Masters Miscellania - UPDATED

I'm told there's a tournament of some significance next week, so let's see what the chattering classes are, you know, chattering about...

• Kid Krazy - As I await the start of the telecast of the Dinah Shore Kraft Nabisco, I'm watching the replay of the Drive, Chip and Putt from Augusta earlier this morning.  This has got to be an amazingly cool experience for these kids, and I'm getting sucked in watching the young'uns try to make the Mark O'Meara putt.  They've got one video scoreboard, which seems completely out of character with the surroundings, but otherwise it's a great warm-up act for next week.

I've been very skeptical of the off-the-wall schemes to grow the game, but this actually makes sense.  It gives the kids an amazing experience to compete for, and it's not bad for Augusta National to actually let real people inside their gates.  Good stuff.

•  The Good Doctor - CNN is not a place we think of for golf coverage, but this video, titled Alister MacKenzie's Road to Augusta, is well worth five minutes of your time.  It's principally about Alwoody, his first design in England.  Mackenzie had absolutely no practical experience in golf course design, yet somehow convinced the club he was the man for the job.

The video also touches on a sad aspect of MacKenzie's life, that he never saw his masterpieces, including Augusta National, Royal Melbourne and Cypress Point, as finished projects.  

Another CNN video here has Ben Crenshaw talking about his greatest Masters moments.

• Buyer's Market - Pete Madden has an article titled Masters Ticket Prices ‘Take a Dive’ After Tiger Drops Out at golf.com, that doesn't seem to quite deliver on the premise of the headline.  A Sunday ticket decreased from $1,252 to $1,226 the day of Tiger's surgery announcement.  Does 2% really constitute a dive?  

UPDATE:  Al Z. writes to remind me that the Thursday and Friday ticket prices fell by more than 10%.  To the extent we're attributing this to Tiger, it appears that Adam Smith's invisible hand had concluded that Tiger either wouldn't be there or wouldn't be in the mix on Sunday. 

• Great Scott - Redundant, I know.  I still consider Adam Scott an underachiever given his ball-
  
  striking talent, but you'd be hard-pressed to name a nicer guy on Tour.  Ryan Herrington has the skinny in a short piece at Golf Digest's The Loop (which is their re-branded Local Knowledge blog):

The fringe benefits of being the reigning Masters champion are numerous, as Adam Scott has come to appreciate over the last 12 months. But there was one more thing he wanted to take advantage of before handing back over his green jacket to club officials: play a round of golf at Augusta National Golf Club with his father. 

Upon arriving then in Augusta on Friday to begin his title defense, Scott fulfilled the wish, taking out his dad, Phil, who coached Adam as he was growing up playing the game in Australia, for a quick 18 holes.

Good on ya mate.  I think I also heard that he gave out some of the trophies at this morning's Drive, Chip and Putt event.  Also good stuff.

• Houston, We Almost Had a Problem - Given the issues with all of the Masters faves (I shan't repeat the litany of injuries, poor form and blown leads), I had decided on the Kooch as my Masters pick.  Except, with a 4-shot 54-hole lead, it looked like he was going to jinx himself by winning the Shell Houston Open.  Fortunately, he apparently played no better than I did today, and Matt Jones chipped in to beat him in Sudden Death.  He is therefore my pick next week...unless he's stupid enough to win the Par 3.

• Couch Potato Guide - Shackelford posts an all-consuming Masters television guide at The Loop, and there's not much time for meals, restroom breaks or sleep.  Here it is in its seven-day entirety:

Monday, April 7 (All Times ET)

Golf Channel7-10 a.m. -- Morning Drive
2-5 p.m. -- Live From the Masters (includes player press conferences)
7-8:30 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
Masters.com/Masters App12-2 p.m. -- Masters on the Range 
Tuesday, April 8Golf Channel7-9 a.m. -- Morning Drive
9 a.m.-5 p.m. -- Live From the Masters (includes player news conferences)
7-9 p.m. -- Live From the Masters

