2008 Masters Saturday Live Blog

I knew the heavyweights would come to the club's defense. William Rhoden pens a mess of a piece in today's New York Times, John Paul Newport's piece made me laugh and I just heard Tim Rosaforte declare on Golf Channel that those of us who miss the old, more vulnerable and democratic Augusta are suffering from a bout of revistionist historitis.

Here we go, feel free to email comments to geoffshac@aol.com and post your thoughts below. All times Pacific because I feel like it.

12:30 -  Here we go. We open with Phil making a 7 footer for par on No. 1 and the final pairing in the fairway. Right to the golf, very nice.

12:34 - Okay I typed too soon. We're doing Arnold Palmer baby pictures, fathers and sons and eghhh..."the circle of life at Augusta" according to Jim Nantz. Take that Tim Rice and Elton John! Will Elton-buddy Nick Faldo break into his own rendition?

12:42 - Tiger misses right of No. 9 green from right second cut. But as Nantz notes, after the 45 minute rain delay the ball stays close to the green. Conditions are ripe for scoring, let's see if it happens. 

12:43 - This camera angle on No. 2 is outstanding and I believe new? It really shows of the brilliance of this green complex. 

12:45 - Leaderboard: Immelman -8, Snedeker -7, Mickelson -6, Poulter -5, Casey -5, Flesch -5. 

12:50 - New 3-D animation from CBS showing No. 10's terrain. VERY cool. 

12:51 - First "Hello friends" from Jim Nantz. And I'm said to say this blog has no influence as the fireplace looks worse than ever.

12:56 - Snedeker makes birdie on No. 2 and appears very relaxed. He moves to -8 in tie with Immelman who misses a 5 footer that Oosterhuis notes was "not a difficult putt" twice.

12:58 - Phil pulling out wedge on 3 green after horrible approach shot. Nantz's photographic memory recalls Phil doing the same thing last year at Riviera.  I was there and I barely remember it! Phil leaves himself a 20 footer that he makes for par.

1:01 - Tiger birdies No. 10, -2 today, -3 overall and just five back. 

1:10 - IBM airs businesspeak buzzword bingo ad!  

1:16 - Tiger's birdie putt on 11 is accompanied by an open mike sound that was actually Frank Chirkinian screaming about Nick Faldo pulling a Johnny Miller and reminding us how the putt was the same one he had when he won there in a playoff. Of course the green has been rebuilt and Faldo noted the hole is cut in a different spot, but other than that it's close!

1:19 - Immelman pulls it left of 4 green and we see a half empty grandstand. What's the deal patrons? 

1:24 - Immelman misses for par on No. 4, Snedeker is your lone leader at -8. 

1:28 - A reader noted that the number of spike marks is rather incredible considering there are only 46 players on the golf course today. Imagine a full field on those greens...

1:40 - Tiger on No. 13, at the Masters graphic from CBS: Par 3s +18, Par 4s +6, Par 5s -87. 

1:47 - Leaderboard update with leaders through 6 holes: Snedeker -8, Immelman -7, Flesch -7, Casey -7, Mickelson -5, Poulter -5, Woods -4, O'Hair -4

1:54 - Snedeker leaves approach into 7 in front bunker, gives caddy a look and head shake that makes me think he was talked into a club that left him short.

1:55 - We see the rear view of No. 14 green. When did the big tree that was protecting the left front come down?  I haven't seen that mentioned in any stories about course changes.

2:01 - Paul Casey birdies No. 9, fires 32 on the front to join the lead with Snedeker.

2:04 - Tiger hits his tee shot down the left of 15, twirls the club and calls himself a "dumbass." 

2:07 - Poulter shanks it from a slight downhill lie on No. 9 fairway, skulls his next wedge shot. But at least he looks great.  

2:08 - Tiger hits massive hook into No. 15 right greenside bunker. Stevie is not wearing his caddy issued green hat.  He's such a maverick!

2:10 - Nantz brings in Peter Kostis, Paul Casey's longtime instructor who says they worked on sidehill lies and shaping shots coming into Augusta. Kostis said too many players are working on technique when they get to Augusta.

2:14 - Leaders on 8. At least half of spectators in grandstand dressed as seats. Snedeker birdie putt swirls around cup, gets him to -9 and Oosterhuis notes that he looks "pretty comfortable in this situation."

2:22 - CBS replays the epic Tiger chip in from 2005. It never gets old. And that seemed like a new camera angle, or maybe it was just treated with a different finish. 

2:29 - Faldo notes the pressure is changing...players are sporting rain gear, it's cooling off.  

2:34 - Something is wrong here. The leaders are walking down 10 and fans are walking up the hill in the opposite direction, leaving in droves! 

2:37 - Nantz says it's "thinning out at the top" as Mickelson misses his par putt on 10. Meanwhile Retief is sneaking up the leaderboard, making eagle 3 on No. 13. "It's interesting what's happening here Nick" as Nantz lists all of the people backing up. Meanwhile Snedeker looks calm, cool and like he's having fun.

