<p>Being a golf fanatic, I thought I would start a post in anticipation of the Masters in two weeks. Just meaningless talk about a great sport, and a few moments away from the schoolish threads.</p>
<p>Btw, current odds on Tiger are 3:1. Will that stay the same? Anyone taking Phil?</p>
<p>Tiger plays better when he has a blond in his life. I hope Phil wins because he is a good guy where Tiger is a player or at least was a player in the woman department.</p>
<p>If Tiger putts like he did at Doral and Bay Hill, he will be very tough to beat. However, it’s hard to imagine being that hot with the putter at Augusta.</p>
<p>^^True, but I do recall some incredible putting at Augusta from The Old Tiger. And he knows those greens so so well. Augusta is really like a chess match on those greens, knowing exactly where to land, and more importantly, where to miss! And he knows that so well, but he just hasn’t executed in a few years. I’m thinking he will be right there in the heart of things on Sunday. Of course, we do love Phil!</p>
<p>You know, with Phil for so many years I hated to root for him because he would be doing great, and then pull a “Phil,” taking a high risk shot and just completely losing the tournament in the blink of an eye. Although, he has gotten smarter (or more risk averse) hasn’t he?!</p>
<p>I am sure Tiger is a nice person and is very competitive. He is not a nice person when it comes to how he treated his ex-wife. He paid dearly for that mistake so maybe he will behave better or at least not promise to be faithful.</p>
<p>Cirques:</p>
<p>In some ways, I think Tiger’s experience at Augusta (and fear of those greens) probably puts him at a disadvantage to a young player who gets red hot and fires at pins because he doesn’t know any better. A lot depends on the weather and how hard/fast the greens get.</p>
<p>jackdaniels:</p>
<p>I don’t think we can judge whether any celebrity is a “nice person” based on the character they play on TV. Personally, I don’t really care whether TV celebrity golfers are “nice” or not. Is Vijay Singh a “nice person”? Is Rory McElroy a “nice person”. Is Bubba Watson a “nice person”? Is Nick Faldo a “nice person”? I don’t have the faintest idea. I know that Tiger Woods is not the first philandering cad to have won a major golf tournament. There are philandering cads who have risen to the top of all professions. Heck, there have even been a few philandering cads in the White House…</p>
<p>@jackdaniels, I agree with interestedad. Funny! I Woods is an incredible golfer and athlete. I don’t spend time thinking about his personality in terms of how he is “in real life” and I think the millions of people that do judge him are doing that on the basis of perceptions characterized by the press, and things blown out of proportion. Is there a bad perception of him? For sure! But I don’t know what he is really like that. You take a guy like Steve Stricker, who is perceived as one of the nicest guys on tour, and Stricker, who really actually knows Tiger, thinks he is a great guy. But until I sit with the guy, and have a few beers with him…</p>
<p>Look, the guy lives under a microscope and is one of the most recognized persons in the world. So being under the constant scrutiny would clearly make a person act one way, when under the lights (or I guess in his case, when the lights go out!), and quite another in private with friends. </p>
<p>@interesteddad, you make a good point. I would say the faster the greens, the better chance he has. Because when those greens get fast, they get FAST, and extremely treacherous.</p>
<p>Oh, and one other point if the greens get fast…he’s been there and being a prior winner is a huge factor, and we know there is a big choke factor for first timers, or first timers who lead coming into Sunday…Eg, Rory.</p>
<p>I’ve already written off Ricky Fowler and Justin Rose after last weekend’s collapses. Both are playing well and will probably appear to be contenders at the half way point, but both will stumble. Rose can’t putt and Fowler has fundamental swing flaws that cost him under pressure, when he can’t pull off the timing required for that swing.</p>
<p>McIlroy and Mickleson both appear to be struggling big time and would need sudden turn-arounds to contend. Sad to say, but Bubba hasn’t done anything in the last year to suggest that he won’t end up as a one-hit-wonder.</p>
<p>I didn’t think that Woods hit the ball all that great at Bay Hill. He couldn’t hit a fairway to save his life, although his irons have been off-the-charts. He needs to drive the ball in the fairway, especially on the par 5s, at Augusta. He can’t be playing out of trees and fairway bunkers all day.</p>
<p>In any case, I can’t wait. I hope it’s sunny, dry, and windy… Turn those greens into concrete and get the pines swaying in the gusts.</p>
<p>August has had an incredible amount of rain recently and some frost…so could be a factor.
I think Tiger will only contend, and my dark horse is Keegan Bradley…or maybe Steve Stricker. Don’t think Phil, Bubba or Rory are hot right now. Just keeping fingers crossed that it will be an American flag on top of the leaderboard on Sunday…</p>
<p>We are a golfing family and S2 has been putting his name on the Masters practice round ticket lottery list for years. Like thousands of others, he has always come up empty. This year he was awarded the opportunity for 4 tickets! S2, S3, H and I will be attending the Tuesday practice round. We are all beyond excited and just can’t wait to see that course in person!!!
