AUGUSTA — No par 3 tournament this year, no fans, no traffic and no expectations for a crescendo of roaring applause daily permeating the grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club, one of the prettiest places on earth. Augusta is the sports world’s “Garden of Eden,” but we have never experienced the Masters taking place in the fall.
You could have predicted that there would be a common refrain for this year’s event. Weird and surreal, everyone says when assessing the state of the club and tournament. Simply hard to imagine the playing of the Masters under these conditions.
kAmw@H6G6C[ :E :D DE:== E96 |2DE6CD[ 2?5 :E H@F=5 @?=J 36 ?2EFC2= E@ AC65:4E E92E E96C6 =:<6=J H:== 36 2 5C2>2E:4 7:?:D9 @? $F?52J H9:49 92D 364@>6 EC25:E:@?2=] u@C J62CD E96 |2DE6CD H2D E96 7:CDE >2;@C @7 E96 J62C] %9:D J62C :E :D E96 =2DE H9:49 H@F=5 BF2=:7J :E 7@C 2 #:A=6J’D q6=:6G6\:E\@C\}@E =:DE:?8] (6 42?’E H:E?6DD E96 DA=6?5@C @7 E96 DAC:?8 7@C H9:49 E96 E@FC?2>6?E 92D 2=H2JD 366? 8:G6? E96 9:896DE @7 >2C<D] u2== 4@=@C 92D 5:DD:A2E65[ E96 92C5H@@5D 2C6 9F?<6C:?8 5@H? 7@C H:?E6C[ 3FE E96 p}vr H:== DE:== C67=64E 2? :>286 @7 362FEJ E@ 369@=5]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 ?@ DA64E24F=2C 2K2=62D E@ 4@>7@CE E9@D6 H9@ A2CE:65 E@@ =2E6 @C H9@D6 92?8@G6CD DE:== 9@=5 DH2J] %96 5@8H@@5D H:== ?@E F?56CD4@C6 2?5 4@>A=6>6?E E96 >2;6DEJ @7 E96 DFCC@F?5:?8D] %96C6 H:== 36 H9:DA6C:?8D @7 E96 A:?6D 2?5 86?E=6 3C66K6D E@ C6>:?5 J@F @7 A2DE |2DE6CD E@FC?2>6?ED H96? :ED =F==23J D6EE:?8 >256 J@F A2FD6 2?5 6IE6?5 2 E:A @7 E96 42A E@ “|@E96C }2EFC6”j C2AEFC@FD 7:?:D96D @? $F?52J 27E6C?@@? 2?5 F?7@C86EE23=6 >@>6?ED 7C@> E96 D6EE:?8 E@ E96 >28?:7:46?E 4@>A6E:E:@?[ 3C:?8:?8 23@FE 6?5FC:?8 C6DA64E 7@C 2 AC:G2E6 4=F3 H9:49 2??F2==J 9@DED @?6 @7 E96 4=2DD:4 DA@CE:?8 6G6?ED @? 62CE9]k^Am
kAm}@E9:?8 4@>6D 4=@D6[ 6I46AE[ A6C92AD (:>3=65@? 2?5 E96 z6?EF4<J s6C3J] %96C6 :D 2 8=@CJ 2?5 8C2?56FC H:E9 2== E9C66 492>A:@?D9:AD H9:49 :D F?>2E4965]k^Am
kAm%96 8C66? @7 (:>3=65@? C6>:?5D J@F @7 E96 8C66? ;24<6ED[ 23F?52?E 7=@C2= 8C66?6CJ 2?5 E96 H@@565 6?492?E>6?E @7 E96 |2DE6CD] %96 s6C3J 92D E96 25G6?E @7 E96 C@F899@FD6 82?8 :? E96 :?7:6=5[ 3FE :ED D9@H42D6 6?G:C@?>6?E =625:?8 FA E@ E96 A=2J:?8 @7 $E6A96? u@DE6C’D “|J @=5 z6?EF4<J w@>6[” 42FD6D @?6’D 6>@E:@?D E@ C:D6 E@ E96 F?7@C86EE23=6 @442D:@? E92E FD96CD :? E96 “8C62E6DE EH@ >:?FE6D :? DA@CE]”k^Am
