Two Weeks Of Green

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Yes, we're starting the Masters coverage early here, with all due respect to this week's first ladies major, the Nabisco. After lengthy discussions with my staff, it was determined that most of the site content and daily quotes will be Masters or Augusta related. Therefore I made the executive decision to subject you to Masters green with hints of red and yellow.

I'll be posting more about what's coming up tournament week, but expect daily live blogging using CoverItLive's interactive format, daily clippings from the five newspapers remaining, and everything else you need to know to make your pool picks get you through what has the makings of an exciting week. In the mean time, notice the sidebar links to just some of the major media and official sites. More to come!

And to get us going, check out Will Hersey's short piece on why he loves Butler Cabin. I love it for slightly different reasons.

Tiger Secures Largest Comeback Win And Much Needed FedEx Cup Point Boost Heading Into The Masters

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Overcoming absurdly slow playing partners, too much sand raked into the bunker faces, really dated looking pitch out rough, pesky grain on nearly shot according to Johnny and Arnold, wind, rain and a grueling course setup, Tiger Woods captured his sixth Arnold Palmer Annuity Invitational to the relief of NBC executives who normally would have shipped the delayed finish off to the Golf Channel if it weren't for Tiger contending gambled and kept the final round coverage on in east coast prime time.

ESPN.com featured Phelan Ebenhack's AP photo as well as this video of the putt. Doug Ferguson reports on the win, the third Tiger has secured on Bay Hill's 18th green.

Wie Drama No Drama At All

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Beth Ann Baldry explains that a simple typo/oversight led to the latest Michelle Wie drama, this time at Papago where Jiyai Shin is going for her fifth win in the last eight months. Also, it seems Lorena Ochoa doesn't appear to understand the meaning of a hazard.

Ochoa also said that the sand felt “heavy.” And “it seems like there is a lot of sand under it,” she added.

It will take a near-miracle Sunday for her to win the title for a third consecutive victory.

“Maybe tomorrow (Sunday) I won’t hit any bunkers and I’ll make putts,” she said.

3 Missing Spectators Located In Bay Hill Rough, 2 More Still Unaccounted For And Presumed Bored

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From what I watched today and pick up in Doug Ferguson's round two game story, it sounds like the U.S. Open-light setup at Bay Hill is keeping The King happy. But there seem to be quite a few big names taking a pass. I wonder if he makes the connection?

Seems Jack Nicklaus has gotten the message, according to Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com.

According to tournament director Dan Sullivan, the 2009 Memorial, played June 4-7, will feature shorter rough, two rebuilt greens and none of the furrowed bunkers that were introduced in 2006.

“Last year we made it a little more severe than the Tour was comfortable with,” Sullivan said. “Jack is very reasonable about the way he wants the golf course to perform. He is a player and he’s built the tournament and the golf course to be a fair test.”

The first step in that direction was the length of Muirfield Village’s rough. Weather permitting, Memorial officials plan to have the rough at about 3 to 3 ½ inches to begin tournament week, at least an inch shorter than it was last year.

“We paid particular attention to rough length and how the golf course was performing,” Sullivan said. “Because of the density and length it was very tough.”