Masters Blog 01.30 GMT update

GM Masters T

published 5 April 2007

Augusta National Media Centre 8.30pm (Masters time) Sunday April 8

MH It?s good night from him and it?s good night for me. I?m going out in a blaze of glory with a list of the Top 10 things I loved about the Masters

4. Southern hospitality ? it might sound clichéd but it sure beats the surly service we get back home

That it?s Zach Johnson and not Justin Rose whom we?ll be toasting tonight is of course slightly disappointing. I?m told by some other journalists that Justin was pretty upset as he sat in the locker room immediately after the round. Let?s hope that what happened on 17 doesn?t leave a lasting mark. I?ve just returned to my desk after sitting in on the winner?s press conference. He might not be everyone?s favourite Masters champ but Zach Johnson was very humble and remarkably gracious in victory. Wearing his brand new Green Jacket (size 40 reg) he looked just as shocked as the press that he?d managed to hold off Tiger and make his mark on the biggest stage of all.

MH So, there you have it Zach Johnson is the 2007 Masters Champion. I?m delighted for my mate back home who will have trousered a few hundred quid but I have to say in the end it was a bit of an anti-climax. Neil and I had gone back out to the observation post and watched the last three groups play 18. The real drama came from watching the scoreboard at 18 being updated especially when Johnson bogeyed 17 and Rose birdied 16. At that point I was beginning to get a little over excited thinking how lucky it was that I hadn?t yet send the front cover and that we could do a big European victory splash.

In the end I hope you?ll forgive me for not putting Zachary on the front cover of the June issue. Neil has just gone it to the press conference to hear what the Champ has to say for himself. He'll report back but expect the good Lord to be heavily praised for his contributions. I?m off for a beer and to count my losses.

NT One of the things I love most about the final day of a major golf tournament is how anticipation and excitement build through the morning. By watching the early action you can gage how things might pan out during the afternoon, evaluate the challenges the players will face and make a few last minute bets (Jim Furyk £5 e/w at 33/1).

Changing the subject slightly, I?d now like to talk about scotch eggs. Bill had previously been to the restaurant that we were booked in at last night and advised me to order the scotch egg starter. What Bill says goes, so I turned down the mussels in champagne cream in favour of this popular picnic snack. It was a great decision - a warm scotch egg with a sweet, spicy sauce. Exquisite. Also good were the Basil Hayden bourbons we drank before blagging yet another lift home when the taxi failed to turn up. Looking back I suspect it was the bourbon and not the scotch egg that is making me feel slightly fuzzy.

As you may already know, you can?t just buy tickets for the Masters from a box office as you would at any other golf tournament. Things are done slightly differently around here - there is an enormous waiting list for tickets that has been closed since 2000. The good news is, for anyone on that waiting list, once you finally get your hands on a ticket you can keep it for as many years as you like. All this means that there are plenty of frustrated punters desperate to join the party but without an invitation. So valuable are they that some patrons sell on their tickets privately to make a fast buck. I was somewhat surprised to see an advert on the Golf Channel last night for a man who acts as a third party in the exchange of these golden tickets. ?If you?re looking to sell golf tickets call Mr. Edwards ? he assures confidentiality.? This takes ticket touting to a whole new level - Sir Alan Sugar would be impressed.

MH I have just returned from a trip to the Getty Images room located deep in the bowels of the Media Centre. It?s a real hive of activity in there with runners coming in and out carrying digital memory cards from the snappers out on the course. The cards get dumped in a little tupperware box from where the two picture editors Rebecca and Scott download the images, have the images cropped and colour corrected before adding captions and uploading them to the Getty website for the journos upstairs or picture editors all over the world to access. Technology is great isn?t it!

NT It?s going to be a sleepless night. After years of waiting and yearning, we?re finally in with a realistic chance. Of course, I?m not talking about celebrating a British major winner. No, instead I?m referring to my prospects of playing Augusta National. Having previously told us that they would do the draw this afternoon they cruelly changed this age-old tradition and will instead announce the results tomorrow. I feel as if I?m hovering on the cut mark waiting to see if Tiger makes a birdie at the last to implement the 10 shot rule and send me packing.