kAmu@C 7@FC 52JD :? pF8FDE2[ E96C6 :D E96 F?A2C2==6=65 4@>A6E:E:@? :? E96 >@DE 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ D6EE:?8 @7 2?J DA@CED G6?F6 E96C6 :D] %96 pF8FDE2 }2E:@?2= 2?5 :ED AC66>:?6?E 6?G:C@?>6?E 42? >2<6 J@FC 52J 6G6? :7 J@FC 72G@C:E6 8@=76C :D 6IA6C:6?4:?8 2 7@C86EE23=6 27E6C?@@? @? E96 >2;6DE:4 8@=7 4@FCD6]k^Am
kAm}@ 6G6?E 2?5 D6EE:?8 3C:?8D E96 C6G6C6?46 2?5 C6DA64E E92? E92E @7 E96 |2DE6CD x7 r~'xs\`h 925 E96 =:76 6IA64E2?4J @7 2 4:82C6EE6 3FEE 2E E96 pF8FDE2 }2E:@?2=[ H6 4@F=5 EC2D9 @FC >2D<D[ E9F>3 @FC ?@D6 2E E96 AC6249>6?ED 4@>:?8 @FE @7 (2D9:?8E@? 82E96C 2?5 =@4< 2C>D 2?5 D:?8 “zF>32J2]”k^Am
kAmx ?6G6C 4@>6 96C6 H:E9@FE C6>:?:D4:?8 23@FE A2DE E@FC?2>6?ED[ E96 >6>@C23=6 9:89=:89ED 2?5 E96 >28:4 >@>6?ED @7 E96 |2DE6CD] x D2H pC?@=5 !2=>6C H:? 9:D D64@?5 |2DE6CD :? `he_]k^Am
kAmtG6CJ@?6 >2CG6=65 2E pC?:6’D 7@C62C> DEC6?8E9[ E96 H2J 96 2EE24<65 E96 32== 2?5 E96 C6>2C<23=6 492C> 96 5:DA=2J65 H:E9 9:D 25@C:?8 AF3=:4] %96C6 92D ?6G6C 366? 2 >@C6 8C24:@FD 2?5 244@>>@52E:?8 DFA6CDE2C[ 2 C6>:?56C E@ E96 >@56C? 2E9=6E6D H9@ 2C6 :>A6EF@FD 2?5 :?DF=E:?8 E92E pC?@=5 AC@G65 E92E J@F 4@F=5 36 2 ?:46 8FJ E@ 8@=7:?8 2F5:6?46D 3FE H2D @?6 H9@ 4@F=5 2=D@ H:? 5C2>2E:42==J] w:D AFEE6C >2J 92G6 366? 4FEE9C@2E[ 3FE pC?@=5 H2D 7@C6G6C E96 86?E=6>2?]k^Am
kAmx ;@:?65 pC?:6’D pC>J 2?5 4@4<65 2? 62C E@ 6G6CJ H@C5 D2:5 2E 6G6CJ AC6DD 4@?76C6?46] tG6CJ ?62E=J @C82?:K65 2?5 <6>AE AC6DD C6=62D6 H2D D2G65 7@C >J 7:=6D 324< 9@>6[ 6G6? H96? x H2D C6?E:?8 2A2CE>6?E DA246]k^Am
kAm(96? y24< }:4<=2FD 42>6 @? E96 D46?6[ x :?E6CG:6H65 9:> @?6 52J H9:=6 96 H2D 492?8:?8 @FE @7 9:D DEC66E D9@6D :?E@ 9:D DA:<6D] p? 2>2E6FC D6?D2E:@?[ 96 925 2 D9J 3FE 86?6C@FD D>:=6 2?5 42FD65 H@?56C>6?E E@ @?6 2?5 2== E92E 9:D 2H6D@>6 A@H6C H2D 244@>A2?:65 H:E9 2 G6=G6E E@F49 H96? 96 C624965 7@C 9:D AFEE6C] w6 H@F=5 =2E6C 6?;@J E:6D H:E9 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 v6@C8:2 H96? 9:D 52F89E6C[ }2?[ 2?5 9:D 8C2?5\52F89E6C[ z6==J 6?C@==65 :? pE96?D]k^Am
kAmw6 42>6 E@ }2?’D 8C25F2E:@? 2?5 D@@? H:== 36 324< H96? z6==J C646:G6D 96C 5:A=@>2] xE :D ?:46 E@ <?@H v6@C8:2 :D @7E6? @? 9:D >:?5]k^Am
Recommended for you
The Henry County Christmas Festival was held at Nash Farm Park Saturday. Here are some scenes from the event. Click for more.PHOTOS: Henry County Christmas Festival
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.