Masters Diary – Round 2

by | Apr 8, 2023 | Blog

I have never taken great interest in the weather forecast except when it may affect my ability to play golf or cover golf.  Since last week I’ve been aware of the potential for rain to play a part in the 2023 Masters and that the weekend looked particularly dodgy. Friday morning started the way Thursday had ended with warm and humid conditions with barely a trace of wind and a very receptive golf course.   

I shared breakfast on Friday with Max Adler, the editor of Golf Digest, and it was enjoyable and educational to learn about the vision he and his team have for the rapidly evolving digital medium that was once simply “print” media.  They have a significant piece that will be a big part of their next issue that examines the dissolving of the relationship between Jack Nicklaus and Golf magazine and the lawsuit filed against Nicklaus by the company that bears his name, The Nicklaus Companies.  If you noticed Jack was wearing an Augusta National logo sweater and Masters hat on the first tee on Thursday compared to the customary Golden Bear logo he has worn for years.  Max replaced the legendary Jerry Tarde and the thrust of Golf Digest is now a combination of writers, contributors and content creators which is the new world of sports media content. 

Being on the air at 10 AM the first two days of the tournament didn’t provide me with an opportunity to go out on the golf course before going on the air.  However, I did jump on a cart with an engineer to go and pick up Johnson Wagner on the 10th tee since he was going to contribute to the broadcast for SiriusXM.  Johnson has joined our team at 5 Clubs and his first show with Brendon de Jonge will be next with tennis great Andy Roddick.  The transition Wagner is making into media has been impressive as he is gaining more and more experience with Golf Channel in studio and on the ground as well as working for PGA Tour Live.  He had not been back to Augusta National in a decade and his dumbstruck look at his first impression of the present footprint was telling.  Augusta National embodies the term, “success is always under construction”.  His jaw dropped when walking into the press building and was miffed to know that he didn’t have to pay for his breakfast in the dining room. 

Quick thoughts on Friday play 

  • Brooks Koepka is stalking like it’s 2018/19.  His ability to clear the clutter of a major week is noteworthy and his place at the top of the leaderboard is a hell of a storyline. 
  • Rory McIlroy not only not contending but missing the cut is deflating.  For all the chatter about the career grand slam, he has three majors left to avoid going a decade without winning any major.  The vortex he has to break back through only gets thicker. 
  • Tiger resuming his 2nd round on Saturday morning on the 12th tee is symbolic. He starts his Saturday sitting on the cut line as he tries to extend his cut streak at the Masters to 23 straight.  At some point you see things you never thought you would and Tiger beginning on the 12th tee is a powerful image not knowing how many more Masters he will play in. 
  • Sam Bennett is a tough little nut (I covered the US Amateur last summer at Ridgewood Country Club where he was overlooked early in the week) and he has similarly received little attention compared to Vanderbilt sophomore Gordon Sargent this week.  Two 68’s and he’s now in the deep end of the pool. 
  • The falling of the three trees just off the 17th tee was horrifying and harrowing for those in the immediate vicinity.  It’s simply miraculous that NO ONE was injured and that becomes amplified with each additional video angle that is put out on social media. 
  • I couldn’t pull the trigger on a different lunch item on the press building dining menu other than the seared chicken breast, however, the tenderness of the asparagus spears was wildly impressive.  I am going rogue on Saturday, I promise, and its either going to be the fish tacos or the caprese grilled cheese sandwich. 
  • I made one additional trip into the merchandise building for a few odd items for Christmas gift exchanges including a Masters Christmas tree ornament and a coffee mug.  I have a number of thoughts on the overall merchandising approach of the Masters and that will be part of the wrap up at week’s end. 
  • Best dressed media member on Friday, Brad Faxon of Golf Channel and on loan to Sky Sports this week.  A beautiful burgundy plaid sportscoat, navy slacks and cognac toned leather shoes.  Fax has excellent style. 
  • Let’s hope we play a lot of golf on Saturday. 

Masters Diary – Round 1

by | Apr 6, 2023 | Blog

The Masters is the youngest major, yet it has established several traditions because of the returning to Augusta National every year that has allowed the tournament to catch up in some ways to the other three monster events in the men’s game. The honorary starters have transitioned from generation to generation and currently the combined Masters titles of Nicklaus, Player and Watson is eleven and their overall major championship haul is 35.  Their mere presence together on Thursday morning on the first tee made me emotional watching from a monitor in the press building.  I saw Gary Player in person 50 years ago at the Greater Greensboro Open in 1973 when I was six years old.  I was on the grounds in 1980 at U.S. Open when Nicklaus shot 63 in the opening round and went on to win that year at Baltusrol.  On that same Thursday in 1980 I saw Tom Watson make a hole-in-one on the 4th hole at Baltusrol.  These three men are part of the soundtrack of my life loving golf, and you simply don’t know how much longer they will do this wonderful exercise together. 

My day centered on four live hours hosting the radio coverage on SiriusXM with a rotating cast of people from Carl Paulson, Brian Katrek, Taylor Zarzour, John Maginnes, Fred Albers and Chantel McCabe.  All with the gift of gab that is essential on radio, and we were focused primarily on the featured group of Tiger Woods, Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele.  Tiger was simply not sharp.  He labored all the way around, and on a day ripe for scoring, his 74 felt higher.  Hovland was almost spotless and produced a stellar up-and-down on 10 to hold the round in place and after thirteen holes he was 7-under and looked like he might be headed to something very low.    

I got out on the golf course at 2:30 and caught up with the group of Jason Day, Zach Johnson and amateur Gordon Sargent.  Having attended Vanderbilt, I was able to catch up with their terrific golf coach Scott Limbaugh as well as a dear friend and Sigma Chi fraternity brother who flew in to meet his two sons who attend Vanderbilt.  I bumped into the Walker Cup captain Mike McCoy, the reigning British Amateur champion, who was out watching Sargent who is destined to be on the US team next fall at St. Andrews. Conditions could not have been better for scoring, and it showed on the white, hand-operated scoreboards.   

Quick hits 

  • The tenth hole is the most majestic inland hole in my estimation in the world. Grand in scale with big and bold features from the Mackenzie bunker to the cascading loblolly pines it embodies the grandness of the golf course.
  • The landing zone for good tees shots from the new tee on hole 13 make the hole what Bob Jones intended. The decision to go for the green should be “momentous” and it is once again. 
  • From the top of the hill on 15, the green looks like an extended island green with the pond on 16 at the far exterior of the 15th green. 
  • No lunch report today as I simply did not have time to grab anything, and I was not eating a pimento cheese sandwich on the course because they are grossly overrated.  My Mom makes great homemade pimento cheese, so the bar is high but the sandwiches here are living on a reputation that is part nostalgia and maybe an ounce of fear that you shouldn’t say anything negative about the staple Masters food item.  Sorry, they are not good, its o.k.  The event’s reputation will be unaffected. 
  • Best dressed media member.  Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press.  He’s a lion in the business and his uniform of a Hawaiian shirt and shorts with his well bronzed face is one of the iconic looks in any media center. 
  • We wait for the impending weather rolling in late tomorrow.