Back to the Masters and I?d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Bradley Dredge. Mike and I were sitting in the bleachers to the left of the 18th green this afternoon when Paul Casey?s name was replaced on the leaderboard with that of Dredge. As if from nowhere the man from Cardiff was in contention. The quality of his performance proves that finishing 15th at the Madeira Island Open is an excellent way to prepare for Augusta.

MH Glory be it?s cold out there. We have been back in the hutch for half an hour and despite having a coffee and hot dog with generous lashings of hot pepper sauce my ears are still tingling. I really don?t think Neil and I helped our cause by insisting on sitting at the top of the observation stand that sits between the 9th and 18th greens. The wind was really whipping across and in fact blew off a fellow journo?s hat into the crowd below. Apparently the chap had caused a commotion earlier by dropping his clipboard off the side and almost braining a steward.

During my walk round following the Rose/Howell match I got talking to Justin?s coach Nick Bradley. Turns out Nick grew up where I now live and was an assistant pro at the course I now play at. He?s certainly come a long way since he was selling Mars bars to members at Home Park GC in Kingston. Nick is now based at the fantastically named Barefoot Creek in Myrtle Beach and alongside his coaching work with Justin advises Nike on club development. He?s also about to release a new book. His excellent first book ?The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing? was ground breaking in its use of imagery and graphics and Nick tells me the next one will be even more innovative. Definitely one to watch out for if you?re into your golf instruction.

Back to the action and it seems like everyone but Stuart Appleby is really struggling out there and those players who made it in with decent rounds earlier are just sat back watching themselves tick up the scoreboard as those above them let shots slip away. Lee Westwood is a great case in point. Yesterday he bogeyed the last three holes to loo like he?d miss the cut. He just scraped in and today shot an even par 72 and is now tied for 21st! Retief Goosen?s two under par 70 has him T11. Right now I can?t see the winning score being below par. I think we?re in for a really exciting day tomorrow.

MH The ballot to play the course on Monday was closing as Neil and I walked into the Media Centre just now. And, standing at from desk with a big Cheshire Cat grin was Marc Webbon from photo agency Getty Images. Webbo has been the official drinking buddy of Golf Monthly this week and when we were out with him last night he was sweating on being allowed to put his name in from the draw. But he?s in and like Neil and I will be feeling the butterflies ahead of the draw being posted later this evening. We?ll update you on our success or lack of it later.

On our earlier stroll we watched, among others, Rory Sabattini make very heavy weather of the 1st, Trevor Immelman's rapid descent to the foot of the leaderboard with a car crash of a four jab at 8 and Paul Casey and Tiger birdie the 2nd and 3rd holes respectively.

On the table opposite us were Phil Mickelson?s coaches, Dave Peltz and Rick Smith. No big deal but then in walked Phil who sat down for a quick pep talk before announcing he was heading back out to for some work on the putting green. Just them my sensational waffle turned up which had a ball and club motif etched into its surface. A nice touch only bettered by the butter that was presented in little balls with a dimple texture on them

Thankfully we managed to get through the rest of breakfast without being disturbed by any other Major winners. However, as we got up to leave normal service was resumed as we walked out past Ian Woosnam and DJ Russell, then Jose Maria Olazabal came striding out of the Champions Locker Room and followed us down the stairs armed his putter and a sleeve of balls. This was like being involved in some mad golf dream. And as a veteran of many golf dreams I have to say this was up there with the best of them.

I had been paired with Darren Clarke for the Friday morning fourballs and felt in good form on the Belfry?s range. Just then it started to drizzle and I discovered I didn?t have any waterproofs in my bag so I told DC I?d see him on the tee headed off to the pro shop. Having selected a pair of black Pro Quip trousers and paid for them tried to get them on over my shoes. But, no matter how hard I tried to pull them over my FootJoys I couldn?t get them on. Time was ticking on and my panic was rising I heard the starter send out a message for me.

There is one main dual carriageway called Washington Road that dissects Augusta and when I asked Bill Elliott how to cross it by foot he replied, ?I don?t think anyone ever has.? Steak houses, barbeque joints, sports bars, waffle houses and Christian bookshops flank the road giving it a muddled appearance as you drive through. It looks cluttered and messy at first but soon this starts to become its? charm, beautifully contrasting the absolute perfection of the golf course.

