OASIS IN AUGUSTA: DAY SEVENTY SIX WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?

2006 Masters (70^th)
Oasis in Augusta
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta, Georgia
Sunday April 9, 2006

There are certain things in life that have acquired tastes and take some time to fully enjoy and accept their beauty and rewarding nature. Many believe the game of golf to be unbelievably boring and requiring minimal skills to put a little white ball into a hole in the ground. I would have to beg to differ, since the skills of golf in order to make it through 18 holes, let alone 4 days of professional competition, is completely draining on the mind and especially the body. When I was young watching weekend afternoon golf,  I too found myself in the category of mocking the game since my attention span couldn’t grasp the energy of the whispering announcers and half clapping crowds, but that all changed in April of 1996 during a four day span of watching Greg Norman’s famous demise on Sunday, as he started the final round leading the field by 6 strokes in the most prominent men’s golf tournament in the world, which is annually held in the little off the highway Georgian town where Augusta National Golf Club hosts the Masters.
In the 1800’s the 365 acre tract off Washington Road was an indigo plantation. That all changed in 1857 when Belgian Baron Louis Mathieu Edouard Berckmans, and his son Prosper Julius Alphonse purchased the land and formed a partnership to create a nursery. Under the name Fruitland Nurseries, the two men began to import many different types of trees and plants from other countries. But the business ceased operations a few years after Prosper’s death in 1910. After winning the Grand Slam in 1930 and retiring from competitive play, golf legend Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts were looking for a suitable piece of land on which to build Jones’ dream course. In 1931 Jones and Roberts decided to buy the old Fruitland Nurseries property for $71,000 with a creative vision that would later became part of sports history, and the continuation of the traditional competitive sport of golf.
The golf course is a place where bets are taken, business deals are completed, and a time for fathers and sons to enjoy a friendly round, but during an early week of April each year the first major of the Professional Golf Association gets under way. Golf is another sport I believe the spectator needs to get off the couch and come down to the country club to really grasp the pressure and tension a golfer faces during a full round of 18 holes. In my life I have had the opportunity to witness two full days of tournament play. My first encounter was at the 1998 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in California where I got to see Tiger Woods doing what he was born to pursue, stroke a golf ball. Then in 2006 I planned and prepared to make the trip to the Peach State and fly to Atlanta, rent a car, and head north to the town of Augusta, home of the Masters.
Before the Masters, the most expensive event I attended was the 2006 Winter Olympics Women’s Figure Skating Finals in Torino, Italia where I spent $530.00. For me to walk the course on Sunday and witness the next Masters champion be dressed with the winner’s green jacket by the defending champion, I put up $800.00 of money that I didn’t have, but was in Augusta for the Masters with a badge. Tournament or “Series” Badges (Thursday through Sunday) have been sold to those on a patron list which was closed due to demand in 1972. A waiting list began the same year and was closed in 1978. It reopened in 2000, and it too is now closed, but the ticket brokers have a field day once they get their hands on them and try to make a profit. I contributed once again to the Razor Gator’s bottom-line and purchased online, access on Sunday to the world’s most watched golf event.
I arrived on Friday in my rental car and headed to a local bar for a needed bite to eat and some cold beers after the 2hour+ drive from Atlanta. Since this trip was arranged only a month prior to the event, the whole town and neighboring cities were sold out. Therefore I planned to take shelter in my car during the duration of my stay. During my lunch I met local Augustan Nate that was celebrating his birthday and mentioned to him my situation. He was nice enough to offer me a place on his couch where I would stay for the weekend. No one would ever know by the looks of the town that Augusta would possess within its city limits the most secluded and exclusive golf club in the world. Yes it is home of James Brown and has a beautiful statue of him downtown adjacent to the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and Botanical Gardens, but I am talking about the Masters where the best golfers around the world flock to every year to compete for that career satisfying Major win.
