{"id":3214,"date":"2020-11-13T14:23:45","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T14:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/?p=3214"},"modified":"2020-11-13T19:15:27","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T19:15:27","slug":"finally-its-masters-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/uncategorized\/3214\/finally-its-masters-week","title":{"rendered":"Finally, it’s Masters week"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2015-Masters\"<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

(Augusta, GA via the Internet)\u00a0 <\/span>As noted last week, I\u2019m credentialed for this week\u2019s Masters but due to Covid-19 safeguards I wasn\u2019t able to actually attend the tournament. If I were back in high school, it\u2019d be like earning a long phone date with the prom queen. Nice but it just doesn\u2019t match being there in person.<\/p>\n

But I slog on after logging on\u2026.In between some bonus rounds of golf this past week, I did keep track of the Masters not only on the Golf Channel<\/i> and ESPN <\/i>but also on the Masters Media Hub. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a recap of the week so far:<\/p>\n

\u2014Thursday\u2019s round started with just nine players on the course when threatening weather approached, suspending play. A thunderstorm rolled in, drenching the grounds and leading to a nearly three-hour delay. Play resumed and not even Augusta National\u2019s famed SubAir ventilation system below the green surfaces could prevent them from becoming soggy dart boards.\u00a0 <\/span>The game\u2019s elite players thrive on soft greens and it was the same on Thursday. As CBS-TV\u2019s Jim Nantz aptly described, \u201cplayers were peppering the flagstick.\u201d To sharpen the point, more than fifty players were at par or better during the first round.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Play was called due to darkness at 5:30 p.m. with 44 golfers still on the course.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the good news for those waking up and reading this e-newsletter on Friday morning: ESPN\u2019s coverage of the first round resumes at 7:30 a.m. EST.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the overnight leader in the clubhouse is 43-year-old Englishman Paul Casey with a seven-under-par 65. At the final round of 2019 Masters, Casey stumbled to an 81 so in consecutive competitive rounds he improved 16 shots. Afterwards, he summed up his round:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great round.\u00a0 <\/span>I got through Amen Corner unscathed, and picked one up on 13.\u00a0 <\/span>And yeah, it was just very, very solid golf.\u00a0 <\/span>And for me the difficult kind of key holes out there, holes like 1 and 5, 7, you have to hit a good tee shot. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I did the right things when I needed to, and to be honest, you rarely walk off this golf course going, it could have been two or three better, but it kind of felt that way.\u00a0 <\/span>I don’t want to be greedy.\u00a0 <\/span>I’m very, very happy with my 65.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two shots back at five-under and also completing their rounds are Webb Simpson and Xander Schauffele. After 10 holes, Justin Thomas is five-under.<\/p>\n

Five players shot 68 on Thursday, including Tiger Woods with his first bogey-free round in a major since 2009. The defending champion said, \u201cI did everything well today\u201d in terms of his driving, iron play and short game. He\u2019ll be teeing off in the afternoon for his second round.<\/p>\n

Much talked about Bryson DeChambeau shot a 70 which featured five birdies, one bogey and a double-bogey at the par-five 13th hole.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

****************************************************************************<\/p>\n

Earlier in the week:<\/p>\n

\u2014In spite of him being the defending champion, Tiger Woods took second billing to the Incredible Hulk, aka Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambleau\u2019s game-changing distance with his driver dominated the run-up to the tournament. That, and the Masters being held in November.<\/p>\n

\"Bryson<\/a>

Bryson DeChambeau<\/p><\/div>\n

What really ramped up the Bryson Bandwagon was the report from Sirius XM Radio\u2019s Carl Paulson about the US Open winner\u2019s practice round last week at Augusta National. He reported some of the following clubs into holes: \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No. 1 (Par 4, 445 yards): Sand wedge<\/p>\n

