Slammin'SAM
Never a flatbelly
For those that have been to the Augusta National for a Masters practice or tournament round, I would love to have you share your stories of cool or interesting things you saw or that happened there. I am sure I have been to at least 50 practice or tournament rounds (lived here since 1977), so I will start this up.
In 1983, Seve blitzed the front nine and took a nice lead, but Tom Watson was trying to chase him down. I was following Tom, and at #10 I was down the left side when he teed off (not sure patrons can go there now). His drive rattled in the pines above my head, and fell down to rest maybe 2 feet from the massive trunk, dead blocked to the green. I moved to get a good position to watch what he did, when a 'patron' who was walking toward the tee passed the pine and saw the ball - he stopped and was reaching down to pick it up when a gallery guard rushed up and said tersely, "Get away from that ball!" After a moment Watson arrived, shook his head looking at his lie/position, grabbed a wedge out of his bag, and stepped up and pitched it maybe 80 yards on up the fairway. It couldn't have been 20 seconds from the time he arrived at his ball until he was walking away after the shot.
In the sudden death playoff between Nick Faldo and Raymond Floyd, they both teed off #11, but as they began to leave the tee, Floyd turned left and went to a players bathroom that is (was, at least) in the trees left of that tee. Faldo walked briskly on, and even tho Floyd made a quick potty trip, when he came out Faldo was at his ball atop the hill. Floyd hustled up the fairway, but he looked rushed, and his hurried approach of course was dunked in the pond left.
The first time John Daly came to Augusta after his PGA win, a friend called me with Friday tix. I really wanted to see Daly crush it, and to hear the impact sound of his huge drives. We got really close at the #5 tee as they waited for Curtis Strange and John Cook to hit their approaches. They finally hit, and Daly stepped up and ripped, flying it probably 30 yards past Strange walking up the left side (but nowhere near Strange). I had mixed feelings - the drive was crushed and awesome to watch, but the sound was a dull thud off that Kevlar driver he used then. Fast forward to #13, and we are at the corner - Cook and Strange wait for the green to clear, then approach. As they walk off Daly pounds another, this time maybe 50 yards past Cook as he walked - Cook never looked back. Cook and Strange get to the green and start putting, and Daly is waiting. Cook putts out and Strange misses his eagle,
but from back at the corner it appears he left a tough birdie try, because he studied it from all angles, plumb-bobbing, circling. Finally he got over it, stood over it forever, and then putted - DINK - must have been no more than 6 inches. Man, it was funny - Daly must have thought so, too, cause he applauded. He didn't hit into them the rest of the day.
It's a practice round, probably a Tuesday, at #2. Fuzzy Zoeller had laid up short and well right, and his ball was behind a lot of gallery. The gallery guard belatedly started clearing the shot path, but Fuzzy just waved him off, and stepped up and pitched it right over the heads of the patrons like they weren't there. From there I eased over to #7 green, where Jeff Sluman is in a front bunker practicing the pitch. After about a half-dozen tries, all pretty close to the pin, Jeff holes one. Someone in the gallery hollers, "shooda saved that one for the tournament". Jeff stops and looks and replies, "plenty more where that came from!"
I'd love to read more stories....
In 1983, Seve blitzed the front nine and took a nice lead, but Tom Watson was trying to chase him down. I was following Tom, and at #10 I was down the left side when he teed off (not sure patrons can go there now). His drive rattled in the pines above my head, and fell down to rest maybe 2 feet from the massive trunk, dead blocked to the green. I moved to get a good position to watch what he did, when a 'patron' who was walking toward the tee passed the pine and saw the ball - he stopped and was reaching down to pick it up when a gallery guard rushed up and said tersely, "Get away from that ball!" After a moment Watson arrived, shook his head looking at his lie/position, grabbed a wedge out of his bag, and stepped up and pitched it maybe 80 yards on up the fairway. It couldn't have been 20 seconds from the time he arrived at his ball until he was walking away after the shot.
In the sudden death playoff between Nick Faldo and Raymond Floyd, they both teed off #11, but as they began to leave the tee, Floyd turned left and went to a players bathroom that is (was, at least) in the trees left of that tee. Faldo walked briskly on, and even tho Floyd made a quick potty trip, when he came out Faldo was at his ball atop the hill. Floyd hustled up the fairway, but he looked rushed, and his hurried approach of course was dunked in the pond left.
The first time John Daly came to Augusta after his PGA win, a friend called me with Friday tix. I really wanted to see Daly crush it, and to hear the impact sound of his huge drives. We got really close at the #5 tee as they waited for Curtis Strange and John Cook to hit their approaches. They finally hit, and Daly stepped up and ripped, flying it probably 30 yards past Strange walking up the left side (but nowhere near Strange). I had mixed feelings - the drive was crushed and awesome to watch, but the sound was a dull thud off that Kevlar driver he used then. Fast forward to #13, and we are at the corner - Cook and Strange wait for the green to clear, then approach. As they walk off Daly pounds another, this time maybe 50 yards past Cook as he walked - Cook never looked back. Cook and Strange get to the green and start putting, and Daly is waiting. Cook putts out and Strange misses his eagle,
but from back at the corner it appears he left a tough birdie try, because he studied it from all angles, plumb-bobbing, circling. Finally he got over it, stood over it forever, and then putted - DINK - must have been no more than 6 inches. Man, it was funny - Daly must have thought so, too, cause he applauded. He didn't hit into them the rest of the day.
It's a practice round, probably a Tuesday, at #2. Fuzzy Zoeller had laid up short and well right, and his ball was behind a lot of gallery. The gallery guard belatedly started clearing the shot path, but Fuzzy just waved him off, and stepped up and pitched it right over the heads of the patrons like they weren't there. From there I eased over to #7 green, where Jeff Sluman is in a front bunker practicing the pitch. After about a half-dozen tries, all pretty close to the pin, Jeff holes one. Someone in the gallery hollers, "shooda saved that one for the tournament". Jeff stops and looks and replies, "plenty more where that came from!"
I'd love to read more stories....
