This week, PGA.com Junior Editor T.J. Auclair is down in Augusta, Ga., covering the 70th Masters. Each day throughout the week, he will be filing a blog entry discussing what's going on around the grounds of Augusta National. Check back daily to read what our insider is seeing and hearing.
The Back Nine on Sunday
AUGUSTA, Ga. (PGA.com) -- It's a well-known adage that the Masters doesn't start until the back nine on Sunday. Of course, most players played the back nine twice today, completing their respective rain-shortened third rounds from Saturday.
In terms of the adage, the back nine on Sunday applies only to the final round.
There may be no greater theater in sports than the back nine at Augusta National.
Amazingly, the last 15 Masters winners had come from the final pairing. With that in mind, I followed the final pairing of Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson. Couples entered the homeward nine at 5-under par, one shot behind Mickelson.
No. 10 -- Mickelson hit his drive to the left of the fairway, and managed a world-class up-and-down to stay at 6-under. Couples made a tidy par. Right now, Mickelson is looking like a strong bet to win his second green jacket.
No. 11 -- Lefty pushed another drive here, but managed to hit a solid second shot into the green. Boom-Boom hit a nice drive into the first cut of rough on the right side. With a great angle to the green, Couples hit it on the dance floor, but left himself a long putt.
While Couples and Mickelson are walking to the green, I just heard a big roar. It was because of Jose Maria Olazabal, who holed a 12-footer for par on 18 to card a 66 and take the clubhouse lead at 4-under.
This is where the Masters gets real good. It's Amen Corner time. Amen Corner consists of the second shot at No. 11, all of the par-3 12th and the tee shot off the par 4 13th.
Couples lagged a decent putt up to the hole, but still left himself about a three-footer for par. Lefty wasn't so lucky. He left himself a good five feet, but canned it.
MAN! Freddie just power-lipped his par putt and now he's two shots behind Mickelson. It seems like Couples' biggest adversary today is his own putter. He missed a couple of short ones on the front nine, too.
While almost everyone adores Phil, I get the feeling we have a pro-Freddie following out here -- just for good times. He's definitely the feel-good story and who wouldn't pull for a 46-year-old past champion?
No. 12 -- The heart of Amen Corner. This hole is called "Golden Bell" and is probably one of the most famous par 3s in the game.
From my vantage point, it's tough to see where the ball landed on the green, but it seems like Mickelson has hit a pretty good shot. Couples decided not to mess with Rae's Creek and took it long.
Up in front on 13, Tiger Woods just stuffed his second shot close and set up a short eagle putt. By the groan I just heard, he definitely missed.
Couples and Mickelson lagged up nice putts to make easy pars.
Up ahead, Tiger converted his birdie putt, but at 2-under and four off the lead, it looks like he'll have to wait another year for a fifth green jacket.
No. 13 -- Lefty's drive sliced slightly to the left and stayed in the fairway. Couples has hooked his drive, and it looks like his hopes at a second green jacket are in serious doubt. He narrowly avoided Rae's Creek, but it looks like he's got an awkward stance.
In spite of the stance, Freddie made a nice out and he's got a chance to make at least a par.
Lefty's second shot is safely on the green and he'll have a shot at eagle. As it turns out, Freddie will have a good look at birdie after a nicely positioned third.
Phil missed his eagle putt by this-much. He’s 7-under and I don't think anyone can catch him now. However, crazier things have happened at the Masters…
…Like this! Couples just made an unbelievable birdie after looking dead with his tee shot. With that unlikely birdie, everybody's favorite Freddie stays within two of Phil.
I just saw Phil and Freddie give each other a little knuckle-bump after matching birdies. Is this the Ryder Cup or the Masters? Hopefully, U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman is watching. Perhaps we have a new dynamic duo.
No. 14 -- Another great drive for Phil. He's making the back nine at Augusta National look easy and it's not.
Freddie is doing all he can to hang in there. He slightly pulled his drive, but the first cut of rough shouldn't be too much of a problem.
The crowd is going nuts! Couples just stuck his second shot tight. He's got about four feet for his birdie.
