'Dis and 'Dat

Alas, there's more content than time, or at least so it seems to this one-armed paper hanger.  Let's see if we can close some browser windows, shall we:

• What Are You Wearing? - The AOL chatroom equivalent of "Do you come here often?" has reared its ugly head in the golf world.  Of course it started with Tiger, but now I'm receiving e-mails telling me what Steven Bowditch will be wearing for the Quad-Cities Pro-Am (joking of course, but just barely). 

Ryan Herrington gets it, and even tweaks his own magazine for this slideshow of Masters outfits.  If you're dying to know what Thorbjorn Olesen will be wearing with his white belt, click through.

Sergio obviously has no problem wearing white before Memorial Day, but those Friday pants seem a bit out of place.

 Tim Herron gives us the needed laugh by going hilariously off-script:

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Tim Herron‏@PGALumpy

Here’s what I’ll be wearing during @The_Masters tournament. Tumble dry low, everyone. pic.twitter.com/UZgR9moKfg

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7:25 AM - 7 Apr 2014

As I've noted previously, my Theresa is awfully sweet on Lumpy.  If by any chance the Lumpster feels the same way, I just want Theresa to know that I won't stand in her way.

• The Perils of Paulina - I'm sure that by now most have heard of the reaction to the Golf Digest cover featuring Paulina Gretzky.  The ladies were not amused, as the last folks sporting two "X" chromosomes to grace the covers of the national golf magazines were Kate Upton and Paulina.  I'm really quite sympathetic to them, as the latter was especially galling (Kate gets a pass because she was paying homage to the King).  It's not enough that her only connection to the sport is, you know, sleeping with a golfer, but the issue came out the week of the women's first major.

But being right about an issue and being right to bring up the issue are two entirely different matters.  For a more effective response, take a look at photographer Cy Cyr's homage to Walter Iooss' photo:

Theresa, is that Lumpy in the top row next to Paulina?

Remember ladies (and Commissioner Whan) it's called earned media for a reason. 

• Guan in Sixty Seconds - Coleman McDowell brings us up to date on Guan Tianlang, the then 14-year old sensation of last year's Masters.  Turns out that Guan has been working with Sean Foley:

Guan, now 15, is meticulous in his practice sessions with Foley. After each shot he holds his follow-through until the ball hits the ground, analyzes the result and steps back to clean the dirt from his grooves before hitting another ball.

“One of the most deliberate practice players I’ve ever seen is Tiger [Woods], but I’ve never seen anyone like Guan at this age,” Foley says. “He may hit balls for two hours, but he might not hit more than 50 shots.”

In January, Guan missed the cut at the Sony, and this year he’ll watch the Masters like most people do—on TV, from his home in Guangzhou, China. He hopes to return to the Asia-Pacific Championship in October—the tournament he won to get to Augusta in 2013—and other top amateur events, including the China Open.

Ah, they grow up so quickly these days... 

• Shots All Around - A fun golf.com slideshow of the Ten Greatest Masters shots can be found here:

Larry Mize breaking Norman's heart in 1987.  Do you think he's tired of looking at the clips of the ugly purple shirt?

See Phil, some white guys can jump.

They're all here, Phil's 6-iron from the pinestraw on No. 13, Sandy Lyle's 7-iron from the fairway bunker on No. 18, Sarazen's albatross (as well as King Louis') and Bubba's gap wedge that hooked 115 yards (maybe I exaggerate).  The only shot that comes to mind that perhaps should have made the list is Crenshaw's massive putt from the front of the tenth green.  Can anyone identify other significant omissions?

• Augusta in My Future? - Recovering from being punk'd last time, I took the latest golf.com quiz to determine my suitability for membership at Augusta National.  Yeah, I know, I'd never get past the foreskin detectors at the entry gate.  However, this time they were smart enough to flatter a reader by concluding that I'm a perfect fit for Pine Valley.  One more bad answer and it coulda been Bushwood.

• Predictions - Jason Sobel makes some Masters predictions in this Golf Channel post.  No choice but to excerpt this one, given my lede above:

7. One renegade player will buck the system. No, I'm not suggesting anyone will break any long-standing traditions at Augusta. I'm saying they'll go against their pre-tournament scripting. Someone will wake up one morning and think, "I don't feel like wearing periwinkle pants" or "This flat-billed fuchsia hat looks stupid." It will be noticed by exactly one very worrisome PR consultant in a Park Ave. corner office – and absolutely nobody else.

And for some reason this one reminds me of my dear friend Mark W.:

12. One of your friends will text you the following message: "I'm going with a total dark horse to win – Jason Day!" You will respond by reminding your friend that he is ranked fourth in the world, owns two top-three finishes here in the last three years and is actually amongst the favorites. Want a dark horse? Go pick Derek Ernst.  

 He then goes on to rate the field from 1-98.  For those curious, his Top Ten looks like this:

1. Rory McIlroy: Fresh off a final-round 65 in Houston, on a course tailor-made for his game, McIlroy might be the rare favorite to win the green jacket. If he does, consider the consequences: He will be three-quarters of the way to a career Grand Slam … at age 24.

