I’m grateful to be at the Masters Championship! I’m watching some good friends play, and if you’re paying attention, you’ll see me on television.
I’ve played with a lot of the guys in the field, and am gratified to say that three good friends are in a really good position to win this thing! I’ve played several times with these three good friends and have beaten… none of them.
Are you kidding? I never even came close!
My claim to golf glory is that on one hole, I beat one of them one time. Another friend told me later that the pro’d allowed me to win that hole so that one day I’d have something to tell my grandchildren. He said they do this all the time.
In fact, this friend said, they’d made a game of it. No one was going to take a double- or triple-bogey so that I could win. That meant that the one who had to “take one for the team” was the one who found himself playing with me when I had a reasonable shot at par or birdie on one of these holes.
Since the pros play from tee boxes that are set waaaaaaaaayyyyyy far back, this just doesn’t happen all that frequently, but I did notice that on one of my very first pars on a championship course, I did manage to beat this touring pro, who’s won, ummm, several major championships — and who’s in contention today! I still don’t believe the “take-one-for-the-team” story. 🙂
Needless to say, The Masters is the most prestigious golf championship in the world, though partisans of the British Open — pardon me, the “Open Championship” — will disagree.
Really, though, I think it runs like this for prestige: #1: The Masters, #2 The British Open, #3: the U.S. Open, #4: the PGA Championship, #5 The Players Championship.
So, three good friends of mine are within very reasonable striking distance of winning this thing, and one’s not too far off. Whom do I root for?!?!?
Go, uhhhhhhhhhh…!!!
To paraphrase Henry Kissinger: Too bad they can’t all win!
— xPraetorius
The Praetorian Writers' Group 
Congrats to Tiger!
Sadly I am very poor at the sport. My only claim to fame was when my dad took me to a Western Open at Medinah Country Club (west of Chicago) back in the mid 60’s… and I was part of “Arnie’s Army” that followed him around… and George Archer turned toward me in the giant crowd as he was about to putt and told everyone to “Shut up, please!” and I wasn’t making any noise. 🙂
Lol! Well, apparently my claims to fame are nothing to write home about either, if my pro friend can be believed and the one brief, shining victory I had wasn’t real.
Yes, congrats to Tiger! What a round he put together! I had an inkling that he might take it when the announcement about the afternoon’s upcoming severe weather was made. Tiger has had plenty of experience playing in less than optimal conditions, and the pressure of major tournament play was not going to bother him, so that left whatever effect the weather, the non-standard groupings and the need to hurry it all along was going to have on the others.
That’s a great story about Archer! I’m sorry that he misidentified you as a noise maker! So unfair!
In an entirely unrelated venue, I had a similar experience, being singled out by a famous person. I went to an outdoor, on the lawn, concert being put on by Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson. Picnic lunches and everything, and music by Ella and Oscar! After one number, we all applauded loudly and, as the applause was dying down, Ella said, “Thank you!” I shouted back, “No, thank you!” I was young and full of myself. Ella stopped and laughed, and said, “Aww, I love you.”
So, George Archer told you to shut up, and Ella Fitzgerald told me she loved me. I think I got the better deal.
Best,
— x