Lefty hit a decent second shot, but he's going to be putting straight downhill. Phil just missed the bird, but he’s got the par.
Everyone is pretty excited about this birdie putt coming up for Couples.
You've got to be kidding! Freddie just missed another short one and now he's got a longer putt for par. There was just a collective gasp.
NO! Couples just missed a heart-stopper of a par putt. He just went from what looked like a sure birdie to an I'll-kiss-my-sister-if-he-three-putts-for-bogey. That was the killer right there. It looked like Phil was going to walk to 15 with just a one-shot lead. Now it's three. It's looking like game over.
No. 15 -- Both Couples and Mickelson hit perfect drives on the long par 5, but the second shot -- if players elect to go for it -- is one of the most daunting in golf, as water protects the front and back of the green.
Another huge roar ahead. Tiger just stuffed it at No. 16 and it almost went in on the fly. He's got a kick-in for birdie to get to 4-under and within three of Mickelson for the time being.
Freddie is going for it in two, but he's got a tough angle with a huge pine tree standing between him and the hole. He launched the shot well over the green and bailed out to the right.
Mickelson is in good shape too, as his shot stayed just right of the green.
The Cinderella story is over for Couples. He just left his third shot well short of the green.
Lefty nearly holed his chip shot for eagle, but it lipped out and rolled past the hole roughly six feet.
His chances were going to be slim anyway, but the only chance Couples had left was to at least birdie 15, which isn't going to happen. He's got a short par putt to stay three behind Phil.
Looking as confident as I've ever seen him, Lefty just slipped one arm into his second green jacket. He knocked in the birdie putt and moved to 8-under and has a four-shot lead. Couples made the par, but has virtually no chance.
No. 16 -- OK, I think the powers that be can give Phil that green jacket now. Taking an aggressive line on the famous par 3, Lefty hit a terrific shot and has a short putt for yet another birdie.
Couples hit a mediocre shot, but like everyone else, he knows it's all about Phil now.
It's incredible! Phil just missed a putt! But, the par is still good for a hefty and most importantly, comfortable, four-shot lead with two to play. Couples made par, too.
No. 17 -- Both Mickelson and Couples made routine pars on 17. Lefty is one par away from being the only player not to drop a shot in the final round.
No. 18 -- The only question left to answer on the final hole of the 70th Masters was whether or not Mickelson's vertical leap had improved since the win in 2004. We'll have to wait to find out.
Lefty made his only bogey of the final round to finish with a 69. His 7-under par total was two shots better than Tim Clark, who finished second.
Couples tapped in for par to share third with Chad Campbell, Retief Goosen, Woods and Olazabal.
With his second Masters title, Mickelson has become the first player since Sandy Lyle in 1988 to win both the week before the Masters and the Masters.
Apparently putting two drivers in the bag wasn't such a bad idea. Mickelson carried two this week -- one to hit fades, one to hit draws. It helped him to a 13-shot win in his Masters tune-up at the BellSouth Classic and also led him to his second green jacket.
The question was posed at the start of the week by Fred Funk's caddie, Mark Long: Phil Mickelson is the second player to tee it up in a major with two drivers. Who was the first?
Answer: 2006 European Ryder Cup Captain Ian Woosnam in the final round of the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. Of course, having two drivers in his bag wasn't what Woosie had in mind.
After nearly making a hole-in-one at the first hole, Woosnam was leading as he teed up at No. 2. That's when his caddie, Miles Byrne, famously said, "You're going to go ballistic."
Why?
Woosnam had 15 clubs in his bag -- one over the limit of 14. There was his regular driver and a driver he had been fiddling with on the range. Therefore, he had to call a two-shot penalty on himself and fell out of the lead. David Duval (remember him?) went on to win.
So, if someone ever tells you that Phil Mickelson was the first player ever to use two drivers in a major, tell them they're wrong.
He's just the first player to knowingly use two drivers in a major -- and win.
By the way, we've already got a Tiger Slam. Are we on the verge of a Lefty Slam? He's won the last two majors played.