2. Sergio Garcia: Talk about trending in the right direction: In the last four years, he’s gone from 45th to 35th to 12th to eighth at this event. Oh, and those famous putting struggles? He ranks 32nd on Tour – and was eighth last year and 26th the year before that. He’s due.

3. Keegan Bradley: He’s been close without seriously contending, playing well without playing great. But hey, isn’t the whole idea to peak during the major championships instead of before them? Bradley seems primed to improve on last year’s disappointing finish.

4. Matt Kuchar: Failing to close out victories on each of the last two Sunday afternoons might not bode as a good omen for Kuchar, but he’s clearly trending in the right direction. He already has five top-10s in eight starts this year. Hard to imagine another isn’t coming this week.

5. Phil Mickelson: What happens when you win a green jacket? It makes the next one easier. And the one after that even easier. For a guy who normally plays with a nothing-to-lose attitude anyway, this has only increased at Augusta. Oh, and all of his wins? They’ve come in even-numbered years.

6. Jason Day: Here’s a good rule of, uh, thumb before the Masters: Don’t injure your thumb ahead of time. Not because it will hamper your performance, but because you’ll be asked endless questions about it. As for the answer? He’s fine – and he absolutely loves this course.

7. Harris English: Ask around PGA Tour circles and you’ll find that while Patrick Reed is the guy who says he’s a top-five player, English is the one who everyone else says is a (potential) top-five player. He owns the proper patience and mental makeup to play very well this week.

8. Adam Scott: The defending champion isn’t just confident this week, he truly believes he’ll be taking his green jacket back down Magnolia Lane again Sunday night. He would have some lofty company. Only Nicklaus, Faldo and Woods have won back-to-back Masters titles.

9. Henrik Stenson: Six months ago, the question wasn’t whether he’d win a major this year, but how many. Last year’s FedEx Cup champion has cooled off a bit, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make a good run this week. He’s considered among the game’s best ball-strikers – and this is considered a second-shot golf course.

10. Patrick Reed: Say what you will about his confidence, but it sure won’t hurt him having loads of it this week. Also helping is the fact that he owns a high draw ball flight. “Go out and play your game, stick to your game plan, and that seems to be working for me,” he said. “I'm going to try to do that this week.”

Sergio and Keegan at Nos. 2 and 3 strike me as a shorting opportunity, though for the record the aforementioned Mark W. picked Sergio to win.  And for those who like such things, here's the bottom of his list:

91. a-Garrick Porteous: Reigning British Amateur champion has made the cut in one of five career starts in pro events.

92. Larry Mize: Augusta native has missed the cut in each of the last four years.

93. a-Chang-woo Lee: Asia-Pacific Amateur champion had a win and a runner-up in Korea last year.

94. Craig Stadler: As he said Monday: “I'm just going to be out there slashing around, trying to make the cut.”

95. Ian Woosnam: Only one made cut at this tournament since 2001.

96. a-Michael McCoy: At age 50, became the second-oldest Mid-Am champion last year.  

97. Sandy Lyle: Last year, I listed the 1988 champion last on this list. When he made the cut, Jason Dufner chided me on Twitter for having the gall to undervalue his talents. So I’m placing Lyle in the same spot once again this year. Not to undervalue him, but to provide motivation – and fodder for his peers when he proves me wrong again.

For those that care, Derek Ernst came in at No. 90, a dark horse indeed.  And, speaking of horses... 

• I Got the Horse Right Here - Alex Myers and Luke Kerr-Dineen channel Stubby Kaye with a Masters betting guide.  Mind you, it didn't rain last night, the handicapper's sincerity is in doubt and I don't think any of these guys can trace their lineage back to Equipoise, so I went straight to the prop bets:

Luke: Will Patrick Reed Finish in the Top 20 at the 2014 U.S. Masters? Yes, 2.5/1

Patrick Reed may be a rookie at Augusta, but he's a really good one. Aside from winning three times in less than eight months, he played the course more than most of the other rookies (he got to play there while he was at Augusta State) and has the long driving-solid putting combination that tends to thrive at the Masters.

Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar v The Field, 5/1

Taking four guys over the field is always a little risky (unless it's the year 2000 and you're betting on Tiger Woods), but DJ, Kuchar and Day are some of the tournament's heaviest favorites. Bubba isn't exactly a slouch, either, and he obviously knows how to play the course. Sign me up for this one.

Alex:

Low South African - Ernie Els, 6/1

Charl Schwartzel at 6/5 and Louis Oosthuizen at 11/4 are the only two players listed ahead of Els, who is a two-time Masters runner-up and finished T-13 last year. His last major win also came more recently than those claimed by his fellow countrymen.

Top rookie - Derek Ernst, 100/1

Ernst has been brutal since he shocked the golf world and won at Quail Hollow last year. That being said, he's still a young PGA Tour pro and he's getting nearly four times the odds of the next PGA Tour pro rookie, Stephen Bowditch (28/1).

Phil Goes Deep, and Other Tales from the Pressroom

I found the traditional Tuesday press conferences to be chock full of interesting tidbits, none more so than Phil's.  Now you might logically conclude that I need to get out more, but I'm far from alone in this assessment.   

