| I like my Masters spring-like. Odd site it was to | | | | time Sunday the wind had died down considerably |
| see spectators covered in blankets. The blooms | | | | and pins were more accessible. Tiger would have |
| were out and the birds were chirping but I felt | | | | gone for the green in two regardless of the more |
| cold watching it. Exxon Mobile lucked out with the | | | | benign change in weather Sunday but Goosen |
| unseasonably cold weather: See, no global | | | | didn't recognize that the back nine after No. 12 |
| warming. Big Blue's ads were great---I didn't tire | | | | represented an opportunity to make a few birdies |
| of Sam Elliott, the stranger from The Big | | | | coming in, which is exactly what Johnson did. |
| Lebowsky, voicing over Augusta beauty shots to | | | | Goose missed some putts that might have |
| the tune of Yo-Yo Ma. The sites and sounds | | | | changed things, yes, but that decision on the tee |
| were so attractive in that ad that I don't even | | | | at No. 13 seemed to indicate that he didn't |
| know what it was about. The red box at the end | | | | recognize the moment. |
| was too abstract; I was already in a trance. Wait, | | | | A Mickelson note: He's in a no win situation until he |
| I thought, this is something more than a pleasing | | | | wins his next major, which could come at the |
| video? I don't understand. Maybe if I buy IBM I | | | | British Open, where he's been least successful of |
| can have a nice red box, too, and Yo-Yo Ma will | | | | the four majors. He's that mercurial. Suggestions |
| come over, and I can ask Sam Elliott to say 'the | | | | that the last hole of Winged Foot is still in his head |
| dude' and 'sarsaparilla' on demand, over and over | | | | regarding his performance last week are off the |
| again? Awesome! How do I buy IBM? What is | | | | mark, I think. Plenty of top players made a mess |
| IBM? I'm sure whatever it is I will like it. | | | | at Augusta, like Ernie Els, who missed the cut. |
| Golf happened, too. I'm not sure if the difficult | | | | Mickelson tripled the first, true, but the first was |
| conditions and high scores most of the | | | | carnage on Sunday. Bogey was a good score. |
| tournament made for more interesting viewing | | | | There's no way the pressure and his demons got |
| than the calmer scoring conditions Sunday | | | | him there. If he butchered the last with a lead, |
| afternoon. Tiger wouldn't have made a short | | | | that would be one thing. In any case, I continue to |
| eagle at No. 13 any other time during the | | | | feel calmer, have a sort of Zen-like experience |
| tournament. On the flip side of par dramatics, | | | | watching him now because I'm not picking him. I |
| eventual winner Joaquin Phoenix, I mean Zach | | | | hope he wins again, but he could run the table on |
| Johnson, wouldn't have made bogey on No. 16 | | | | the majors this year and I wouldn't pick him. At |
| Friday if the course wasn't playing so tough. His | | | | some point Pamela and Tommy had to break up, |
| tee shot almost went in. About half an inch was | | | | to survive. |
| responsible for a four-stroke swing on one | | | | In all, I was into this version of The Masters at |
| famous par-3. | | | | times and not so into it other times. I like the |
| What's more interesting, a butchered hole or a | | | | fight for par, but at the same time something |
| conquered hole? It's the same for everyone, of | | | | was missing. A pitching duel in October is well |
| course. Would you rather see a baseball game | | | | served by a clutch ninth inning blast toward the |
| with more offense, more home runs, or a tight | | | | harvest moon. It was still Christmas, though, this |
| pitching duel in which the sluggers scratch for par, | | | | Masters, a gift, a mostly free entertainment. But |
| move runners over, sacrifice and so on. That's | | | | it was like the tried and true Johnny Mathis album |
| playoff baseball, the best kind, in my opinion, and | | | | was replaced by a new album, a good album, but |
| the way the game was meant to be played. | | | | missing something just the same. |
| That kind of do-the-little-things approach, scratch | | | | Last week: I needed Goose to win at 25-1 in the |
| out offense when you can but stay in the game | | | | outright for a nice week. He covered the |
| at all costs (for baseball that would be the | | | | head-to-head, at 8-15 over Arron Oberholser, 1 |
| importance of pitching and defense), was | | | | unit, for $533.33---half a unit. |
| exhibited by Johnson, whose approach to the | | | | At this week's Verizon Heritage on Hilton Head, |
| par-5s---he laid up on all of them all week---was | | | | take Jim Furyk (10-1), 1/6 unit: You could say that |
| tactical, smart, and indicated that he was aware | | | | a grinder like gentleman Jim would just as soon |
| of himself and what he could do to win. Tiger's | | | | prefer the test be like it was last week and not |
| approach to last year's British Open was similar in | | | | on the relatively benign links course this week. But |
| that he went with irons off the tee, played back, | | | | you could also say he's in the mix wherever he |
| played safely back, that is, and won. | | | | plays and that if he's been struggling with his |
| A big surprise was to see Retief Goosen take | | | | putter this year and still managed a T13, he's |
| long iron off the tee at No. 13. He was coming off | | | | going to make hay. He's finished second at |
| the bogey at No. 12 and had lost the lead. By that | | | | Harbourtown the last two years. |