For the last several years, at least five, I’ve been religiously sending in my application for Masters practice round tickets. For years I’ve waited for that envelope from golf Mecca, Augusta National, to arrive.
This year I missed the deadline. I realized a day or two late, that I’d forgotten to send in my information to get into the Masters practice round lottery.
I thought to myself, “it has only been a couple of days, so just send it in anyway…”
Fist pumping at the mailbox
Today I had a fun round of golf with my Dad, my uncle and a good friend. I had a great practice session on the range but couldn’t bring it onto the course. My round was at best, mediocre.
When I got home I checked the mail, which lately hasn’t been all that thrilling. All there usually is in my mailbox is junk mail and bills. Today was different. Today changed what I’ll be doing the first week in April, forever.
I finally won the practice round lottery. I’m going to The Masters in 2010. I had goose bumps. I had goose bumps again when I told my 13 year old son, that he was coming to The Masters with me. He thought going to the practice rounds meant watching Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on the driving range, he had no idea that we were going to be on “the grounds” walking every hole and taking about 402,038 pictures.
Why did this change my first week in April “forever?” Because once you get practice round tickets for one year, you are automatically eligible for the next year. No lottery.
I couldn’t be happier. I have four tickets. One for me, my son and two special people who I’ll name shortly.
What a week
I’m coming down from a week long Masters high. What a week. So many great story lines in this years Masters. Cabrera, Perry and of course the big Tiger/Phil pairing…
Blog break
I’m a bit down due to other non golf related issues. Yes the dreaded “life” category. I’m going to take a short blogging break to clear my mind and reset. I hope to be fresh when I come back. Knowing me that break will only be a day or two, if I can resist golf blogging at all.
On the bright side there are only only 11 months, 24 days, 22 hours, 52 minutes until the 2010 Masters…
7:24pm ET – ANGEL CABRERA IS MASTERS CHAMPION
Kenny Perry lost his swing starting on the 17th hole and through the two hole playoff. Chad Campbell succumbed to the pressure as well, putting his approach shot into the right greenside bunker on the 1st hole of the playoff.
Angel Cabrera has some big time kahunas and is Masters champion! I’ll write more later, but there’s still daylight. I’m off to the course to play until sunset.
6:46pm ET PLAYOFF
I think I’m going to have a heart attack.
Kenny Perry bogeys the last two holes. We have a three man playoff between Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera. Guess I’ll keep my clubs in the garage for now and crack open a frosty beverage.
6:21pm ET
17th fairway… Kenny Perry has a two shot lead after making birdie on 15 and nearly ACING 16. I’m so happy for Perry, who will become the oldest major champion in the history of golf. I just hope he finishes soon, so I can get out and play a few holes. This is the only time of year I’d rather watch golf than play it, and I have the itch.
5:40pm ET
Kenny Perry just made a 3-putt par on #13 to stay at -12, but still holds one shot lead over Chad Campbell. Cabrera still has a chance at -10.
Tiger and Phil both limped home, making bogey on 18. Perhaps they just beat each other up today. Tiger even knocked his 2nd shot off a tree trunk. Phil‘s 67 and Tiger‘s 68 could have been 65’s or better. I could have sworn I saw Tiger limping after the tree shot on 18. Just like in football, limp after you make a bad play…
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Since it is Masters time, this is a great time to do a quick book review. The First Sunday In April is…
“A collection of stories and insights from Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, Rick Reilly, Ken Venturi, Jack Nickluas, Lee Trevino and many more about the quest for the famed green jacket.”
Essentially this book contains Masters stories as told by primarily golf writers and players. Some of the stories are quotes from player biographies. I like the way Don Wade describes the book in his foreward:
“…a literary stroll down Magnolia Lane.”
Coffee Table Book
Being just a collection of stories, this isn’t a book you need to read from front to back sequentially. You can just pop it open and flip to a random page and read stories about the famed par-3 12th hole or many other happenings at Augusta. Keep it on the coffee table like I do, and flip to a random chapter for a few minutes over coffee in the morning.
“First” Sunday In April?
Today is the final round of the 2009 Masters. It is Sunday the 12th of April. It is the 2nd Sunday in April. Details details…
Conclusion
If you are a Masters fan like me, this is an enjoyable book to have around. I love “stories” about The Masters and Augusta National and I eat ’em up.
2009 Masters Round Three Leaderboard is below. Click read more to view…
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