Not for the first time we'll let Shackelford bat leadoff, with his Six Things We've Learned post at The Loop:

2. Rory McIlroy better hope Ian Woosnam isn't thinking about returning as European Ryder Cup captain.

After getting some laughs for saying 70 players had a chance to win, he then proceeded to digging a bit of a hole for himself when he tried to narrow down the number. "Obviously there's a few past champions that play that might not be able to compete," he said. "There might be a few first-timers or a few amateurs that won't compete. But then you've got the rest; I'm just looking down the list here: Stewart Cink, Tim Clark, Ian Woosnam, no; John Huh -- sorry, Woosie. But I'm talking about the people that are playing regularly on the PGA Tour, sorry, Woosie, didn't mean that."

A very funny moment as Rory realizes that he's inadvertently dissed Woosie....

4. Not everyone is missing the Eisenhower Tree. And just because it's gone doesn't make the hole that much easier. 

Justin Rose does the honors: "It's still a chute. There's no room for error. If you hit it down the left edge of the fairway, you're blocked out by trees, because you get underneath them. And the right side, there's trees all the way down the right. But it definitely opens up the hole. But obviously, if I go back to 2007, that was a tee shot that really hurt me in a way. Had a great chance to win there in 2007 and made double bogey on 17. So for me, maybe it's going to suit my eye just a little better."

Next up is this Sam Weinman piece that left me a tad disappointed.  Turns out it was a general overview of what Tiger's presser might have covered, as opposed to the hoped-for faux transcript of Tiger discussing his "reps", "golf feels" and throwing in the occasional "It is what it is."  

Now back to Phil, who had me glued to the telly to the exclusion of some non-Masters items on which I had intended to blog.  But he had me at hello:

• Tiger - The headlines will be that he said it felt strange to not have Tiger there, though he's certainly
  
  played lots of majors in which Tiger wasn't in the field.  But he was extremely gracious in acknowledging Tiger's importance to the game, characterizing himself as the biggest beneficiary of it.  He noted that when he won in Tucson as an amateur the entire purse was barely 1 million, and now they play for $1 million first place checks every week.
• Swing Thoughts - When asked about his recent injury, he drifted into a discussion of how he was taught to play with a wide, smooth swing that has allowed him to go through his career without any significant injuries.  He contrasted this to guys who have more violent actions in their swings...Gee, I wonder who he has in mind here?
• Money Game - His Tuesday morning money game included Rickie Fowler as his partner.  Rickie apparently went on a tear, shooting 30 on the front nine (the more difficult scoring nine) and made at least one eagle on the back (I lost the plot at certain point), and made Phil some spending cash.  Bear in mind that that the pins are typically in the center of the greens during practice rounds, so scoring is far easier.
• Offsetting Losses - Phil was also asked about making a bet with a spectator.  Apparently this chump was trash talking to Phil that he had left himself in a bad spot, and Phil bet him $1 that he could get it up-and-down.  When he missed a 7-footer, he paid up.  But the funniest bit was when he was asked if he carried small bills, and he admitted he had to borrow it from one of the caddies.  Now we all love this kind of story, but one wonders at the reaction of the humorless green jacket set.  Has this rube patron been separated from his badge?  And was Phil visited by anyone after his presser?  Inquiring minds want to know...
• Bad Camera Angles - Perhaps the biggest laugh was when he blamed the photographers for missing the proper angle for his White Men Can't Jump moment after holing his winning putt in 2004.

No Worries, Phil, There's No Jumping in Golf.

• The Second Time Around - When asked, Phil stated that it's far easier to win a second Masters than a first.  In fact, he said that in dicey situations after first winning in 2004, Bones would often relieve the pressure by reminding him that he had already won this thing, and had nothing to prove.

Now, the above is all good stuff, and Phil is obviously a great interview subject, candid, down-to-earth and quite amusing.  But the following items had me sitting up in my seat and taking notes:

• Who Can Win? - Like most of the players, Phil was asked how many players in the field have a legitimate chance to win.  His response was that for the last few years the course has played soft and that under those conditions half of the field could win.  But, that he felt from his round on Tuesday that the greens were already regaining their speed (after the heavy rains on Monday) and that if they can get the course firm and fast, less than a dozen guys have a chance.  One can only wish that someone had followed up with a request for him to name names, but let's keep our fingers crossed that we get those conditions.
• Timing is Everything - I don't remember the question that triggered it, but Phil made the seemingly obvious point that it's extremely important to be in the last few groups on Sunday (and presumably Saturday).  The point may be obvious, but the reasoning wasn't.  According to Phil, the wind at ANGC typically dies down around 5:00, and if you go late then you get to Amen Corner with little to no wind.  As we know, wind+water=trouble.  I've never heard that point made.
• WITB - Which is golf-nerd speak for What's in the Bag... Phil was asked what new clubs he's fiddling with and answered with a question of his own, "Do you know why I'm always fiddling with stuff here?"  According to Phil, after the lengthening of the course in the early aughts he has never had a shot between 90 and 130 yards.  Think about that for a sec...a forty yard gap which he says gives him two free clubs in the bag.  Now I was always taught that a marker of a good golf course is one that makes you use every club in the bag, though of course these guys play a different game.  I find that quite amazing, and I'll no doubt be listening more intently for yardages all week.  I'll also be watching to see what happens when he gets out of position on the Par-5's and longer two-shotters. 