The people here are probably the friendliest I?ve ever met. They seem genuinely chuffed that we?ve made the trip from blighty to experience their annual fanfare. Twice, when asking for a number to phone a cab after dinner, random people whom we?ve never spoken to have offered us a lift home. Naturally, being from London, we look at them as if they are wearing their underpants on the outside of their trousers. But last night we accepted the offer from a bloke called Sam whose fiancée had just served us in The Lone Star Grill. After taking Mike and I back to our bungalow, he drove 20 minutes across the other side to town to return the third member of our dining party.

NT So here we are at the halfway point. Who would have thought that only three players would be under par? That Els, Garcia and DiMarco would miss the cut? That Tiger Woods would have an air shot? The fact that the tournament has been utterly unpredictable is scant consolation for the pain caused by haemorrhaging money on ill-advised bets ? Mike and I are significantly poorer now than we were on Thursday morning.

More importantly however, tomorrow sees the result of the press ballot to play Augusta National on Monday (every member of the press can enter the ballot and those in the know reckon each person has a one in five chance of making it into the field). Both Mike and I are desperately hoping to emerge victorious. I?d like to make it known that if I make it through the ballot I will allow Mike the honour of donning a boiler suit and carrying my bag. It will be a proud moment for us both.

MH I think Neil is developing a bit of a weather fixation, goodness only knows how he?ll react if the forecasted frost occurs on Saturday night. While John Ketley jnr has been observing meteorological conditions I have been studying the leaderboard and getting very worried about how well Henrik Stenson is playing. I have nothing personal against the long hitting Swede however on Wednesday night I made a very ill advised bet with the MD or TaylorMade that Stenson would miss the cut. We settled on a pound a place either side of the chop mark and I?m currently looking like I?ll be sending a sizeable cheque to TaylorMade HQ when I get home.

Robert Karlsson (had £2.38 left in my account) 150 +6 ? should have left the 2.38 in there.

NT I?ve just returned to the media centre having stood in on an impromptu press conference with Tiger as he walked off the final green - if you catch it on telly I?m the one standing next to the big man wearing a yellow t-shirt and a gormless expression. Tiger mentioned that whilst yesterday he threw away a good score, today he turned a round of 90 into a 74. Apparently, he?s having real problems hitting the draw that is so crucial to a good score around here. I expect him to work hard on the range this evening.

The cold weather that came as such a shock this morning is now just a distant memory. The temperature is perfect out there now ? a cooling light breeze ensuring that it?s not uncomfortably hot. As far as I know the current weather is set to remain for the rest of the week. If it, does the shorter hitters that are fairing well (Tim Clark, Jerry Kelly, Zach Johnson and Vaughan Taylor) will continue to enjoy the themselves.

NT As Mike was nursing his hangover I took the opportunity to explore the front nine ? I was the designated driver last night (again) and as such I feel as fresh as the day I was born. Whilst the front nine lacks the wow factor of the second half, its length and huge changes in elevation make it a greater physical challenge. The flag on the 240 yard par-3 4th sits in a nook on the front of the green, no more then 10ft wide, flanked on either side by bunkers. Cleanly strike a long iron or fairway wood arrow straight or rely on your short game to get you out of trouble. There was a grand total of five birdies on the 4th yesterday and I can?t see many more coming today.

MH I?ve just done my brains in the Augusta pro shop. I feared this might happen when I went in there on Wednesday morning and was confronted with a vast array of tempting merchandise. I?ve spent the last two days avoiding going back but this morning the pull was just too much. I?m now dreading going home and having to explain to my wife why I have bought two new waterproof tops seeing as I already have 13 others. Then I?m sure we?ll have to address the issue of the polo shirts, caps and a smorgasboard of other items that I couldn?t refuse.

I think I might try and lay the blame for this uncontrolled behaviour at the door of Neil Tappin who refused to accompany me and moderate my expenditure. Then again my wife thinks Neil is good man so that might not wash. Oh well, at least I've got three days to think of a better excuse.

