When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
It's not that the food sounds anything but wonderful--but Spanish lobster rice and "like a soup" according to Sergio, is tonight's Champions Dinner entree. Did Agador Spartacus influence the menu?
However, Angela's dessert sounds sublime...
Brentley Romine with the details.
Sergio's tweet...and a Masters.com video where he explains his selections.
So excited and honored to host my first Champions Dinner @TheMasters! I hope everyone will enjoy the food. Can’t wait to sit around all those great champions and listen to their stories! pic.twitter.com/Qcs3Tmj8Oj
— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) April 3, 2018
The Masters post...
Matt Parziale, the U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion, came into the Masters press center yesterday to discuss his tournament preparation and career as a firefighter.
Mark Cannizzaro has a superb write up of Parziale's story, his comments and insights from friends and family.
Also worth your time is Jim McCabe's Masters.com piece on the ties between Parziale, Thorny Lea and a former fellow member, Herbert Warren Wind.
From his home a few blocks away, Wind would walk over to the club, entering at the 15th hole. Born in 1916, he began to play before age 10 and for years would say how Thorny Lea ushered him into a world of golf that he cherished forever.
“I know of him, how he named Amen Corner and was a great writer,” said Parziale. “I know the club is proud of him.”
Hopefully you were able to catch the look at Augusta National's 13th hole on last night's Live From The Masters. If not, there should a re-airing today and perhaps again later in the week's Live From coverage, possibly this morning when I'll be on at 9:30 am ET to chat.
GolfChannel.com has posted an exclusive bonus clip of Nick Faldo discussing his shot into 13 in 1996. Here is the clip in its entirety. I think you'll find it to be a pretty compelling 2:12.
And here is the actual sequence, thanks to The Masters now posting all final round broadcasts. Oh I miss Ken Venturi on 13 listening to this. He thought like a fan and like someone who had seen too many greats cost themselves a green jacket at 13.
John Boyette of the Augusta Chronicle sets the table for new Chairman Fred Ridley's Wednesday press conference and some inevitable questions about lengthening the course and other possible changes in response to a changing game.
Ridley is on the record as being a protector of Jones and MacKenzie's design strategy, which is often lost with modern distances, grainy fairways and tree plantings.
“What I think we should do, and what we have done over the years, is to go back to that philosophy and think about what do we need to do to make sure that we are true to the principles that Jones and MacKenzie established at the beginning,” Ridley said.
And this, on the idea of a Masters ball.
“I think it would be difficult, frankly, to have a golf ball for one tournament, but I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Ridley said. “We’re always going to do what we think is in the best interest of the tournament.”
A few years ago I wrote for GolfDigest.com about an essential Masters tracklist that is my Augusta week car music--make fun all you want. This is no Spotify playlist, sorry kids. At least not yet.
Either way it's swell to see nice legit versions on iTunes and elsewhere of the actual Shoutin' In That Amen Corner by Mildred Bailey.
Incidentally, John Boyette's excellent story has been updated and has surfaced on Augusta.com clarifying the artist and recording that Herbert Warren Wind was inspired by to label Amen Corner. It wasn't quite as Mr. Wind got it, but the spirit was all that mattered. And the song lives on, as does Amen Corner.
For another fantastic read on Wind and Amen Corner, check out Bill Fields' Golf Digest story from a few years ago.
This should start your week off on the right foot...assuming you're excited for The Masters.
Ian Poulter went straight from his Houston Open win to hitching a ride with Henrik Stenson.
Beau Hossler stayed around after a tough playoff loss to sign for the kids.
Even though he fell short, Beau still had time for the kids. 👏👏
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Look at the lag from Luke Parsons, Boys 7-9 division:
Impressive golf on display during the @drivechipandputt National Finals.
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New space, new lighting and probably a wainscoting shortage after all of the new construction here, yet the merchandising team seems to have only improved the already stellar offerings. A few more niche brands and approaches have snuck in again this year, to compliment the basics that every Masters-logo loving fan will scoop up.
So with that, just some of the best merchandise items I found, though I've already heard rumors of something wonderfully bizarre that I missed! I will investigate and report back.