Masters Q & A

Given that Wednesday needs to be devoted exclusively to handicapping the field for the Par-3 tournament (just kidding - it's the second most painful day in televised golf), we're moving the Sports Illustrated/Golf Magazine Roundtable Q & A into prime time....err Tuesday afternoon.

1. Rory McIlroy tied the low score of the tournament at the Shell Houston Open with a 7-under 65 on Sunday and was already in Augusta before the tournament finished. Does this momentum make him your new Masters favorite, if he wasn't already?

The Pros - Not so great at actually listening to the question, as most offer up their own picks.  I'll protect the guilty by not mentioning the guy that actually picked Lee Westwood.

Best Line - From Mike Bamberger, "Picking a pre-tournament favorite has all the weight of a large cotton candy. Yes, Rory's got a good shot. I like Angel Cabrera, Patrick Reed and Charl Schwartzel better. I'm not even going to bring up Fred."

My Take - There really aren't any favorites in golf, except Bobby Jones in 1930 and Tiger in 2000-2001.  Rory may have the shortest odds (and that makes as much sense as anybody), but the odds are still long.

2. What are the odds that Houston Open winner Matt Jones gets back-to-back wins by claiming a green jacket at Augusta?

The Pros - Not a lot of love for Mr. Jones, but what did we expect?

Best Line - Bamberger again, "Not better than 1 in 100. He has a slightly better chance than Sandy Lyle but his odds are not as good as Bernhard Langer's. I'm not going to even bring up Fred.

My Take - If this is the best they can do for the second question, I'm awfully worried about the next four.  He has no worse of a chance than Steven Bowditch, but I thought the Sandy Lyle comment was needlessly harsh.

3. This was the second final-round disappointment for Matt Kuchar in as many weeks. Last Sunday, he shot a 75 at TPC San Antonio to finish fourth; this Sunday, he gave up a four-stroke lead after 54 holes and lost in a playoff. Does Kuchar have the fortitude to win a major or is he just a Top 10 machine?

The Pros - The guys are all over the place, though I'd guess a slight plurality think he'll get a major.  He's compared to both Jim Furyk (who knew Furykian was an adjective?) and Luke Donald, which will give you the sense of both sides of the argument.  And Mike Bamberger continues to not bring up Freddie.

Best Line - Mark Godich, "It wasn't just that he led by four at the start of the day in Houston. It's that he bogeyed two of the last three holes and rinsed one from the middle of the fairway at the last when he needed only a par to win. How is he going to handle the pressure if he gets in the hunt at a major if he can't close the deal at a pair of petroleum opens?"

My Take - This is a year when every top player comes in with huge question marks, relating either to injury (Phil, Jason Day), blown leads (Rory, Adam Scott and Kooch) and/or bad form (Stenson, Phil again and Justin Rose).  Since they're all damaged goods, the question is who do you think can rebound best?  There's a decent track record of guys coming back from blown leads to win (see McIlroy, Rory - 2011 U.S. Open; Scott, Adam - 2013 Masters; Watson, Bubba - 2014 at Riviera), such that I like Kuchar's chances better than if he'd hung on to win last week.

4. The last six PGA Tour tournaments have been won by golfers who earned their first Tour win in 2014. Many of them have come at the expense of some of golf's biggest stars -- Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar. Does parity help or hurt the Tour?

The Pros - Overwhelmingly they think it hurts the game, which needs start power to attract attention.

Best Line - Via Eamon Lynch, "Sports thrive when there is parity among kings, not cobblers."

My Take - Lynch goes on to cite the tennis example of Federer, Nadal and Djokovich, but we all understand that the talent in tennis is far more concentrated at the top.  Upsets happen, but typically one of 3-4 guys is going to win a tennis major.  In golf, that number can approach three digits.  New stars need to emerge, but perhaps the real problem is the old war horses (Tiger, Phil, Ernie, Vijay, etc.) have not only failed to win, they've not even been on the stage on Sunday.  

5. What impressed you the most at the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship -- Lexi Thompson's dominance or Michelle Wie's resilience?

The Pros - Lexi.  Next question.

A nice scene with the fans walking to the 18th green.

Best Line - Back to Bams, "Lexi, winning a big event by a big margin. Only the thoroughbreds do that. Jones, Wright, Nicklaus, Woods. Welcome to the club, Lexi."

My Take - A very silly way to pose the question, as the two can exist simultaneously.  Our lasting impression will be of a dominant performance by Thompson, and how could it be otherwise?  But this is the best we've seen Wie play in quite a while, and she handled herself with poise and grace.  Her putting remains the big issue for her (and for the record, I'm not completely convinced about Lexi's putting), and as I said yesterday she needs to push herself to putt more aggressively.

