Masters Week

[Barnacle 9,064]

16 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

Hoffman damn birdie 5 out of last 6 holes

Pretty sick. He's feeling it. 

[GwillMac6 20,671]

I see Spieth picking up right where he left off from last year...... The man does fine has a fine round for 17 of the 18 holes but  lets 1 horrendous hole do him in again.

[Barnacle 9,064]

Good Morning!

[Barnacle 9,064]

Come get me

[AU64 10,122]

Another windy day....

[Barnacle 9,064]

1 minute ago, AU64 said:

Another windy day....

Yessir. I'll be interested to see what happens. You can already see who's striking the ball well and who's not. Augusta is so unforgiving though. Even if you are hitting the ball well, with that wind, one misstep can end up in double bogey or worse. We saw that all day yesterday. Players playing par golf with the exception of one blow up hole. 

Hoffman had the magic yesterday. We'll see if he can keep it going. I expect him to play well again, but obviously not as well as he did yesterday. And, when I say "well" I mean around par. 7 under may be atop the leaderboard again after the day. It might be 6 or 5. Look at some of these pin locations, especially 11. 

[AU64 10,122]

Westwood's streak was something to behold also...and Garcia......some of the guys got hot late in the round to overcome early problems. Duf just plodded along....pretty solid day other than a couple miss hit putts.

[Barnacle 9,064]

Just now, AU64 said:

Westwood's streak was something to behold also...and Garcia......some of the guys got hot late in the round to overcome early problems. Duf just plodded along....pretty solid day other than a couple miss hit putts.

I love Garcia in these conditions. 

[AU64 10,122]

B...what are you doing for communication and pix.....last time I was there ...maybe 1998 or 99.....cameras and cell phones were verbotten....they would take them up and hold them at the gate if someone saw you using one of them.  Back in the early 90s, In my ignorance about the rule, I took my cell and was checking in with my office when I got a tap on the shoulder.  I was off in a wooded area....guy did  not take the phone but I got a warning which I observed from then on.  Has that rule softened?

 

[Barnacle 9,064]

11 minutes ago, AU64 said:

B...what are you doing for communication and pix.....last time I was there ...maybe 1998 or 99.....cameras and cell phones were verbotten....they would take them up and hold them at the gate if someone saw you using one of them.  Back in the early 90s, In my ignorance about the rule, I took my cell and was checking in with my office when I got a tap on the shoulder.  I was off in a wooded area....guy did  not take the phone but I got a warning which I observed from then on.  Has that rule softened?

 

That's still the strict rule. You can't have a cell phone out anywhere on the grounds Thursday-Sunday. During practice rounds, the rules are more relaxed with cameras, but I believe you still may not use cell phones. I'm not sure how they deal with people using cell phones as cameras, since that's the norm these days. They have phones on the course available to any patron, that dial to anywhere in the world for free if you need to make a phone call. 

The pictures are coming straight from the Masters website. They have their own photographers, and post pictures throughout the day. Since the shots are so good, I try and post a few here every day. I'm at my home in Huntsville! Not at Augusta. I wish!!! 

I've only been once, in 09'. A friend in college took me. His grandfather is a member, and it was an incredible experience. I even got to ride into the course with his G-Pa on Sunday morning, although Magnolia Drive was closed that year, because they were working on the new practice facility you see today. Still, going with a member had it's perks. There were some different areas, like the Clubhouse, and reserved seating that we had access to, but the great thing about the Masters is that the typical patron's experience and the member-guest experience is nearly identical. They make it special for everyone. Although, it was pretty cool being able to step under the ropes in certain places and flash our member passes.

Back to cell phones, I almost got in trouble with mine. I understood that cell phones were not allowed on the course, and because my friend's grandparents were staying in a cottage on the property, we could visit it and use them there. One morning his grandfather took us into the members tent for breakfast - an experience in its own right - everyone wearing their green jackets. We were sitting at the table, and I reached into my pocket to take my phone out. I assumed that since we were indoors I could take it out. WRONG. Luckily my friend saw me take it out and immediately grabbed my wrist and said "what are you doing!?" Close call. 

Little known fact about that year. If you remember, Tiger and Phil were paired together on Sunday, both a few shots from the lead, and both making Sunday charges. When they arrived on 17 green, Tiger needed to go birdie - birdie to make the playoff, and I think Phil was +/- a shot from Tiger. Anyway, as they walked onto the greens, some idiot ran out from the gallery and jumped into a green side bunker. Bones, Phil's caddie took the rake and was fending him off like, "come up here and see what happens. The guy laid down in the bunker and started making "sand angels." I kid you not. He obviously thought he was clever, and when no one laughed he kind of looked at the crowd like "no reaction, really?" Everyone was stone faced. Like if someone cracked a joke during a funeral. Dead silence.