Also, the new building, with images and some scenes from the renovated and enhanced entryway, is reported on here by The Forecaddie.
Another year, another beautiful Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National. The names are different, but the stories, skill and class has been a consistent trait of all five years.
We learned once again that golf can be cool when played with nice manners, amazing etiquette and a little gentility. Sure it helps that they're amazing kids who are way better at golf than they know.
But those who say new and younger audiences are only attracted to boorishness, could learn a thing or two from the participants here, as Nick Faldo put it in an interview under the Big Oak with Steve Sands.
Fine as this event is as a stand alone, it does seem odd that by now the professionals have not been tempted to have a big boys or girls Drive, Chip and Putt. Check out Steve DiMeglio’s survey of PGA Tour players asking who they think would win such a competition. It sure would be fun to watch, particularly with some clever chip and putting scenarios.
The Drive, Chip and Putt would not be improved by seeing the pros playing that way. Instead, it’s the pros who could learn a thing or two from the joys of this event and in showcasing their talents in ways beyond 72-holes of stroke play.
Final results here from Golfweek.
A Jimmy Roberts narrated highlight package.
Jeff Babineau with a roundup of highlights for DriveChipAndPutt.com.
An image gallery from another beautiful day.
Check out Conrad Chisman’s Daly-esque action:
Grip It and Rip It, right @PGA_JohnDaly? #DriveChipandPutt pic.twitter.com/jfeW1yVQcY
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) April 1, 2018
The 7-9 Girls winner Ella June Hannant took Low Cuteness honors.
Congratulations Ella June Hannant -- our Girls 7-9 Champion!🏆 pic.twitter.com/HZjFkb1ovx
— Drive, Chip & Putt (@DriveChipPutt) April 1, 2018
Her interview with Charlie Rymer is very special (thanks reader Z for sending), including a mention of her instructor, former PGA Tour player Clarence Rose.
The winners:
Your 2018 #DriveChipandPutt Champions!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
— Drive, Chip & Putt (@DriveChipPutt) April 1, 2018
🏆Ella June Hannant
🏆Taighan Chea
🏆Vanessa Borovilos
🏆Tip Price
🏆Sara Im
🏆PJ Maybank III
🏆Katherine Schuster
🏆Brendan Valdes pic.twitter.com/7C8UWohree
ShackHouse listeners know we've been looking for signs from Jordan Spieth to be rounding into Masters shape, and at least according to Jordan Spieth, the sign arrived Friday.
He's four back heading into Sunday's Houston Open finale but for the prognosticators out there looking for Masters signs, Jordan Spieth said after his second round 67
From Will Gray's report for GolfChannel.com:
“From where I was three days ago, goal accomplished for the week already. And it’s Friday,” Spieth said. “So at this point anything else is icing on the cake. It’s kind of weird to say that, but just trying to take a step forward every single day. I thought today was a step forward from yesterday.”
I've gotten some nice messages the last few days from folks wanting suggestions for their first Masters trip. I'm almost as excited for you as I am to again have the privilege of covering the tournament.
Luke Kerr-Dineen tackled this topic for GolfDigest.com and includes very smart tips, including how to minimize your Washington Road time. (Long-winded BTW here: don't fret if you get stuck in traffic, the Sheriff moves things along well enough even at the peak arrival times. Plus, the views of T-Bone's and ticket scalpers make the drive all worth it. If you're really clever, you've also downloaded Dave Loggins' Masters theme to your phone, which you'll soon be saying goodbye too.)
Some tips:
Sunday To Wednesday Bring A Camera - No cell phones in case you had not heard, and since most of us only use them these days for picture-taking, dust off your point and shoot, charge that battery, make sure the memory card is inserted and bring it along. Otherwise, you won’t be able to capture a few memories. Disposables work too.
No Camera, Line Up For A Founders Circle Photo - The line can be long but it's worth it. With three club photographers and easy online retrieval, what's not to love? Ryan Herrington explained in this piece how it all works.
