  Jack got his invitation to join Augusta the next year in the mail.  He then got Broyles and Ford in.  The rest is history.

The azaleas are late this year-may not be in much bloom at all.  They've had cool weather there.

The practice rounds seemed more crowded this year than ever before.  I think they're selling more tickets.  People from all over the world.  We parked in a lady's yard who is renting her house to some guys from Ireland.  Lots of SEC area people, and lots of golfers from the mid-west.  All nationalities and ethnicities.  Golf is going global for sure.

[Illinihog]

I would assume he was.  I've been to practice rounds and it isn't uncommon for them to hit multi balls to see what they want to do through out the week.

[JFHWGBKRIII]

News article said Daly hit 3 shots to 16 including the ace.
Watching the Nationwide tour guys at Diamante, they also played more than one shot and also practiced a putt or two where they assumed the hole would be the next day or so.
I really miss that Tourney at Diamante.
My job was carrying the standard each round.  14 of 16.  1 rain out and the other, the standards were not used.
Carried the winner on Sunday for Jace Bugg (JFB rest his soul)  when he won.
Golf is good!!!