A Tradition Unlike Any Other

The MASTERS started yesterday!!!!! What is The Masters you ask?

If you are unfortunate enough to have to ask this question please read on and allow me to change your life. The Masters is only the most anticipated, historic, tradition rich golf event in the world. It is played every year on the second weekend in April at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Augusta is an almost magical place where the beauty of nature's landscape and the precision of man's abilities come together for four days a year to create the most awe-inspiring event in sports. With the azaleas and dogwoods in full bloom, Augusta in April is truly a masterpiece. If you are finding yourself scoffing at someone's excitement over golf or if you are one of those people that don't think golf is a sport then you have clearly never watched this grand spectacle of sport.

In was back in April of 1997 shortly after my 13th birthday when I watched my first ever round of professional golf and it happened to be the final round of the Masters. At that time I didn't appreciate the magnificence of August National, the drama of Amen corner, or the significance of the green jacket. All I knew is that I had heard a lot about some kid named Tiger Woods and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I was not disappointed.

I fell in love with a new sport that Sunday afternoon. I watched as a 21 year old Tiger became the youngest player ever to win the Masters. In route to his historic victory he also shoot the lowest score ever for the tournament at -18 (low is good in golf :) and his 12 stroke margin of victory was the largest of all time. His win also carried cultural significance as he simultaneously became the first black player and the first Asian player (His dad is African American and his mom is from Thailand) to win the Masters. It was captivating stuff to see a sport that had been dominated by old white guys for so long be changed forever by this fiery young prodigy.

Tiger has gone on to provide many more mesmerizing moments in his career but perhaps none greater than his chip in on the 16th hole en route to his 4th green jacket in 2005.

Allow me to set the stage. Tiger has a slim lead with only 3 holes to play when he hits is tee shot at the famous par 3 16th just off the green. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but this particular green has such a severe slope that Snowbird would be forced to label it a least a blue run. Face with an impossible shot, Tiger comes up with this.

Watch and let the voice of Verne Lundquist take you to a special place:



Well if that doesn't do it for you I don't know what to say. But I hope that those of you who remain unconverted to this wonderful event will take a few minutes this weekend to tune in and see for yourself, this tradition unlike any other. My bet is that before long you will doing fist pumps too.