Fore!
So most of you could probably care less about golf, but I’ll tell you it was an exceptional week of cheers and tears in Augusta, Georgia at the Masters.

The history of this tournament is unprecedented, so many huge names have grace this course through the years.  Three of them paired up on Wednesday for the pre Masters par 3 contest.  Arnold Palmer: who has his own army, Jack Nicklaus: also known as the Golden Bear and Gary Player.  It was a true pleasure watching these three men tee it up.  Gary Player,  playing in his 52nd consecutive Masters and last was all smiles, all day on Wednesday.  Player aced the final hole in dramatic fashion to cap off a delightful afternoon of fun.

The par 3 contest was started in 1960 and no one who has won the par 3 contest has won the Masters in the same year.  It’s  known as the par 3 jinx.  Tim Clark won the par 3 contest this year and finished a respectable tie for 13th place.  Lucky number 13, not so much.

The most enjoyable moments for me on par 3 Wednesday were the kids.  Some of the best golfers in the world brought along their children and/or grandchildren to carry bags, take a few putts, clean balls, race from tee to green, skip with dad up the fairway.  Okay, so you get my point.  Call me sappy, but it was heartwarming.  I love the kids.

Once again the drama has returned to the Masters.  Along with the roars.  It was an exciting week.  Who would’ve guessed that heading into the final 9 holes that 8 to 10 players had a chance to win.  I couldn’t stop watching the pairing of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.  I’m a big fan of the lefties, Phil is a lefty in case you didn’t know.  They both made a charge at the end but fell short.  As much as I don’t care for Tiger, I do respect his will to win.  What I do not respect is his attitude.  Throwing your club after a bad shot just doesn’t fly with me.  I wonder if Jack Nicklaus ever threw a club after a bad shot.  My guess, not so much.

Poor Kenny Perry, he had it all lock down with a two shot lead heading into the last two holes only to bogey them both.  He would’ve been the oldest player to win at 48.  Ooops.  That resulted in a three man playoff with Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera.  Cabrera squeaked out a par with help from the golf gods on the first playoff hole.  Perry made par as well.  Campbell took an early exit, bogeying the first playoff hole.  Perry made bogey, Cabrera made par on the second playoff hole to become the first Argentine to win the Masters.  El Pato (The Duck) as they call him in his hometown of Villa Allende in the province of Cordoba in north-central Argentina greeted him with a hero’s welcome this week.  Hats off to El Pato.

I think we all could learn a few things from this tournament.  Golf is a four letter word, but it’s all about etiquette.  There were no excessive celebrations, no taunting opponents, and no sideline theatrics.  Just respect for the game, for the old-timers, and for the green jacket.  That’s all I’m saying.

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