Masters.com/Masters App12-2 p.m. -- Masters on the Range 
Wednesday, April 9ESPN/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN3-5 p.m. -- Live Par-3 Contest Coverage
5-6 p.m. -- Sportscenter At The Masters
Golf Channel7-9 a.m. -- Morning Drive
9 a.m.-3 p.m. -- Live From the Masters (includes Billy Payne news conference)
7-9 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
Masters.com/Masters App12-2 p.m. -- Masters on the Range 
Thursday April 10ESPN3-7:30 p.m. -- Live First Round Coverage
8 p.m. -- First Round Encore
Masters.com/Masters App/CBSSports.com11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Masters On the Range (Also On CBS Sports Network)
2 p.m. -- Masters Radio coverage begins
12 p.m. - Completion Of Play -- Featured Groups 1 & 2
10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. -- Amen Corner Live
11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. -- 15th & 16th holes
Golf Channel6-8 a.m. -- Morning Drive
8 a.m.-3 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
7:30-9:30 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
Friday April 11ESPN/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN3-7:30 p.m. -- Live Second Round Coverage
8 p.m. -- Second Round Encore
Masters.com/Masters App/CBSSports.com11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Masters On the Range (Also On CBS Sports Network)
2 p.m. -- Masters Radio coverage begins
12 p.m. - Completion Of Play -- Featured Groups 1 & 2
10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. -- Amen Corner Live
11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. -- 15th & 16th holes
Golf Channel6-8 a.m. -- Morning Drive
8 a.m.-3 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
7:30-9:30 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
Saturday April 12CBS3-7 pm -- Live Third Round Coverage
Masters.com/Masters App/CBSSports.com11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Masters On the Range (Also On CBS Sports Network)
2 p.m. -- Masters Radio coverage begins
12 p.m. - Completion Of Play -- Featured Groups 1 & 2
10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. -- Amen Corner Live
11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. -- 15th & 16th holes
Golf Channel6-9:30 a.m. -- Morning Drive
9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
7-9 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
Sunday April 13CBS1-2 p.m. -- Jim Nantz Remembers Augusta: Nick Faldo At The Masters
2-7 p.m. -- Final Round Live Coverage
Masters.com/Masters App/CBSSports.com11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Masters On the Range (Also On CBS Sports Network)
2 p.m. -- Masters Radio coverage begins
12 p.m. - Completion Of Play -- Featured Groups 1 & 2
11:45 a.m.-6 p.m. -- Amen Corner Live
12:30-7 p.m. -- 15th & 16th holes
Golf Channel6-9:30 a.m. -- Morning Drive
9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. -- Live From the Masters
7-9 p.m. -- Live From the Masters

Folks, please pace yourselves...it'd be a shame to peak on Thursday.

• Rookie Prospects - Another redundancy, but Golf Channel's Jason Sobel has high hopes for this year's Masters rookie class:

Thirty-five years ago, he became the only true first-timer to win in his initial trip down Magnolia Lane. Oh, sure, Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen were technically rookies – and Zoeller considers them part of the exclusive club – but prevailing in the first and second editions of the tournament, respectively, hardly offered the same stature as a guy toppling fellow competitors with a decade or two of experience among the azaleas. 

With one potential spot remaining, there are 23 fresh-faced rookies in this year’s 96-man field, but the quality is more stunning than the quantity.

It does seem to be a particularly strong rookie class, no surprise given the number of first-time and surprise winners on Tour.  In fact, two of the freshmen, Patrick Reed and Jimmy Walker, have each won three times in the last year, stretching the concept of rookiedom beyond recognition.  Combined with Jordan Spieth, Graham DeLaet, Billy Horschel and Victor, The Most Mysterious Man in Golf, Dubuisson, you'd assume this group will account for several green jackets before they're done.  I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these names on the leader board, but I'm skeptical that any of them understand the unique challenges of this venue.

• More Q&A - The Golfweek gang is back with another Masters-themed Q&A: 

1. Which Masters is your favorite of all-time and why?

The Writers -  Jack's 1986 Ode to Alter Kockers takes the day, though Jeff Rude does nominate the great 2004 Phil-Ernie shootout, whereby Phil shed the dreaded GPTNWAM label.

Best Line -  Adam Schupak, "Jack at 46 turning back the clock. I remember huddling around the 27-inch TV set – a big screen in those days – in the men’s locker room at the course I grew up playing. I wasn’t old enough to be in there but my dad snuck me in and I sat by the club champ and our head pro, who gave a running commentary and told me to remember this day: You just saw whyJack Nicklaus is the best that ever lived, he said."

