![\"Jon](\"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/03\/1681088142239_1280x720.jpg\")
<\/a>Jon Rahm<\/p><\/div>\n
Jon Rahm. <\/b>The defending champion will preside over a packed interview room and answer inevitable questions concerning his move to LIV late last year. Rahm is a good interview subject, usually forthcoming and candid, with a nice helping of humor.<\/p>\n
The immaculate conditions of Augusta National<\/b>. With an army of agronomists and maintenance staff, the course is pristine, with nary a thing out of place. The bunkers with their dazzling white \u201csand\u201d (actually quartz granules) are majestic. Everything is neat, tidy, and defined. Even the insects seem to fly in formation.<\/p>\n The par-5 second hole<\/p><\/div>\n The second hole<\/b>. Last year, the iconic par-five 13th was lengthened by 35 yards to restore its once risk-reward character. This year, yardage was added similarly to toughen the par-five-second hole. \u00a0During last year\u2019s Masters, the second was ranked as the easiest hole and cumulatively has been ranked the second-easiest hole to the par-5 13th. Only 10 yards have been added to the tee box, but that, combined with a new angle, may result in fewer birdies. Some observers say the added length and new angle may bring the right fairway bunker more into play. No other course changes were made this year.<\/p>\n Tiger Woods<\/p><\/div>\n Tiger Woods<\/b>. After only a few appearances this season, Woods seems to be walking better without as much of a limp. Yet, he has played only a few rounds this season. Still, I feel another Masters win is within Woods\u2019 grasp, despite his injuries and lack of play. However, the hilly topography of Augusta National over four days poses a major hurdle. And time is running out. Woods does have a good chance of notching another Masters record this year. If he makes the cut, it\u2019ll be his 24th consecutive cut made, surpassing Fred Couples and Gary Player.<\/p>\n The weather.<\/b> After a mild Michigan winter where I\u2019ve played several times already, Augusta won\u2019t be such a drastic change of scenery. Being in Augusta in early April is usually delightful. Here\u2019s hoping for dry weather. Last year on tournament days, play was suspended three times. That\u2019s a tough break for patrons. The last time the Masters had no rain during the tournament was in 2013.<\/p>\n No cell phones<\/b>. Like most, I\u2019m tethered to my cell phone. But I find the Masters to be a haven from the ubiquity of cell phones. I don\u2019t see the Masters abandoning its no cell phone policy. Years ago, when Billy Payne was Masters chairman, he remarked how disappointing it was to see sports and golf fans constantly using their cell phones to capture images at sporting events. Being there in the moment wasn\u2019t good enough. Instead, the experience was being filtered through a tiny lens. As a credentialed press member, I may use my cell phone in the Press Building but its use is prohibited on the course. I\u2019m perfectly fine with that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Masters Chairman\u2019s Interview.<\/b> On Wednesday of Masters week, Fred Ridley will follow tradition and give his \u201cState of the Masters\u201d address and then be open to a Q & A. He\u2019ll make announcements about the tournament, the course, and the game itself. Undoubtedly, he\u2019ll address the LIV-PGA Tour morass and how the recent news of LIV dropping its demands about being included in the World Ranking points may impact future Masters player qualifications.<\/p>\n The patrons. <\/b>No other sporting event has such courteous and well-behaved enthusiasts. Maybe it\u2019s because they feel so privileged to be there. You don\u2019t hear lame and overused shout-outs from the gallery so common at Tour events. And if you strike up a conversation, an instant rapport is often established. And you never know whom you might meet. One time, I sat in one of my favorite spots at an observation stand at the 13th hole, and lo and behold, after chatting with the person next to me, I realized we were classmates in grade school! Another time, I happened to sit directly behind the Executive Director of the Florida State Golf Association with whom I had only previously chatted on the phone.<\/p>\n We were all kindred spirits relishing the best golf tournament in the world.<\/p>\n Photos courtesy of the Masters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a><\/a><\/a>\n