Timing - Practice round days, early arrivals are recommended as the traffic gets tough due to huge crowd sizes (larger than tournament days, some believe). Plus most players seem to arrive early and it allows you to do shopping. On the four tournament days, particularly Thursday and Friday, a later arrival and staying later affords some tremendous viewing. I’m amazed how early patrons leave on the weekdays. Though this is all with a caveat: an early arrival Thursday means being there for the Honorary Starts at around 8:15 am.
Two Ideal Meeting Spots - The main scoreboard just off the first fairway will always be the easiest designated meeting spot for most and is a must for a photo during practice days. Another great spot is the concession/restroom/phone booth local behind the 8th tee and near the 17th. This is more convenient if you’re meeting someone who has been out spectating. The 8th tee is centrally located and no more than 10 minutes from any point on the course.
Take A Stroll In The Park - For those wanting to just do a "lay of the land" walk, I have a weekend routine of scouting almost all of the hole locations early that helps you see almost every part of the property. Starting at the clubhouse, walk up the right of 1 fairway, down the right side of 2, then cut over, check out 3 and 4, before heading to the 3rd hole crossing for a look at greens 6 and 16. From there circle around 16 toward 15, then take the path through the trees to 13 green and the rest of Amen Corner. From there walk up hill to see the amazing 10th, 14th, 17th green and 7th greens, then head back up 18 to the clubhouse. It can all be done in about 45 minutes and you see every hole but the fifth.
Favorite Viewing Spots - Skip the 11th fairway where the pine tree planting has ruined any viewing of this fairway, once a really underrated spot for watching. Head to the 12th tee where you can see the putting and 12th tee shots. The 13th fairway landing area is also a good spot if you are mobile. The 2nd hole landing area, 3rd green and 4th tee area is another mobile locale that allows fun viewing. For all day sitting, there is no beating any grandstand at Amen Corner and at 15/16.
Shop Early And Ship - A massive new three story merchandise center opens this year near the first fairway, joining a newer facility near the Gate 6 entrance by the fifth green. Most days the merchandise shop is best the earlier you go, though weekend days you can shop relatively traffic free as play commences. But you’re there to watch The Masters, not shop. Right? Either way, just remember shipping is your friend. The UPS rates are fair and the operation is a scene to behold, with remarkable efficiency that gives you little excuse but to ship your purchases home. Fragile items are packed in a healthy wrapping of bubble wrap and if there is any question about the fragility of an item, the staff errs on the side of caution.
Buy The Timeless Stuff**** - Grabbing merchandise like hats and t-shirts with this year’s tournament year seems like a wise choice at the time, especially if you want people to ask about your trip to the Masters or it’s the anniversary of a previous trip. But I’ve found most tend to regret the date stamping preferring to have Masters-logoed stuff with a little more permanence. ****However, if this year's tournament is another 1986 Masters, you’re going to be wanting something with the date. Speaking of which, some retro gear emblazoned with 1986 Masters would be pretty sweet, wouldn't it?
Have A Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich - Essential, essential, essential! As are all of the sandwiches and chips thanks to cost and flavor. Regarding food lines, the concessions at Amen Corner and by 15 green/16 tee seem to be better designed for more patrons than some areas on the front nine and tend to have shorter lines. You rarely find lines at The Masters and most of those were for entering the shop, something that will likely be minimized with a new facility.
Don't Yell ShackHouse If You See Me - that behavior is strongly encouraged and greatly appreciated at all other golf tournaments. Just not this one.
I'm not sure what year this is from but the piece was just posted on the Masters YouTube channel. I know I've seen snippets of this footage before, but it's still fun to see how much goes on before the Masters gates open at 8 am.
You can now download The Masters app from various stores (iTunes here).
If you're an AppleTV user and have auto-update enabled, the 2018 version should be ready to go.
If you're a cord cutter--enjoy that buffering!--this guide will help you find ways to watch the Masters via HuLu, YouTubeTV, Playstation and DirecTVNow.
The big upgrade to the mobile and tablet app's this year comes via IBM's Watson--no relation to Tom or Bubba. Here's the fancy way of saying what you will find across all platforms if you log in and denote favorite players:
This year, IBM Watson is moving us from scores and statistics to faces and fist pumps. For the first time ever, the Masters is using enterprise-grade artificial intelligence to capture the essence of the competition; the sights and sounds that make this a tournament unlike any other.