Rain and the Masters are a Traditional Pairing
AUGUSTA, Ga. (PGA.com) -- In Friday's blog, I intentionally failed to mention one other Masters tradition that I always seem to experience down here. I left it out so not to jinx myself, the patrons, the players or the tournament.
Apparently my omission offended Mother Nature. I apologize.
My Saturday began with a rude awakening at around 5 a.m. as a heavy rain pelted the thin roof above my head. What followed was a roaring thunder that nearly knocked me out of bed.
After a morning spent tuned in to the Weather Channel, I finally set out for the course just before noon. Surprisingly, the field had teed off, playing through a steady rain.
At precisely 1:02 p.m., a siren, which sounded as pleasant as fingernails against a chalkboard, screeched and play was officially suspended.
I'm so naive. I actually thought after eight trips to the Masters that I was going to experience my very first without a weather delay. An incredible rainstorm at Augusta National is about as predictable as the Masters champion slipping into a green jacket Sunday evening.
While doing some research, I came across a fact that really jumped out at me. In the last 17 years, there have only been three Masters played (1994, '96 and '97) that haven't been interrupted by rain. Also, out of the 70 Masters played, rain has been a factor 41 times.
How did I find those facts? Well, you have a lot of extra time on your hands when you're restricted to sitting in front of a computer screen during a weather delay.
From my vantage point on the top row of the media center, which looks like an amphitheater with three sections that have 10 rows each, I'm looking straight out a window at the first fairway. I'm not supposed to be able to see the fairway from here, as it is usually lined six people deep. As I write this, it's 2:30 and with the rain pouring down outside it doesn't seem as though there is any hope of playing golf today…
…There is a glimmer of hope, but it's by no means a ray of sunshine. Now it's 4:30 and an announcement has been made that play will resume at 5:20. It still looks ugly out there, but hopefully everyone will tee off at the very least.
Because of limited daylight, the final group was only to get in four holes before play was suspended for the day. The third round will resume at 8 a.m. on Sunday.
Augusta National has so many restrictions -- the caddies have to where white coveralls with green Masters hats, you can't run, you can't bring beverages to the course with labels on them, you can't take food out of the press center, you can't go anywhere without your badge, you can't get in many places WITH your badge, etc. I find it hard to believe that the members at Augusta National allow inclement weather.
All that said, there isn't a place in the world with more restrictions I'd rather be than at the Masters.
Breakfast in the Clubhouse
AUGUSTA, Ga. (PGA.com) -- While the Masters is full of tradition, I like to go through some of my very own Masters traditions when I'm here.
For instance, the first thing I do when I get to Augusta National is take a stroll over to the front of the clubhouse to take in Magnolia Lane. After that, there's the walk through the back nine, with a particularly lengthy stop at Amen Corner, which consists of Nos. 11, 12 and 13.
When I get down to the elbow of Amen Corner -- the area between the 12th and 13th tees -- I like to look around at the spectators, the players and the course.
On Wednesday, there's always the trek down to Ike's Pond, where I grab a seat on the side of the hill to watch the Par-3 Contest.
Along with those, arguably my favorite Masters tradition is having at least one breakfast and one lunch on the veranda of the Augusta National Golf Club clubhouse. And trust me, it's not because of the quality of food. It's the atmosphere.
For instance, this morning I was on the veranda applying the cream cheese to my bagel when I looked up and over at the next table to see Masters and PGA champion Phil Mickelson feasting with coaches Rick Smith and Dave Pelz 45 minutes before his second-round tee time. Perhaps I was seeing things, but it looked like Lefty's energy drink of choice at roughly 9:30 in the morning was a Coke.
Straight in front of me, I had a perfect view of the famous oak tree, the practice green and the first tee, with the 18th green off in the distance. What made the experience all the more enjoyable, was sitting there on a beautiful warm spring day.
At a place like Augusta National, you might expect to see an incredibly overdone, enormous, mansion-looking clubhouse. But, it's quite the contrary. Instead, the National clubhouse is a large, but humble, Southern-style building. It was constructed in 1845 when Augusta National was nothing more than an indigo plantation. Now it's like a golf museum with pictures of legendary Augusta National founder Bobby Jones hanging everywhere, along with pictures of past Masters tournaments and antique golf clubs.
