shots in Masters history when he chipped in from 100 feet
to defeat Greg Norman in a playoff. “Time does fly,” Mize
says. “The older you get, the faster it goes too.”
3: 15 P. M.
The 10-shot rule will determine the cut line, with all those
at five over par nervous about the play of Jason Dufner
and Lee Westwood. They can breathe easier, though, as
a half hour after Dufner bogeys the 18th hole to fall to
five-under 139, Westwood three-putts for a double bogey
on the home hole to fall to four under.
3: 52 P. M.
Darren Clarke leaves Augusta early after a second-round
81, but not without declaring his favorite to win over the
weekend. Before hustling off for a flight to Bermuda, the
reigning British Open champion finds Westwood and says,
“Next time I see you, we’ll be shaking hands, and you’ll be
wearing a green jacket.”
4: 28 P. M.
A 67 gives Couples a share of the 36-hole lead at five
under and a visit to the media center. While holding court
with reporters, a face peers through a small window left
of the stage. It’s Rory McIlroy, waiting for his interview
to begin. Couples waves at him, and McIlroy smiles
sheepishly before backing away. Later, McIlroy, 22, calls
the 52-year-old Couples, “cool.” Responds Freddie: “He’s
a smart kid.”
STREETER LECKA/GETTY IMAGES
7:04 P. M.
Standing over an eight-foot bogey putt that will decide
whether or not he will make the cut, U. S. Amateur
champ Kelly Kraft thinks, “I have to make this. I don’t
care how far it goes by if I miss.” Luckily for Kraft, he
didn’t have to find out as his ball drops into the hole,
setting off a joyous celebration among the friends and
family members following him. “This is what I stayed
amateur for,” says Kraft, who’ll turn pro Monday. The
added perk of making the cut: Kraft is now exempt into
the second stage of Q school, the last year where PGA
Tour cards will be given.
7: 11 P. M.
Although the large oak tree near the clubhouse is noted
as the spot for movers and shakers to gather during
Masters week, it’s currently serving as a driving range of
sorts. Mark Bradley, Keegan’s dad, is watching Keegan’s
toddler nephew, Aiden, smack a plastic golf ball with a
plastic golf club. No one seems inclined to interrupt the
action as the elder Bradley, a PGA professional, shows
the youngster the proper grip.
7: 37 P. M.
Tiger Woods begins what will be a 43-minute fix-it
session with coach Sean Foley by hitting 13 shots with the
9-iron he kicked on the 16th tee an hour or so earlier. Not
one of the shots veers 25 yards right of his target.
7: 39 P. M.
The final group of Luke Donald, Francesco Molinari and
Nick Watney finishes as darkness settles in. The pokey
pace of play upsets Donald’s wife, Diane, who tweets
shortly after, “Luke’s round took 5 hours, 45 minutes today,
waiting on nearly every hole. Disgraceful!!”
9: 15 P.M.
Jim Nantz engages European stars Rory McIlroy, Graeme
McDowell, Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher in a spirited Q&A
during the NetJets party at a spectacular home in Augusta.
“Rory, why do you like the Ryder Cup so much?” asks
someone from the crowd. “Because we win,” says a grinning
McIlroy, prompting equal parts laughter and boos.
NOTEBOOK
REPORTER’S
By Jim Moriarty
In 1979, there was a strange little man
sitting in a back row of the Quonset
hut, the old, green metal building that
served as the Masters media center,
talking into a microphone with a cardboard box over his head. It was the ad
hoc studio of Renton Laidlaw, the mellifluous voice of European golf, trying to
keep the rattle and ding of typewriters
from despoiling his broadcast from
America. You saw things in those days
you just don’t see anymore.
That was the last year a rookie won
the Masters, and it was the first year
Bobby Clampett, now on the Champions Tour, played in it. His Impact Zone
swing philosophy, by the way, is going to
be taught to First Tee instructors, but
that’s another story. Under the oaks behind the Augusta National clubhouse,
Clampett was thinking about 1979.
Bobby was an 18-year-old amateur
paired with Sam Snead. It rained hard
on the second day, halting play, and
Ol’ Sam and young Bobby waited it
out in the clubhouse. When Sam had
a captive audience, his stories were a
monsoon all on their own. There are a
lot of things a young man could learn
from Snead during a three-hour rain
delay, but you wouldn’t be able to tell
your parents any of them.
When play resumed, they stayed out
until dark, calling it quits with just the
18th hole remaining. Clampett knew he
had to par it to make the cut. Saturday
morning he warmed up hitting the clubs
he was going to use, a 3-wood and a
6-iron. Naturally, being 18, he hit driver
instead, made birdie and the cut. When
he got to the 18th tee, Snead was already
there warming up too. Old Sam was
standing at the back of the tee, rocketing
drivers across the 14th and 15th fairways,
over the pines, back toward Rae’s Creek.
There are some things you just don’t
see anymore.
