Augusta National 50 Days Before The Masters

[Sitarro]

Friend of my brother works there..........

Looking towards #9 green.....




#11 green under all that snow



#12 from the tee



Hogan's bridge over Rae's Creek left of #12 green

[Sitarro]

More shots.....

#13 from the fairway.....



Behind #16 green, near where Tiger hit that ridiculously hard shot that hesitated before dropping into the hole.

[Mr. P]

I've flown a helicopter over this course....BEAUTIFUL!

I hear rumor Tiger is gonna play this yr.

[Sitarro]

Yea, that's the rumor and the wish of the PGA, whether The Masters wants that media insanity is another thing.
I watched the public apology that Tiger made to his fans and the game, I was impressed with his sincerity. Most people that don't understand what he was apologizing for don't get the game of golf as it is played on a professional level. It is unlike any other game and they just can't relate to that. Golf is a game of honor, a game of individual effort and because of the speed it is played, requires a lot of control over emotion and mind. It isn't a team effort, a ball isn't coming at you at 130 miles an hour, it is static, you can easily defeat yourself with your mind. It is also not a game where you play specific opponents, you play the course, you play against par(except match play of course which is pretty rare).

I am amazed at the amount of men and women that I have talked to whose only reaction is....... it ain't none of our business...... I think Tiger answered that with his apology......... there was a lot more to it than a fight between a married couple, that just got the most press. Tiger has shown a lack of respect for the game since he came out on tour. Oh yes, he did have respect for his game, he practiced harder than any other. He helped bring physical fitness to the game in a big way. But he also acted like the spoiled little shit Spaulding in Caddie Shack. He threw clubs, threw the F bomb, slammed his club into the ground causing damage to the tee box that other players would have to deal with, he childishly avoided the press when he didn't like how he played........ Phil Michelson always has time for his fans and the press who report to his fans, polar opposite of Tiger. The great Tom Watson felt a need to write to him about his actions on the golf course.

He did acknowledge his lack of respect for the game in his apology, I think he was serious. He is a great player, one of the best to ever swing a club, but he isn't bigger than the game itself......... the game doesn't exist for Tiger Woods...... he wouldn't be anything without the game and the PGA. He may have finally realized that and that might just make him a better player still.