I've been lucky enough to sit at a table up on the veranda in years past while looking around to see Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer eating together. In other words, a table that accounted for 14 green jackets. The only green jacket at my table that day was the green windbreaker I'd brought along because it was chilly.
As you walk off the veranda and back into the clubhouse, there is a door against the back wall, protected by a security guard. It's the most exclusive room in the game -- the Masters Champions' Room. Only Masters winners are allowed in. If you're lucky enough to be standing close by the door when one of the champions enters or exits, you might get a sneak peak. I wasn't that fortunate this time around.
Whenever I have breakfast at the clubhouse -- even if it's something as simple as a bagel -- I'm sure to make it a long one.
Lehman Update, Following Tiger
AUGUSTA, Ga. (PGA.com) -- The press building at the Masters was abuzz Thursday morning as one particular scary story made the rounds.
Late on Tuesday night, U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman was on his way to the Augusta airport to pick up his son. As he drove on the Bobby Jones Expressway in his Cadillac Escalade courtesy car, Lehman was passed by an older-model SUV and heard what he called "a loud explosion."
As it turns out, Lehman's car had been shot at. Troy Willis Smith, a 26-year-old from Augusta, was arrested Wednesday night for the alleged shooting. Smith is being held on two felony counts each of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in commission of a crime.
Writers scrambled to get a comment from Lehman after his opening 4-over 76 on Thursday.
"It was a surreal experience," said Lehman, still shaken. "I'm happy they caught the guy. It was pretty crazy. I was on the freeway, 100 yards from the exit. There was a large explosion. I got to the airport and there was a bullet in the car."
Was someone actually targeting the Ryder Cup captain?
"It was a random thing," Lehman said. "You just have to shake your head. You open the paper every day and you read these things. That happens to people. Totally random. He was in a car and was going 65. I was going 50. I think he was full of Jack Daniels -- had a bad day at work."
Following Tiger
Without question, the biggest attraction at any major is Tiger Woods. During the first round of the 70th Masters, I decided to follow the defending champion through his final 10 holes.
I picked Tiger up at No. 9, where he made a world-class par after a brilliant chip from behind the slick green. The ball slid about eight feet past the hole and, as he so often does, he saved par.
After that, Tiger had a rather uneventful four-hole stretch with three pars and a bogey, and teed off on No. 14 at 1-over-par. That changed quickly.
Among a number of other things, the Masters is known for its earth-rumbling "Augusta Roars." These roars come out just once a year (during Masters week) and are unlike any others in golf.
After pummeling a 377-yard drive, Woods had 163 yards left to the pin.
As he struck the ball with his 8-iron, the shot sailed through the air. With the wind helping it, the ball got to the green, landed softly and dropped into the hole for a miraculous eagle. What ensued was one of the loudest Augusta Roars my ears have heard in eight trips to the Masters. It was probably just a decibel less than the roar after Tiger's magician-like chip-in on No. 16 en route to winning his fourth green jacket in 2005.
Tiger was fired up and so was the crowd.
Unfortunately for the Tiger followers, the fire from the eagle was quickly extinguished -- literally -- as he double-bogeyed the par-5 15th by hitting his third shot in the water. After pars at 16 and 17, Tiger closed out his round by making a terrific 35-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to end the day with an even-par 72, five shots behind leader Vijay Singh.
The Par-3 Contest
AUGUSTA, Ga. (PGA.com) -- Anyone looking to place last-minute bets on the winner of this 70th Masters might want to consider Ben Crane. Or, you may want to take him out of the equation altogether. We'll get to that in a second.
Since 1960, the Par-3 Contest at Augusta National has become a Wednesday tradition at the Masters. The contest is played on the nine-hole Par-3 course, which was built in 1958 by architect George Cobb and Augusta National co-founder Clifford Roberts. It is open to tournament participants, non-competing past champions and Honorary Invitees.
By the way, the Par-3 course is just as breathtaking as the adjacent big course.
