"Matt Parziale's week in Xanadu"

John Strege files a nice follow-up read with U.S. Mid-Amateur champ Matt Parziale after his Masters missed cut. The firefighter chimes in everything from the practice rounds and amateur dinner to his fiance's newfound interest in golf.

On the helpful nature of players in practice rounds:

Helpful, too, to a Masters rookie attempting to learn Augusta National’s nuances and mysteries in only a few days. “Golf is strange in that sense. The Patriots aren’t helping the Eagles get ready for the Super Bowl. That’s why our sport is so great. They were so great helping me around the course and showing spots where I might not want to hit it. Everyone is helpful.”

He enjoyed the perks to which every player in the field is entitled, the Mercedes-Benz courtesy car, for instance. “Probably the nicest car I’ve ever driven,” he said. There were the eight tickets a day he was provided and a few extras that he bought. “The toughest thing was getting tickets for everyone,” he said. “But the guys I couldn’t get tickets for found their own.”