6. Augusta National hosted its inaugural "Drive, Pitch and Putt" contest on Sunday. Nine-year-old Kelly Xu was the first youngster to win her age division, making her the first female champ to be crowned at Augusta. There's a lot of talk about what the Tour and its administrators need to do to "grow the game," but how can golf's top clubs do their part?

The Pros - There's way too much in these answers to easily summarize, so if it's of interest I'd suggest you click through.  

Best Line - Bamberger, staying on a roll, "Follow the lead of National Golf Links and Seminole and Merion by hosting Walker Cups and other competitions. Promote caddying as an ideal job for young people trying to learn the game. Raise money by opening the clubs a couple times a year to paying outsiders and use that can money for golf initiatives like teaching the game in to phys-ed classes. Also, people who are lucky to belong to nice clubs should make sure they play public golf a few times a year, to be reminded of how the vast majority of golfers play the game.

My Take - It's hard to palm this off on the clubs because they're run for the benefit of their members.  And Augusta is quite the one-off because of the freakish development of the Masters into the premiere professional event.  The issue to me seems to be how do you get people (young ones especially) to try the sport and deal with the initial frustrations of the game.  I love Bamberger's thoughts on opening up the premiere private clubs to outsiders, but realistically those folks are already in the fold.  At the very least you'd like to see the Oakmonts, Pine Valleys and Winged Foots of the world reaching out to local high school teams and the like, if only to dispel the off-putting exclusiveness that plagues the game.

Tuesday Tidbits - Masters Edition

It's Tuesday morning and still no enterprising journalist has disclosed the Champions' Dinner menu...  C'mon guys, some of you actually get paid for this...

• Swag Update - Shackelford heads straight to the merchandise tent to see what's new in Masters memorabilia.  There's apparently a new Ike Tree commemorative coin, which Patrick Reed purchased, but Shack is most enamored of the vintage Augusta signage suitable for a "Martha Stewart designed Nantucket mancave."

The Masters is known for not gouging its spectators patrons, but the cut-out logo at the top is a "knee-buckling" $185.

Dave Shedloski had the same idea, but followed some of the players on their shopping rounds:

While patrons crowd into the large merchandise building near the front entrance, players can do their shopping in the pro shop adjacent to the clubhouse. Seen browsing the aisles were Ian Poulter, Peter Hanson, John Senden and former U.S. Open champion Steve Jones. Jones is in attendance because all major championship winners receive honorary (non-playing) invitations to Augusta National.

• The Jones Boy - No, not THAT Jones, this is about Matt Jones, the last guy to grab an invite to this week's festivities.  Per this Ryan Herrington piece:

Matt Jones told his caddy he was about to make a 42-yard chip-in on the first

playoff hole at the Houston Open.  The Australian did just that on Sunday, earning his first PGA Tour win in spectacular fashion -- and changing his immediate travel plans in the process.

I hadn't heard that elsewhere, but good for him.  Life has a way of working out, at least sometimes, because he had a prior near miss:

In September, Jones lipped out an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole of the BMW Championship -- a putt that would have earned him a trip to next week's Masters by sending him to the Tour Championship.

•  Family Affair - Alex Miceli with a nice Masters first:

The Stadlers break into an impromptu version of the Bee Gees' Stayin' Alive.

Firsts at the Masters are few and far between, but Thursday when 1982 Masters Champion Craig Stadler and son Kevin Stadler tee off in the first round, it will be the first time in the 80-year history of the event that a father and son play in the same Masters.

Miceli doesn't mention it, but I believe this is Pap Walrus' last opportunity to play in the Masters, so good timing, Junior.

• Treeage - Shackelford posts that the reports of damage at ANGC were a tad exaggerated:

* The description of “shredded” by a few players regarding the damage the March storm to the course may have been appropriate a few weeks ago when certain trees had not begun to sprout leaves. In general, the place still is as beautiful as ever, just with a more airy feel on several holes and even a few vistas that accentuate the grand scale of the property again. 

* The only obvious sign of the demise of the Eisenhower Tree on the 17th hole comes in the form of a faint sod line where turf has replaced the loblolly pine needles of yesteryear. The story from the tee is different…

He also provides this pic of the new view from the 17th tee:

Additionally, Shack reports that they've thinned the undergrowth behind the 12th green, where

a number of golf balls have been lost (Norman in 1999 most famously). And this bit of good news as well:

* The azaleas are blooming! It won’t be an all-time year, but the place should look pretty swell by the weekend. But for now, we’re hunkering down and hoping the storms don’t do much damage.

 We'll anxiously await reports on the status of the dogwoods.

• Dream On - Michael Bamberger has apparently found where they store the glue at Sports Illustrated, speculating on a Women's U.S. Open at Augusta National.  Let Mike sell it:

The Right Rev. William Porter Payne has made admirable efforts to spread the word of golf. The Augusta National chairman has started the Asia-Pacific Amateur and the Latin American Amateur. This Sunday, he is opening the course to a kids' competition. As Atlanta's point man for the 1996 Olympics and not yet an Augusta member, he talked to the club's chairman, Jack Stephens, about the National as a possible venue for an Olympic golf tournament, for men and women. Stephens liked the idea, even though it died at city hall in Atlanta. 