While I was making my way over to the little course this afternoon under heavenly blue skies, I bumped into CBS commentator Jim Nantz, who was mingling under the famous oak tree. When I ran into Nantz, I asked him to share his thoughts on the Par-3 Contest. He summed it up perfectly.
"I don't know of any other major event, forget just golf -- the Super Bowl isn't preceded by some flag-football game the day before, the Final Four doesn't have a three-on-three, or a free-throw shooting contest," he told me. "Here at Augusta, with serious stakes to come with a big tournament, it's so neat to see everybody have a chance to go out and just really enjoy themselves.
"Have some fun. I love the spirit of it all. When you get a glorious day like this there is nothing better," he added. "This is one of the great days. All the anticipation in the air, having no idea what's about to come. This is a great day."
After I finished with Nantz, I had another moment that reinforced why I love the Par-3 Contest so much. Just like the caddies wear in the Masters, the Par-3 caddies are fit with the white Masters overalls and a green Masters cap. But, the regular caddies rarely loop in the Par-3. Instead, the players use their young children.
Making my way over to the first tee, there was Phil Mickelson walking with his little 4-year-old girl, Sophia. She was adorable, trudging along on the side of her father while tripping over both the overalls and the mini golf bag.
Another exciting aspect that surrounds the Par-3 Contest is the fact that you're almost guaranteed to see a hole-in-one. Today there were three of them. Padraig Harrington, Arron Oberholser and Tim Clark all aced the ninth hole. In all, there have been 61 aces recorded in Par-3 Contest history.
So, back to Ben Crane and why he's a great bet for a gambling man. No player who has won the Par-3 Contest has ever gone on to win the Masters in the same week. Crane won this year with a 4-under-par 23.
I'll bet you could get some good odds since Crane is the only man in the field who now has a chance to do something that's never been done.
I wonder if they're even giving odds on him now.
First Impressions of Augusta National
AUGUSTA, Ga. (PGA.com) -- In the world of golf, you know it's springtime when the Masters rolls around.
At least for me, as soon as the final putt drops at the PGA Championship in late August, I'm disappointed as the realization sets in that there won't be another major played for seven months.
But then comes April. Spring is in full bloom down in Augusta, Ga., and it is time for the major season to get started. Like commentator Jim Nantz says in those CBS commercials, "A tradition unlike any other…the Masters."
It truly is a tradition unlike any other. It's a different world down here. This week marks my eighth trip to the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters and the overall experience never gets old.
What's the first thing I do when I get to Augusta National? I speed-walk over to the front of the clubhouse (I'd run, but it’s not allowed here) to behold the sight that is Magnolia Lane. It is the entrance to Augusta National, a tiny country road with 61 magnolia trees lining both sides. The trees date back to approximately the late 1850s. Magnolia Lane was paved for the first time in 1947 and it is about 330 yards from the entrance gate to the clubhouse.
The members still walk around the grounds wearing their green jackets, a tradition that started in 1937 -- three years after the first Masters. Since 1949, the winner of the Masters has received one of those coveted green jackets.
I would imagine there are a number of times in a man's life when he actually wants a green jacket. That number is one. What hacker hasn't been on the practice green before teeing off at the local muni, thinking his meaningless three-footer was a putt to win the Masters and the green jacket?
I know I'm guilty of it, and that putt doesn't go in very often. It seems just the thought of that type of pressure causes my grip to tighten.
I find it funny how throughout the year you'll hear players complain about all the changes made to the course and how it's been ruined. Then, like this morning, I took a stroll around knowing full well holes had been lengthened and trees had been added, but there were no signs of it anywhere. Everything looks so natural. In other words, while some players and purists may object to the changes, at least visually there are no signs of change. Everything looks like it's been here for years.
Then again, I'm not one of the guys who has to hit from the new back tees on No. 1, which now sit a tap-in away from the practice green. I also don't have to tee off on No. 4, the beast of a par 3 that plays 258 yards uphill.
Walking around Augusta National is incredible. At a place like this, for some reason, the grass looks greener, the sand looks whiter, the pines look taller and the smells of spring fill the air like a scented candle.