2:40 - That's what we need to hear, a few more roars on the back nine" - Oosterhuis after roar following Tiger's second near-hole-out on No. 17. 

2:48 - Tiger is on 18 in the trees and Faldo says he can see his opening from his booth. Nantz says "really," meaning he is still in Butler Cabin. They had me fooled, I thought they were announcing from the same spot!  Tiger hits awesome recovery. Better get a tree out there to fill in that gap. That was way too heroic!

2:55 - Tiger makes ho-hum par, 68, -5, four back. CBS reminds us with a graphic that he's never won a major trailing after 54.  

3:00 - Bill Macatee tracks down Tiger behind 18 "who said 68 was about the highest score I could have shot" and that he put himself "right back in the tournament."

3:18 - Leaders play 12, Snedeker makes bogey, Immelman makes par, grandstand manages to remain mostly full. 

3:21 - Phil nearly makes eagle, gets him to -3. As Kostis notes, one more birdie and he might get himself in a pairing with Tiger. 

3:22 - Graphic of No. 15 green complex by CBS - simply phenomenal stuff. Wonder who did this for them? What a great addition to the presentation.

3:25 - Snedeker has 231 into No. 13, almost misses creek to the right. "Really bad error at this point in the proceedings" says Kostis who noted he was aiming right before the shot was hit. Immelman nails wedge shot third tight.

3:29 - "This golf course with its redesign doesn't allow you to recover much" - Kostis after Paul Casey's bogey on 15 and what he sees as tentative plays.

3:32 - Oh oh, Phil birdies 14 and just like that he's -4 again after struggling.  Sure would have been nice to have seen that approach shot.

3:37 - Three straight bogies for Snedeker, but "he still has that smile" according to Macatee.

3:38 - Leaderboard update: Immelman -9, Casey -8, Flesch -7, Snedeker -6, Woods -5, Mickelson -4, Cink -4, Goosen -3 

3:44 - Snedeker gets it back to -7 with birdie on 14, Flesch and Mickelson hit great spinning thirds to 15 and Immelman drains birdie on 14 to move to -10. Some excitement! Augusta is back! Well, not quite but at least something's happening.

3:51 - Phil misses in right greenside bunker on 16, making possible Tiger pairing that much tougher. CBS announce crew goes into mourning mode. 

3:56 - "It's about as hard to hit the green here as it is up the hill." - Feherty, describing the third shot into 15. 

3:58 - Whoa, Immelman hits No. 15 green, spins it back and Feherty thinks it is going into the water but as it's rolling, he notes a flat spot. Sure enough it nestles down. Nantz chimes in with a comparison to the 1992 Fred Couples shot stopping on the bank. Great stuff!

4:03 - Snedeker drains birdie putt, moves to -8 as Phil doubles 16 to drop to -2. Immelman gets up and down from front bank, lead still at 2.

4:06 - Snedeker hits 7 iron to middle of green, ball rolls down to lower shelf. Immelman yanks it way let but ends up in the same spot as Snedeker. Which hole location is more lame on 16, today's or the front right one we haven't seen (thankfully) this week. 

4:11 - Two fine two-putts from the lower shelf by Snedeker and Immelman. And we know they are fine two putts thanks to Phil from just a moment ago. Immelman -10, Snedeker -8.

4:12 - Oy vey, Peter Kostis interviewing his client Paul Casey. Uh, is Bill Macatee having lunch? Come on CBS, it's one thing to get Peter's insights on Paul's game, which were great, but this is a no-no. Even Kostis looks uncomfortable doing it. Proof: the hilarious "good luck" afterwords, when they're probably having dinner together! Nantz says it's a bit "surreal." That's one way of putting it.

4:26 - Flesch sticks 180 yard shot on 18, birdie gets him to a 69 and -8 and may get him in the last pairing. Immelman is in second cut on 17 and stops his approach too quickly actually. The cut doesn't appear to hurt him. Makes nice two-putt while Snedeker makes solid par.

4:31 - Great audio work by CBS guys to get Snedeker and caddy talking about his 6-iron club selection on 18. Snedeker hits it 6-7 feet.  Big smiles for Brandt and caddy.

4:33 - Immelman hits it inside Snedeker. "Unreal" declares Nantz.  "How about these two shots?"

4:35 - Bill Macatee is back from his lunch break to interview Steve Flesch!! "You're in the moment here," declares Macatee. Oy vey.

4:38 - Snedeker makes his birdie, finishes -9 after a -2 70. Finishes 2 back of Immelman who birdies as well t finish -11 after a 69.  "Phenomenal" declares Nantz.  Took 4:10 to play the round.

4:39 - Well that was a fun day, some great moments late in the round thanks to birdies by the leaders. A shame Phil took himself out but still has the ingredients for an exciting final day.