While we?re on the blame game I?m also pointing the finger at GM editor at large, Bill Elliott, for the fact I?m feeling a bit shabby today. The plan last night was to just pop over to the Irish Tourist Board party, have a couple of drinks and come home. We went with best intentions but it all went pear shaped when Mr Elliott introduced me to Jack Daniels and ginger ale. With my lack of restraint, the results were all too predictable.

NT I was under the impression that Georgia, being in the south of the United States would be hot, that after a week here I?d be boarding the plane with a healthy glow. What I was not prepared for however was the genuinely bitter chill that greeted us as we left our house this morning. It?s currently 6°C outside and according to the weather forecasters the only thing preventing frost was the presence of some high cloud.

MH I returned to the media centre around 2.30 pm to find that the whole wireless network is down. Ordinarily this would be very bad news however I discovered from my Spanish friend sat next to me that this technical hiccup had been going on for the past two hours. This gives me a nice little excuse for not having updated the blog for a while. The fact I was taking an extended lunch at the time and was oblivious to the situation is, I feel, neither here nor there.

The press conference contained the obligatory questions about what clubs he?d hit on the holes he?d made birdie, the European major drought and one on ?mindset? from one of our US friends. Just as the session was winding down Golf Monthly?s editor at large, Bill Elliott, interjected with an inquiry as to how the furnishing of his house was progressing. The question was lost on all but me Bill, David and, of course, the more observant Golf Monthly readership. Confused? You?ll have to read Bill?s blog to find out more.

NT My afternoon was spent with the thousands of fans down at Amen Corner. There are so many observation points, natural and manmade, that you can see something of interest from almost anywhere. Many Masters ?patrons?, as they are known here, bring portable chairs and park on the edge of the fairways. One woman sitting next to the 13th was hit on the leg by the golf ball of Ben Crane. I was standing just behind the unfortunate lady who sustained a minor leg injury. As far as I could tell the neither the player or his caddie shouted fore.

Like her leg, the numbers at Amen Corner began to swell as Tiger moved in. A straightforward birdie on 13 was followed by another on 15 and the world?s number one quickly moved into a very healthy position. Ominously for the rest of the field, his short game seemed up to its? usual standards even if his long game was relatively poor. The firmness of the course places even more emphasis on the short game and today, Tiger has underlined just how good his is.

I followed the duo down 11 and then took a pew in the observation stand to watch them hole out and then play the dramatic 12th. Both made pars at those two holes and then courtesy of great fairway metal to 13, Poulter made a much needed. Having watched that action I head across the course and got a great view from behind the 7th tee of Aaron Oberholser, Zach Johnson and Nicolas Fasth hitting their drives. Two points of interest. Zach Johnson addresses the ball with the toe of his driver barely opposite the ball ? I think I?d miss it if I did that ? and that Nicolas Fasth?s follow through has become significantly less baroque than it used to be.

NT Yesterday was my first real glimpse of Augusta and as I strolled around I was really just trying to get a feel for the place, experience the atmosphere. This morning, as I watched some of the early play my focus shifted more specifically to the challenge of the course. What became immediately apparent (and I know this has been said a million times) is that the greens are brutal. I watched at least 10 players arrive at the first green in good shape only to walk away with a bogey ? most notably Chris DiMarco, Monty, Bernhard Langer, Stuart Appleby and Zach Johnson. If the first green is anything to go by I can?t imagine that the scoring this week will be particularly low.

Some of the later starters were looking to gain an advantage by sending their caddies out to recce the course. I spotted Billy Foster (Darren Clarke?s caddie) and Robert Karlsson?s bag man studying the play on the first green. Even though these players have practiced extensively on the course, knowing exactly where, and more importantly where not, to hit their approach shots through the experience of watching other players struggle should provide a significant advantage.

Anyhow, Neil has just returned from an early walk round the course so I?ll hand over to him for a report on what it's like out on the course.

Anyway, night time has now descended over Augusta, the vast majority of the press have left the media centre and the bars are filled with punters speculating as to who will take the latest Green Jacket. The general consensus here is that the course is slightly harder and faster than years gone by and the players will need to show a few different skills to score well. As long as the rain stays away, we?ll see the world?s best showing the full range of their shot-making ability. The shorter hitters may have a chance this year if, and it?s a big if, Tiger doesn?t gallop away with it?