Well, a U.S. Women's Open at Augusta National would be a spectacular grow-the-game opportunity. And hugely fun.

Not.  Gonna.  Happen.  The club closes for the summer shortly after the Masters, and it's hard to see how you could schedule an Open in that time frame, when the ladies are typically playing overseas.  Plus, two major events in a calendar year is more than can be expected from a private club.  Better to let them focus on the recently-announced Latin America and Asia-Pacific Amateurs, as well as the Drive, Chip and Putt event

But I did like this story:

Augusta (the city) has a rich history of women's golf. From 1937 through '66, with a three-year interruption because of World War II, one of the most important tournaments in the women's game, the Titleholders, was held at Augusta Country Club. Mickey Wright teed it up annually in her prime and won twice. One year she was invited to play next door, at Augusta National. 

"Back in 1958, Betsy Rawls and I had the pleasure of playing the course," Wright, a four-time Open champ, wrote in a recent email. "A day I shall never forget. Cliff Roberts drove Bobby Jones out to watch us play a couple of holes. Never been so nervous in my life. That day is one that if there were bucket lists back then, would have fulfilled a big part of mine."

• Mean To Me - David Owen has a fun post on the difficulty in building the 12th hole, what Lloyd Mangrum once called the "the meanest little par-3 in the world." As David tells it:

The 12th was the hardest hole on the course to build. When an engineer saw that the plans called for a bunker in front of the green, he thought that the drawing must be in error, because the slope was so steep. The green was created by covering an exposed rock ledge with 5,000 cubic yards of earth, which had been excavated on the opposite side of the creek. During that process, two tractors and eight mules became stuck in the mire and had to be pulled out with long ropes drawn by all the other tractors.

The 12th hole at the time of the second Masters in 1935.

 David shares another Ike story with us:

The creek in front of the 12th green was a factor in a match played by Roberts, Ed Dudley (the club's pro), Jerome Franklin (a local member) and Dwight Eisenhower shortly after Eisenhower had been elected president. Eisenhower's tee shot landed short of the green, and his ball ended up on a sand bar next to the water. "You can play that ball off the sand bar," Roberts said as they walked to the green. Eisenhower climbed down the bank to his ball and sank past his knees in what turned out to be quicksand. Two Secret Service agents jumped in after him and pulled him out by the arms. The match was delayed while the president went back to his cottage to change clothes. When he returned, he told Roberts that he would never again take his advice on any matter concerning golf.

Masters Monday

The Masters has a great many things going for it, some planned and some fortuitous. It is played on a superb and scenic course that inspires the fine field of players to spectacular feats and offers singularly good vantage points for spectators. It is held at a wonderful time of year, when practically every golfer, after a long hibernation, finds his fancy turning to thoughts of supinating the left forearm or some other such crucial action that will make the season at hand the big one he has been waiting for.  HERBERT WARREN WIND

Geoff Shackelford's blog has long featured a topical daily golf quote, and with such quotes being legally in the public domain I see little reason not to piggyback off of his research staff.

Overview - Masters week is finally upon us and the anticipation grows with each hour. Let's kick off with this Augusta National flyover video (h/t Maggot):

The elevation changes and mounding around the greens suffers from the two-dimensional camera work, but as well as we know these holes there's always something that jumps out at you.  For instance, I was struck this time by all of the right-to-left tee shots required on driving holes, as well as by the sheer length of the chute you drive through on the 18th.  The Ike tree is still there in this video, so you'll appreciate how tight a driving hole it became when they added the row of trees down the right fairway line.

Kids Rule - Shack also contributes a nice post at The Loop on the Drive, Chip and Putt competition, giving it major props:

Yes, there were the well-produced pre-packaged features by Golf Channel telling us the contestant backstories, a necessary component to humanizing the contestants. (Payne called Golf Channel's coverage effort "remarkable.") Ultimately though, as hoped, it was the high-definition skills competition contested on the storied property that any golfer could enjoy watching. There were kids of all shapes and sizes -- even cross-handed players Logan Medcalf and Patrick Welch -- competing with stunning dignity under what most of us would think of as unimaginable pressure. Yet for all of their nerves, the air at Augusta National's practice areas and 18th green was one of dignified joy at the site of young people demonstrating hard-earned skill.

I got that sense from the little I saw of the Golf Channel coverage.  It was just quite cool seeing the kids give it their all, knowing they must have been struggling to breathe under that kind of pressure.  But isn't this the best part:

Adding to the scene was the unexpected interest of past champions and contestants. There was

Defending champ Adam Scott provides a thrill to last a lifetime.

Darren Clark warming up on the range, stopping between shots to watch 9-year-olds drive it 200 yards. Jordan Spieth high-fived competitors rotating through the drive, chip and putt stations, appearing genuinely tickled at the sight of it all. Fred Couples leaned on his putter as only the 1992 Masters champion could, genuinely fascinated to watch young boys and girls trying to make putts. So did Mark O'Meara and Vijay Singh. Sprinkled throughout the stations or in the galleries were club members in their green jackets, including Comcast CEO Brian Roberts helming a microphone to announce players on the 18th green.