No. 2 (Par 5, 575 yards): 8-iron<\/p>\n

No. 3 (Par 4, 350 yards): Flew the green with a 3-wood off the tee<\/p>\n

No. 8 (Par 5, 570 yards): 7-iron<\/p>\n

No. 10 (Par 4, 495 yards): Pitching wedge<\/p>\n

No. 11 (Par 4, 505 yards): 9-iron<\/p>\n

No. 13 (Par 5, 510 yards): 7-iron (hit 3-wood off tee)<\/p>\n

No. 15 (Par 5, 530 yards): 9-iron<\/p>\n

No. 17 (Par 4, 440 yards): Sand wedge<\/p>\n

As it\u2019s been observed for years, Augusta National\u2014barring wind and weather factors\u2014is really a par-68 for modern day players and their prodigious length. Because of it, maybe the whole idea of a \u201cpar\u201d on a given hole is irrelevant. Instead, maybe we should focus on a day\u2019s total and the final 72-hole score. But it\u2019s a hard habit and tradition to break.<\/p>\n

\u2014On Monday, the Masters made some important socially conscious initiatives. Masters chairman Fred Ridley announced Lee Elder will be an honorary starter next April along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. This year is the 45th anniversary of Elder\u2019s history-making start as the first Black player at the Masters. In addition, the Masters will honor Elder by establishing a men\u2019s and women\u2019s golf scholarship in his name at nearby Paine College\u2014a historically black college in the city\u2014as well as fully funding the launch of a new women\u2019s golf program at the college.<\/p>\n

\"SI<\/a>

SI honored Lee Elder’s historic start at the ’75 Masters<\/p><\/div>\n

When asked by the Associated Press\u2019 Doug Peterson what \u201csparked the conversation\u201d for this initiative, Ridley said: \u201cI think like all organizations, we’ve been moved by the events of 2020.\u00a0 There’s been a lot said about racial justice and opportunity, and our question was not so much what can we say but what can we do.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I guess I would say that this announcement is in part a call to action in that regard.\u00a0 Lee has had a long relationship, we have had a long relationship with Lee.\u00a0 Certainly dating back to 1975 but he’s been our guest here almost every year at the Masters\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014On Wednesday there was Masters Chairman Fred Ridley\u2019s annual Press Conference. Here were the major takeaways: 1) The Club along with its corporate partners are contributing $10 million to Augusta\u2019s urban core neighborhood for redevelopment purposes and advancement.\u00a0 <\/span>2) No major changes to the course for the 2021 Masters, including any decisions about lengthening the par-5 13th hole. Last year, Ridley expressed concerns about how Tour player\u2019s longer driving distances have diminished the \u201crisk\u201d factor posed by the second shot at the 13th. Ridley again stated the Masters\u2019 support for the game\u2019s governing bodies, the USGA & R & A, and how they\u2019re dealing with the issue, including a distance report to be released next April. 3) Ridley remains hopeful about the 2021 Masters and how it may be possible to safely add some patron attendance, as was seen last week at the Houston Open. \u201cRapid testing\u201d and an effective vaccine will play a part. 4) Sunday\u2019s Butler Cabin green jacket ceremony will remain a part of the telecast this year although with more room for social distancing.<\/p>\n

The founding editor of Michigan Golfer <\/i>and a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, Terry Moore has covered 35 Masters as a golf writer. He can be contacted at terry50moore@gmail.com<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

photos courtesy of the Masters, USGA, \u00a0Sports Illustrated, PGA TOUR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Augusta, GA via the Internet)\u00a0 As noted last week, I\u2019m credentialed for this week\u2019s Masters but due to Covid-19 safeguards… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":1915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,9,17,7],"tags":[1036821,53,159,813700,999090,2119,83],"class_list":["post-3214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-golf","category-courses-and-travel","category-personalities","tag-masters","tag-tiger-woods","tag-augusta-national","tag-fred-ridley","tag-lee-elder","tag-paul-casey","tag-usga"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2015\/04\/2015-Masters-e1605294902481.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3214"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3216,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3214\/revisions\/3216"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}