When we arrived this morning it was cool and overcast, we were wearing jackets and everyone was hoping the predicted rain would pass without too much intrusion. Things perked up a bit this morning but it was still in the 60s when Neil headed out for a recce. And even though he returned with a light sweat on - we put that down to the excitement of him vox-popping a handful of Major champions ? it felt like a spring day back home rather than early April in Georgia.

I got my first taste of just how slick and heavily contoured the Augusta greens are when ambled up to the 9th green and caught the English trio of David Howell, Paul Casey and Luke Donald playing their approach shots. All three spent a good five minutes putting to various pin positions and the amount of break they were playing seemed incredible. One downhill putt that looked almost straight to my untrained eye required a good eight feet of borrow!

Jaw removed from the floor it was time to head back up the hill and explore the clubhouse. You can hardly believe it when you?re told that your media badge gets you inside the iconic wooden 19th but it does and spent 30 odd minutes walking around in a bit of daze. At every turn there seemed to be a famous face chatting away his assembled entourage. On the lawn under a parasol Nick Faldo was having a beer under, Luke Donald was chatting away to Sergio Garcia?s manger, Gary Player animatedly talking to a TV crew and David Toms was sat on the veranda with his young son.

To be honest I was a bit giddy with all this and things got worse when I found myself in the professionals shop surrounded by lost of very tasteful, very tempting Masters merchandise. Quite frankly I can?t be trusted in these sorts of places even when on an even keel, in my giddy frame of mind it was recipe for serious dollar depletion. Thankfully I didn?t have my wallet with me or else I?d have exited with 6 polo shirts, 4 mugs, a windproof top, 4 caps, 8 pin badges and a bag of tees. I have asked that Neil and I go together to make any purchases and that we try to calm each other down before anything bad happens.

At nine o?clock this morning (Wednesday) I took on a fairly straightforward task, to ask any player I could find about the prospect of the Players Championship at Sawgrass becoming a fifth Major for a forthcoming feature on the subject in GM. As I wandered wide-eyed but aimlessly around Augusta National (this was my first real glimpse of the place) I remembered Bill Elliott, GM senior writer and a veteran of 28 previous Masters, explaining that our press passes would gain us entry to the clubhouse. So off I popped in the hope that I might just run into someone interesting. This proved to be a good decision. As I wandered sheepishly inside I was greeted by the sight of a dapper looking Arnold Palmer, appropriately wearing his green jacket, walking directly towards me. I asked him my one simple question and he politely replied. But before I had enough time to take in what had just happened I saw Seve. Then Bernhard Langer. In the space of 10 minutes I had seen and spoken to three men with eight Green Jackets between them.

Already chuffed with my morning?s work I decided to take a walk down to Amen Corner. Nothing can really prepare you for the majesty of the holes that make up this eerie part of the course - the enormous pine trees shelter you from the breeze and the crystal clear water lies motionless around the 11th and 12th greens. Without a single imperfection to find, it was hard to believe that these incredible sights were not a figment of my imagination.

This week we?re set up in the purpose built media centre that sits alongside the 1st fairway. At every other Tour event the press are billeted in a huge temporary marquee/exhibition hall type affair but this place is more akin to the United Nations debating chamber with a semi circle of steeply banked seats. We?re slap bang in the middle in the second from back row. A great spot with a view of the player scoreboard and big screens and to our left a bank of 9 TVs that show live feeds from all of the back 9 holes. We?re also handily placed for the media refreshments area with its supplies of amongst other items. Complimentary Krispy Kreme donuts. I think I?m going to need to do a lot of walking the course this week if I?m to go home the size I arrived!

Jaw removed from the floor it was time to head back up the hill and explore the clubhouse. You can hardly believe it when you?re told that your media badge gets you inside the iconic wooden 19th but it does and spent 30 odd minutes walking around in a bit of daze. At every turn there seemed to be a famous face chatting away his assembled entourage. On the lawn under a parasol Nick Faldo was having a beer, Luke Donald was chatting away to Sergio Garcia?s manger, Gary Player animatedly talking to a TV crew and David Toms was sat on the veranda with his young son.

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