That's the brilliance of the date, ensuring an audience of big-time professionals to salute the stars of the day.  Shack speaks in his post of "grow-the-game fatigue", which rings true after a Spring of silly Hack Golf and soccer on golf course initiatives that anyone with an IQ in the middle two digits immediately understands as, to be charitable, completely misguided.  This, on the other hand, is so shockingly simple and logical, that you can only wonder why it took so long to think up.

We still have to understand that golf isn't for everyone... but this can go a long way to making the sport cool for kids that are open to it.  

Foam Fingers at the Ready - If Adam Scott had kept his lunch down at Bay Hill three weeks ago, he would have taken over the No. 1 ranking in the OWGR from Mr. Eldrick Woods.  Turns out, per Will Gray at Golf Channel, that the No. 1 ranking is even more up for grabs this week:

With Tiger Woods missing the Masters for the first time since 1994, the top spot in the world

The holder is perhaps getting a bit ahead of himself.

rankings is officially up for grabs. 

While Woods is still atop the standings entering this week, the three players directly behind him at Nos. 2-4 - Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson and Jason Day - can all overtake him with a high finish this week at the Masters.

Not surprisingly. Scott has the easiest path, needing only a two-way T3 or better.  Stenson would need a two-way tie for second, and Day would need to win.  Day hasn't played since winning the WGC Accenture Match Play due to a thumb injury, and Stenson hasn't been in the same zip code as his typical form, so Scott would seem to be the play here.  

Weather Update - Not a great day to be on site, as per this Golf Central report:

Just two hours after the gates opened to patrons on Monday morning, a weather warning siren echoed throughout Augusta National Golf Club and play was suspended. All badge holders were asked to leave the premises because of potentially dangerous conditions. Around 12:40 p.m. ET, officials announced that gates would not re-open for the day.

The good news is that after a slight chance of rain on Tuesday, the rest of the week should be sunny and dry.  

Still More Questions? - This Q&A thing has gotten way out of hand, but they're easy posts where the professional writers do the heavy lifting.

1. Which first-time Masters participant is the most dangerous?

The Writers - Harris English and Jordan Spieth each get two votes, with the fifth going to an unnamed golfer who ranks himself in the top five.

Best Line - As a group, the Golfweek writers are not as clever as the SI crew, but I'll go with Jeff Rude, "Jordan Spieth. Because he's fearless, talented, loves the big stage and has pushed the envelope in golf with achievements – such as winning multiple U.S. Juniors like Tiger Woods and becoming the first teenager in more than eight decades to win on Tour.

My Take - No bad choices there, though Spieth has had some trouble closing.  As noted yesterday, I don't particularly fancy rookies' chances because of the unique nature of the golf course, but if a gun is against my temple I'd take Reed or Jimmy Walker, just because they've gotten across the finish line a few time previously.  

2. Who in the field who has experience at Augusta could break through to win his first green jacket?

The Writers - Kuchar in a landslide, with single votes for Jason Day and Rory.

Best Line - From Beth Ann Nichols, "Isn’t it time for another feel-good moment from Kooch at Augusta?"

My Take - I'm on record as a Kooch man, though those last two Sundays do give a bit of pause.  Day is clearly due, but impossible to know how much he's been able to practice since we last saw him in February.

3. Which player’s Augusta record surprises you?

The Writers - Nobody understands why DJ hasn't done better on a golf course that should suit his game.  

Best Line - Nichols again, "Zach Johnson.  The 2007 Masters champion isn’t exactly automatic at Augusta. In fact, outside of that impressive victory, he hasn’t finished better than a tie for 20th in 2008. Johnson has missed the cut three times in nine starts and has a 73.27 scoring average."

My Take - DJ's suitability for Augusta National is profound, but alas it's only from the neck down.  See the article discussed in the bullet below to understand that it's a thinking man's course, and is DJ your first choice for strategic coherence?  I didn't think so... Zach's game is entirely ill-suited for ANGC, so gets my vote (in the opposite way of Beth Ann) for most surprising record, because I still can't believe you can win a Masters laying up on all 16 Par-5's

• Klein Time - Brad Klein is one of the best writers around when it comes to golf course architecture.  After all, there's a reason Mike Keiser asked him to consult in the design and building of Old Macdonald.  At Golfweek he explains in one page why ANGC is significant in our little corner of the world, and he does so without putting anyone to sleep.  No extensive excerpts for you, but one tiny taste to induce you to click through:

For all the length and power that Augusta National demands, the success of a round always comes back to figuring out what happens when the ball hits the ground. And that’s a matter of angle and ground deflection. The scariest shot on the course, after all, comes at the shortest hole, the 155-yard 12th. Why? Because when viewed from the tee, the hourglass-shaped green has no visible angle.

Just read the damn thing.  I'll be here when you get back.