Take that craft, artisanal, fair trade and organic grades of Artificial Intelligence!
Watson watches hundreds of hours of video from all of the Masters live streams. It identifies the player in each clip, and scores the highlight worthiness of that clip by listening for crowd noise and commentator excitement, and watching for player gestures. The highlights are scored and indexed, making the video production process easier for the Masters digital team. And they are packaged up into personalized highlight reels for users of the My Moments feature in the Masters app.
And this is clever:
My Moments allows fans to customize their Masters app by saving their profile across all digital platforms. End users select their favorite players and highlight packages are tailored to their preferences. The app also features a spoiler-free mode, which determines the last time you checked in on the tournament action, and chronologically walks you through everything you missed, without revealing the real-time score until you’re caught up.
To put this more succinctly: it's a lot like Instagram or Snapchat Stories. Only better!
The centerpiece of the app remains the ability to watch Live Coverage and get quick access to a Leaderboard.
The offerings on the AppleTV also allow you to watch channels like Amen Corner Live, Featured Groups and other video, including surprise nuggets like last year's broadcast and the Green Jacket ceremony at the putting green.
A few screen grabs here:
A wise friend says the distance discussion should only be predicated on one barometer: the Old Course. If it is obsolete for the elite player, distance limits or something should be done to keep it relevant.
So it was enlightening to see Paul Azinger suggest the Old Course at St. Andrews is in trouble within this Steve DiMeglio piece about Augusta National and distance.
There is of course the usual shallow stuff from golf pros looking to protect their corporate interests over how the game is played, with Billy Horschel reinforcing his steadfast ignorance and Brandt Snedeker suggesting Augusta just plant a tree, ramp up the Sub-Air and call it a day.
But Azinger's comments stood out since the R&A might actually feel the same way.
“The Old Course at St Andrews, the home of golf, is different, because the course isn’t as long and the greens are pretty easy to putt and don’t have nearly as much slope,” Azinger said. “Augusta’s greens are frightfully fast, and they can stick the pins two paces from the edge.
“Augusta can always be defended. St Andrews is in trouble.”
Doug Ferguson does a nice job tracing the many stages of betting favorites for this year's Masters and reminds us it wasn't long ago that different names were atop the list.
• Westgate had Woods at 50-1 for the Masters right before he returned to competition the first week of December in the Bahamas.
• Johnson wins Kapalua by eight shots for his eighth victory in his last 34 events, all against some of the strong fields.
• Rahm ended 2017 by winning the European finale in Dubai, was runner-up at Kapalua and won the CareerBuilder Challenge. With a chance to go to No. 1 in the world at Torrey Pines, he went from a one-shot deficit after 36 holes to a 75-77 weekend. Woods made the cut at Torrey Pines with a two-putt birdie from 70 feet on his last hole. He tied for 23rd, exceeding expectations. Masters odds go to 20-1. Day won Torrey Pines in a playoff for his first victory in 20 months.
• Johnson finished second at Pebble Beach to Ted Potter Jr., who has missed every cut since then. Imagine if Johnson had won Pebble. He would have two wins this year, nine in his previous 36 starts. He would still be the clear favorite at Augusta.
As we discussed on Golf Central Alternate Shot today, the favorite game is too complicated so just focus on the best, most unusual story this year! And yes, yes, I know, I said Amateur champion the first time, not Mid-Amateur. But I got it the second time...this is live TV for you...
Adam Schupak with a Golf.com exclusive on Augusta National's effort to crack down on ticket holders who have sold to third parties. They are being notified by letter that their $150 is to be credited and they can expect to no longer be attending the Masters.
As Schupak notes, this scenario means there may be unsuspecting buyers who show up at the Masters after having paid top dollar, only to find their tickets invalidated.
How are they spotting the offenders?
The tournament has long prohibited the reselling of its coveted single-day tickets and multi-day badges, but last year it added a new defense to catch offenders: color-coded strips on the bottom of the tickets that the tournament's ticket police can use as secret decoder rings of sorts to determine the original purchasers. Each of the colors in the six-color design represents a letter and five numbers that match the corresponding ticket number.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
