Sunday, April 4, 2010

It's Masters Week

Tomorrow is the beginning of golf's biggest week. To cliche it would be to say it is perhaps the PGA's Super Bowl. To put it simply would be to say it is the greatest tournament in the world. To downsize it into one word is to just say it is the Masters. It is Augusta National, and that's where all the beauty, splendor, color, and excitement comes in. Television does a more than adequate job of translating the awesomeness of the setting to its viewers. However to walk the grounds of Augusta National is an experience like no other. It is a landscaper's showcase, where all the beauty of spring in the South is on display. It is perfection. And the saga that is the golf tournament is played out on this flawless stage, culminated on the world's most famous back nine on Sunday afternoon. Those taunting three holes in succession aren't called "Amen Corner" for nothing. All the varied skills of the professional golfer are put to the test, and the test on Sunday is under extreme fire if he's high on the leader board. He must keep his drives on the plush fairway turf and off of the straw created by those giant Georgia pines. Playing pinball with those big babes reeks havoc on a scorecard. The Pro must also be able to deftly place his approach shots on the correct area of the greens. To err here is to stare a 3-putt in the face. And lastly, the player must be a magician on and around the tantalizing Augusta National greens. Birdies become bogies very quickly on misplays relatively close to the hole. All of this beauty and suspense is what we, the fans, have to look forward to this week. This week will not be about the return of a guy to competition from a series of love fests, I assure you. It will be about Augusta National and the Masters. To borrow from Barnum and Bailey, it is the Greatest Show On Earth! Enjoy.

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