It could not have worked out better as we have just relocated from New England to 1-1/2 hours from Augusta. </p>
<p>Tournament rules state that no cell phones are allowed on the course, with a lifetime ban for any offender and the person who scored the tickets. I think S plans to search us before entry! :eek: Please keep a good thought for great weather on the Tuesday of Masters week!</p>
<p>You’ll love it!</p>
<p>I moved to Augusta in the third grade and we had Masters tickets starting in 1964. My father had good sense to start getting four season tickets before the waiting list. Far enough back that I remember seeing Bobby Jones riding around in his golf cart. You will be shocked at how beautiful the place is and how hilly it is. It’s really hard to grasp how much slope there is on those greens.</p>
<p>For practice rounds, I’d probably walk the course, starting at the 1st tee.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to try a Masters ham 'n cheese on rye sandwich. I have one for lunch while I’m watching the tournament on TV every year now!</p>
<p>Yeah. Keegan Bradley seems to be the young gun with a hot hand right now. I also expect Graeme McDowell to be in the hunt.</p>
<p>Still, Tiger has been far and away the best player in the world so far this year and he has to be the favorite.</p>
<p>interestdad, I disagree about the ham and cheese. For the true Augusta National experience, you must try the pimento cheese sandwich! </p>
<p>my-3-sons - be sure to spend some time at the driving range (in front of the clubhouse on the Washington Road side) and the putting green. It’s fascinating to watch to golfers interact with other golfers and with their coaches. My favorite place to watch during practice rounds is at 16. Locals hang out there and they love to goad golfers into skipping their shots across the pond on to the green. Lots of cheering and laughing. Have fun!</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips! </p>
<p>I’ve head from others that we won’t believe the hills and slopes, and to choose footwear accordingly. Knowing our family, sandwiches of all varieties will be sampled! Keep the tips and suggestions coming!!!</p>
<p>If Tiger ever learns to keep the ball in the fairway, he will be impossible to beat. He’s an amazing golfer and I’m happy to see him back at the top. I chuckle at those who so confidently announced that he’d never return to his previous form after the scandal. I wonder what they’re saying now. 
</p>
<p>Augusta is beautiful and is an experience that every golf fan should have at least once. Walking that course is a workout in itself. Wear comfy shoes!</p>
<p>Don’t believe everything you read or hear about golfers - they have a public persona that they work very hard to maintain. The same is true about many top-level athletes.</p>
<p>Some of the most beloved can be complete jerks - I have seen it first hand.</p>
<p>I will be rooting for ABT (Anybody But Tiger). Proud to say I was a card carrying hater long before that fateful Thanksgiving evening.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s all new now. They replaced the big parking lot at the corner of Berkman and Washington Roads with a state-of-the-art range and practice area. I haven’t seen it in person, but the photos look spectacular:</p>
<p><a href=“http://i.cdn.turner.com/dr/golf/www/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/gallery_images/2010_1.jpg[/url]”>http://i.cdn.turner.com/dr/golf/www/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/gallery_images/2010_1.jpg</a></p>
<p>No more driving into nets to stop ball from sailing over Washington Road.</p>
<p>Virtually all of the holes on the back 9 are worth sitting for a few minutes as you walk the course. </p>
<p>10 green
11& 12 green
13 green
15 green
16 green
18 green</p>
<p>The sandwiches (all types) were always a big thing because I would get dropped off when the gates opened early in the morning to sprint down the hill and hold the front row seats on 13 grandstand (Saturday) or 15 grandstand (Sunday – to see both 15 and 16). So when the sandwiches arrived at the concession stands mid-morning, they tasted great! I had forgotten about the pimento cheese. My alternates were usually the fried chicken sandwich or the bar-b-q sandwich.</p>
<p>I am SO SO JEALOUS of all of you who have been or are going this year! I keep putting our names in the lottery ( Wife, daughter, father-in-law, stranger on the street) but alas, nada. Augusta is truly my favorite tournament and if I had to select only one course to play for the rest of my life, it would be there. But I digress…</p>
<p>I also like Keegan, but can he handle the Masters pressure? And yes, Rory is a bit erratic lately, but the kid can turn on a dime sometimes. And when he is on, its a lot of fun rooting for him, especially when he just shoots at.the flag!</p>
![http://i.cdn.turner.com/dr/golf/www/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/gallery_images/2010_1.jpg[/url]](http://i.cdn.turner.com/dr/golf/www/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/gallery_images/2010_1.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