•  Angel, Si - Adam Schupak has a great Golfworld feature on Angel Cabrera, covering both the early struggles and his later success.  I love the lumbering Argentine, a man who can disappear for years at a time but become extremely dangerous at the sniff of the lead in a major.  This was new to me, but makes great sense:

Through Romero, Cabrera forged a friendship with Seve Ballesteros. In what

became an annual ritual for Cabrera, he sought to unlock Augusta’s secrets from the two-time Masters champion. 

“For the first four or five years, Seve helped me a lot. He said be careful with this, be careful with that,” Cabrera said. “I remember when we arrived on the 12th tee, Seve said, ‘Always aim to the left of the bunker.’ I said, ‘But what if the pin is on the right? I’d have a 90-foot putt.’ He said, ‘It’s not bad to make a 4 on this hole. You want to eliminate making 5 or more.’ At the time, I may not have understood the importance of what he was teaching me. But whenever I got in difficult situations on the golf course, his words of wisdom come back to my mind.”

I can still visualize Cabrera's drive on No. 18 at Oakmont, the ball bouncing and rolling out seemingly hundreds of yards.  And who can forget his clutch birdie on No. 18 last year to tie Adam Scott, and his thumbs-up to Scott after the great approach shot on the second playoff hole.   

Titanic Thompson

Titanic Thompson was a notorious gambler and golf hustler of the 1920-30's, but it seems a fitting name for Lexi Thompson, golf's newest major champion at the tender age of 19.  Having won three times previously on the LPGA, this win does not qualify as a major surprise, but the overwhelming display of power golf that left Michelle Wie in her wake does.

Sunday set up a very appealing final group with two of the premiere ball strikers on the tour, both of whom

suffer putting nightmares.  Both ladies managed themselves well on the greens, or at least didn't let their putters hurt their tee-to-green games.  But Thompson's driving was especially consistent, as it was almost a relief when on the back nine she missed a fairway by all of two yards.  And even with a 4-5 shot lead, the big dog came out on every driving hole.  

We've known for some time that Lexi is a big-time talent, with length to die for.  If she can be a Tour-average putter, this won't be her last major by any stretch.  The Tour is in great need for young, appealing talent to step up, and one hopes Lexi is part of that.  But as is often the case, the loser (to the extent second place in a major is losing) may be the more interesting story.

John Strege takes on the Wither Wie game story in a post at The Loop, though it's more valuable as a reminder of Wie's amazing performance as a teenage prodigy than for its insight as to where this leaves her:

It was here, rather than her nearly making the cut in a PGA Tour event at 14, that her real potential was evident. She was never qualified to play the PGA Tour, never would be, but she stood poised to conquer the world of women's golf. At the Kraft Nabisco, the LPGA's first major championship, she tied for ninth at 13, was fourth at 14, tied for third as a professional at 16.

A top ten at age 13 is just sick.  And I remember the third place at age 16, where an unnaturally hard bounce on her approach shot into the 18th green left her one shot out of the playoff.  

Strege continues:

Eight years later, she positioned herself to begin delivering on that potential. She was tied for

the 54-hole lead -- the first time she has led in a major championship since taking the first-round lead at the U.S. Women's Open in 2006. 

She was striking the ball well, hitting fairways and greens and putting reasonably well. Then Lexi Thompson steamrolled her on Sunday, adding to the list of unanswered questions about her career: How will a devastating loss prevailing over a breakthrough victory affect her psyche going forward?

This loss is no doubt disappointing to Wie, but I see no reason it should be devastating.  She got herself in position at a major, which is the hardest part, and got beat by the better player on that day.  She had a frustrating day no doubt, but struck the ball well from start to finish.  But this should be hugely encouraging for her and her fans, especially if she can keep it going.

Of course, you'll know that I do have some constructive criticism for the young lady...  First, one of things that I've always liked about her as a player is that you see her trying to hit golf shots, not just bomb it.  I think that 3-wood stinger she kept hitting is an extremely useful shot, and she's no doubt long enough not to need to bomb it.  But she was 4-5 shots behind a player on a roll, and at some point she needed to make birdies, if not eagles.  There's a point at which sticking to your strategy turns into stubbornness, and when you have a chance to win you need to reach for it.

Next, and of far greater importance, is the putting...  I just can't watch that hunched over stroke any more, and it's got to be hell on her back.  More substantively, she's what Judy Rankin called a dead-weight putter, trying to die the ball into the hole.  The only reason I can think of to die the ball into the hole is that you're terrified of a three-footer coming back, not a screaming-hot recipe for success on any tour.  I think the Quasimodo stance has to go, and she needs to work on putting much more aggressively, which I think will help with the short putts that she misses so badly.  

As for the tournament, this is the last year of Kraft's sponsorship contract.  It's easily the premier event on the LPGA tour (the only thing comparable is the Women's U.S. Open, run by the USGA), and Commissioner Mike Whan has indicated a commitment to keeping the event intact under new sponsorship.  There is precious little history or tradition on the ladies' tour, and one hopes a suitable sponsor (preferably not Pure Silk, Swinging Skirts or any of the other marginal names) will see the value in such a sponsorship opportunity.

And no discussion of this event is complete without the wet golf shirt traditional jump into Poppie's pond:

Lexi looks a tad apprehensive, wouldn't you say?