I began to get nervous while watching the tournament on television Saturday afternoon since the leaders only got through the front nine due to rain delays and darkness. Officials suspended play until early Sunday morning. At first I was unsure if I would be able to get in on Sunday due to these circumstances, but when I went to pick up my Sunday badge I was told that I would be granted an all day access throughout the course. This meant that I would not see 18 holes of top notch professional golf, but 27 holes of fierce competitive Sunday play. I made sure I got to the front gates bright and early in order to see as much action as I could. Very rarely does play at the Masters roll into Monday, but it’s a possibility so play started close to 7:45am in order to try to complete the tournament and crown a champion later in the day. Entering into Sunday, the top of the leader board was Chris Campbell, who lead by a shot over Tim Clark and Rocco Mediate after the partial third round playing four holes before darkness halted play shortly after 8pm. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Padraig Harrington were three shots back, with Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Stephen Ames, and Retief Goosen joined a group four shots behind Campbell. These athletes would be my entertainment for the next eight hours. It was Sunday at the Masters where the long, wide, deep and narrow fairways were filled with eager, hungry and running galleries to see the golfers’ next shots.  Amen Corner at holes 11(White Dogwood), 12(Golden Bell), and 13(Azalea) had hot filled grandstands where fans rushed to early in the morning to get a viewable seat. I was determined with my nice multi-colored checked Ralph Lauren “party pants,” Ben Hogan light yellow golf sweater, and grandfather’s Stetson Gilligan looking rain hat, to follow step by step, shot after shot, 27 holes of intense, pressured golf side by side with Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Freddie Couples, and Phil Mickleson. Hearing and observing 27 out of this world soaring, lifting and mesmerizing drives by Tiger Woods was truly amazing. The sound alone lingers within my soul forever and ever. I shake my head as I write. And then there were the other three and you can only imagine their unbelievable play and competitive nature throughout the day.
When I arrived in the early morning on the grounds, the first view of Augusta National brought a respectful silent energy that breezed through the trees until the beer lines opened up at 1230pm when the festive hot Georgian day took a turn towards celebration. The greens were cut fast and creative, while the grounds well-groomed with careful consistent care. As a volunteer one is granted one free round of golf on the 18 hole course where golf legends Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and now Tiger Woods have been granted the honor to wear the Masters winning green jacket. Walking the course so close to the golfers was a true experience of what an athlete goes through during such an important and pinnacle event in their careers. Tiger could not find his groove on the putting greens as he was frequently found talking to himself walking the fairways searching for the focus and feel that has brought him to victory so many times before. I am sure the absence of his father and mentor, Earl Woods who was struggling for his life back in California, took a toll on his mental capacity.  
Until the end Tiger was a contender and in the mix, but couldn’t fight off Phil Mickelson (2^nd Masters victory in 3 years)  who shot a winning total of 281 (70,72,70,69)  for the tournament and 3 shots better than Tiger’s  284(72,71,71,70).  Tim Clark came in second with a 283 as there was a five way tie for third (Couples, Campbell, Woods, Goosen, Olazzabal). There are moments in world championships that are anticipated by loyal fans and spectators. American football has the dowsing of the Gatorade tub over the winning coach, baseball has the rushing of the pitcher’s mound, the Tour de France has the 8-lap champagne stroll on the Champs Elysees, NCAA basketball has the cutting down of the nets, and hockey has the hosting up of the Stanley Cup. On Sunday at the Masters walking up to the 18^th hole where the gallery gathers, and winning family/entourage wait for the final putt to sink, is definitely similar to these ending championship moments. Phil Mickleson with winning grin chipped a 20 footer on the green and took 2 putts to secure his 2006 Masters green jacket (presented by Tiger Woods)  where he was happily congratulated by his wife, two beautiful little girls, and his proud coaches. It was a definite championship triumph in the Mickelson camp.
On that April Sunday in Augusta my view of the game of golf surely evolved and transformed. I myself endured the walk of 27 holes, but even though I was physically close to the competition, there would be no way I could relate to the mental toughness a competitive golfer struggles to maintain throughout the day. NO WAY. The pressures of every shot that these athletes deal with fully earn my respect and brought out the attributes of what it takes to be a champion.