 My Take - I'm sticking with the '75 version, with the best three players in the game (Nicklaus, Miller and Weiskopf) playing their best golf.  Before the putt dropped on No. 16, who knew Jack could dance?

2. Which Masters champion is your favorite of all-time and why?

The Writers - Not surprisingly, Jack, Freddie Couples and Gentle Ben come in for mentions, as well as an outlier.  

Best Line - Jim McCabe, "This is like asking to name your favorite child. Impossible. Can’t be done, nor should it be attempted. But if I were to be forced to produce some possible candidates, Jack Burke Jr. would surely be there and if you have to ask why, then you never met him. Truly an original."

 My Take - Must be a young crowd.  I'm shocked that Arnie didn't get so much as a mention,

The Squire receiving his winner's check in 1935.

as he ushered the event into the television age and it's where his army was mobilized.  I'd also include The Squire, Gene Sarazen, whose shot heard 'round the world in the second Masters (before it was called the Masters) put the little invitational on the map.  

A little history, if you will.  Gene Sarazen was born Eugenio Saracini in Harrison, NY, where your humble blogger lives and plays his golf.

Secondly, people naturally assume that Sarazen's albatross on fifteen won the tournament.  In fact, he was three strokes behind Craig Wood, who had already finished, and won it in a playoff the next day. Craig Wood was for years the answer to a trivia question, the only player to lose all four majors in a playoff, but that was before we had Greg Norman to kick around.  Golf writer and Bobby Jones muse O.B. Keeler recounted this exchange between Sarazen and playing partner Walter Hagen, after hearing the roars from Wood making birdie on No. 18:

Hagen: “Well Gene, that looks like it’s all over.” 

Sarazen: “Oh, I don’t know. They might go in from anywhere.”

Talk about a called shot.  The other notable fact about the most famous shot in golf history is who saw it.  Per Martin Davis at Golf Channel:

Jones, perhaps realizing the moment, decided to come down from the clubhouse to see if Sarazen could catch Wood, thinking he needed three birdies coming in to force a playoff. He reached Sarazen and Hagen just as a young Byron Nelson, playing the adjacent 17th hole, pushed his drive near where Sarazen’s ball had come to rest. 

So, all four of those ultimately on golf’s Mount Olympus – the hallowed Jones, the flamboyant Hagen and the soon-to-be great Nelson, watched as Sarazen’s arrow-like 4-wood hit a foot before the green, “…bounded once - twice - and settled to a smooth roll, while the ripple of sound from the big gallery went sweeping into a crescendo – and then the tornado broke,” according to Keeler.

That's a pretty amazing confluence of golf royalty.  History lesson is over and class is recessed.

3. Where does the Masters stand in your mind when compared to the other majors?

 The Writers - Mostly their favorites, though bones are thrown to the two Opens based upon venues.

Best Line - From Adam Schupak again:

A No. 1, top of the list, king of the hill. Wait, that’s New York, New York. But that’s how I feel about Augusta. If ABC Sports ever could get its hands on the broadcast rights, it could do a “Thrill of victory and agony of defeat” intro on the Masters with Larry Mize’s chip-in at 11, Tiger’s at 16, Mickelson’s “leap” at 18, Bubba’s wedge from the woods at No. 10, and Scott Hoch’s missed 2-footer at 11, Curtis Strange hitting out of Rae’s Creek at 13, Greg Norman’s implosion in ’96, and on and on. Just when it seems the Masters can’t get any better it finds a way to keep on topping the one before it. I don't know how, but it does.

My Take - It's absolutely my fave, partly because of the golf course but also the calendar.  It hits just as we're back out there hacking it around, and it's a moving rite of spring.  But what I do like is that the first three have characteristics all their own.  The Masters with its risk-reward back nine, the U.S. Open with its demanding tests requiring survival golf and the Open Championship with its linksy goodness and variable weather.  The PGA doesn't have much unique character since it gave up on match play, and is therefore less interesting than the others, though the occasional interesting venue combined with the fact that we won't have another for eight months can sometimes hold our interest.