The best part was how the membership handled it. One member walked up to the bunker, and looked at him as if to say, "when you are ready, come with me." The guy reluctantly walked out with the member, behind the grandstand, where he was greeted by two Georgia State Troopers. The terrible part was that someone probably sold him that pass on the internet or outside the event. Because passes are for life, whoever sold it to him, or gave it to him lost that pass for life, and might have lost their own. It's what makes the Masters so special. You don't give passes to anyone, you don't just bring anyone. You bring people who you know will both appreciate and respect the tournament. 

[AU64 10,122]

B...sorry...was thinking you were on site....too bad I was wrong.....it is a great event to see......

[AU64 10,122]

The terrible part was that someone probably sold him that pass on the internet or outside the event. Because passes are for life, whoever sold it to him, or gave it to him lost that pass for life, and might have lost their own. It's what makes the Masters so special. You don't give passes to anyone, you don't just bring anyone. You bring people who you know will both appreciate and respect the tournament. 

A family friend /relative had 4 passes and shared them around... a group of us always got to go on Thursday, someone else on Friday and he used them on the weekend.    He was VERY careful about who got to use the passes....we used them for our day and took them back to him at the end of the day so they could be used on Friday and so on.  We did that for a dozen years without incident....other than my close call as far as I know.   

[Barnacle 9,064]

#1 playing at 4.96 stroke average. 1 birdie, 12 pars, 32 bogeys, 7 doubles, and a quad.

[AU64 10,122]

6 hours ago, Barnacle said:

I love Garcia in these conditions. 

Good call on this.....

[Barnacle 9,064]

6 hours ago, AU64 said:

The terrible part was that someone probably sold him that pass on the internet or outside the event. Because passes are for life, whoever sold it to him, or gave it to him lost that pass for life, and might have lost their own. It's what makes the Masters so special. You don't give passes to anyone, you don't just bring anyone. You bring people who you know will both appreciate and respect the tournament. 

A family friend /relative had 4 passes and shared them around... a group of us always got to go on Thursday, someone else on Friday and he used them on the weekend.    He was VERY careful about who got to use the passes....we used them for our day and took them back to him at the end of the day so they could be used on Friday and so on.  We did that for a dozen years without incident....other than my close call as far as I know.   

What a friene/relative! 

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, Barnacle said:

What a friene/relative! 

brother in law....guess he figured he owed me or something.. .sometimes had a ticket for my son who went with us a couple times....spectacular event...

[Barnacle 9,064]

[AU64 10,122]

Should be perfect golfing weather by the time the upper half of players get on the course...wondering if the folks setting up the course will make any special effort to affect scores for the day....thinking very difficult pin placements or such?

[Grumps 3,704]

In  my opinion, Augusta National is the most beautiful manmade place on the planet. I have been to the practice rounds several times. My first time was in 1997--Tiger's first Masters. The buzz about Tiger was HUGE. When we got onto the course my brother asked me if I wanted to go find Tiger. I said, "I am not worried about seeing Tiger. He is a boy playing a man's game, and he will get a good lesson this week." Tiger won by 12 strokes! That shows you what I know!

[Barnacle 9,064]

Today's Pin Placements

[Barnacle 9,064]

No wind today. If the green's are receptive again today, we are going to see some low scores. Players will be able to get to 8 and 15 pins. 11 will play much easier today.

[Barnacle 9,064]

12 minutes ago, Grumps said:

In  my opinion, Augusta National is the most beautiful manmade place on the planet. I have been to the practice rounds several times. My first time was in 1997--Tiger's first Masters. The buzz about Tiger was HUGE. When we got onto the course my brother asked me if I wanted to go find Tiger. I said, "I am not worried about seeing Tiger. He is a boy playing a man's game, and he will get a good lesson this week." Tiger won by 12 strokes! That shows you what I know!

Buzz around John Rahm is very similar. Will be interesting to see what he does today. There are some low scores out there, boys. 

[AU64 10,122]

Looking at the pins.....leaving a lot of the green unused....surprised to see so many at almost "minimum" distances from the edges of the greens....thinking 3, 4 12 and 15....some tight shots for guys looking for birdies or eagles.

[Barnacle 9,064]

Spieth starting to game. 

[AU64 10,122]

Should be a good final round.....weather perfect and nobody made up much ground on the field today....JMO but maybe 10 guys at most with a chance to win....some solid guys at the top and unlikely that all of them would go in the tank....and if today was an example, ..it's going to be hard to shoot more than 4 or 5 under.

I'd be OK with Garcia winning the green jacket...nice wedding present for him and his soon to be bride.