SQUIREatAUGUSTA

Wow, what do you say about getting to play Augusta National? Calling it a dream come true for a lifelong golfer is a bit understated, if that’s possible. Some people have asked me if I can die a happy man now. I’d like to think I was pretty happy before. But this will certainly hold special significance in my golfing life. I stand by my earlier statement that if I am ever lucky enough to get a hole-in-one, today’s round will rank higher on my list of greatest golf moments.

Two of my favorite comments so far about my round -- First, from my Mom, who told me that I will be able to tell my kids and grandkids about this for the rest of my life. Wow, how many times can you say something like that about anything you ever do? Just amazing.

Second, my buddy Gus pointed out to me that I might be the only person he ever knows in his entire life that might ever say they played Augusta National. How cool is that? Then he adds that he can go play St. Andrews, Muirfield or Pebble Beach. But you don’t just walk into Augusta National. That really put it in perspective for me.

Favorite moment from the round – It has to be the birdie on No. 7. Perfect drive. Solid 9-iron. Then an 8-foot putt that slides in the left side of the cup. I birdied a hole at Augusta National. No one can ever take that away from me. I love it.

Best caddy story of the day – The Gerber baby above the 6th tee box. Sounds crazy, I know. But there’s a photo my blog that shows this. A few years back, there was a tree branch that hung over the par-3 6th tee. They decided to cut it down. When they did, there was some kind of an image in the bark of the tree where the limb was cut off. If you look close enough, you can see the likeness of the Gerber baby. It might take a few minutes for you to be able to see it, but believe me, it’s there. And it’s totally insane too.

Second best caddy story of the day – I ask my caddy Louis who’s the most famous person he’s caddied for. He tells me the first President Bush. That’s kind of cool I think. Then he says he got the loop because one of the other guys who was supposed to be on the bag didn’t pass the security/background check. Pretty funny.

Favorite person of the round --  Easy one here. My caddy Louis. I was told by the guy running the media center on Sunday, Glenn, that the key to your round is getting a good caddie. (Thanks for the tip Glenn!!!!) I think I got the best caddy, bar none. We could walk up to a green, he could see my ball from 40 yards away, and could tell me it was two balls outside left. And it was (but it doesn’t mean I always made the putt :-) This guy is just so on the ball. I told him that whatever they pay him, it isn’t enough. I just hope I gave him a big enough tip. I went over the suggested tip (of 35 bucks) but I hope I didn’t come off as a cheapskate.) Louis easily deserves the biggest credit to me breaking 100.

My new favorite thing to say -- Every single time I play a round of golf now, I will have to tell at least one story about this round… “You know, when I played Augusta National the year Phil Mickelson won his second green jacket, I made a birdie on No. 7 the day after the tournament.”

Breaking Down the Stats

As for the round itself, here are the numbers. 46-47 for a 93. I hit 6 of 14 fairways, 4 of 18 greens, got up and down 4 of 14 times (which I’m shocked I did it 4 times) and I was 0/6 in making sand saves. I also had just 30 putts, which is a good putting day for me anywhere, much less Augusta National. And the ULTIMATE stat of the day????? I had ZERO!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yeszero) three putts at easily the hardest putting course on the planet. Okay, I did use my putter 3 times on the first hole, but technically the first one was from the fringe, so in the stat book, it isn’t a putt :-)

Also, the 6 pars I made have me pretty proud of what I did. If I could only take back the snowman eight I had on the par-4 1st hole as well as the nine I took on the par-5 8th hole, I very easily could have broken 90. But I surely can’t complain. That would just be stupid of me.

The Final Damage?

$2307.99. If you add in the shipping, it comes to about $2400. Worst part of it is? Now every time my wife wants to buy ANYTHING, I can’t say a world. EVER :-(  

Best shot of the day – My chip from 25 yards below the green on No. 9, which was my final hole since we started on No. 10. There’s a huge false front in front of the green and I hit my 165-yard 6-iron short and it rolled down the hill. Terrible mistake. But I pitched it up past the hole and made a 3-footer down the hill for par. That’s something a lot of pros couldn’t do during this year’s Masters,soI felt pretty good about it. 

Best hole of the day – No. 7. I can forever say I made a birdie at Augusta National!!! My par on No. 11 was a close second after making an up and down from a lie that stayed up on the bank next to the pond somehow. No one in our group could believe it didn’t go into the water.

Worst shot of the day – Hmmm. So many choices here when you drop a 93 on any track. There was the 8 on No. 1 and the 9 on the 8th hole. I’d have to go with the my drive on No. 8. I’m coming off a birdie and I’m totally jazzed. So I rope hook a driver into the woods on the left and have to play a recovery shot. I ended up with a quad. Not good times. 

Worst hole of the day – Has to be No. 8. Besides the terrible drive, I’m sitting two in the fairway. My caddie Louis says just lay it out to the right and give yourself and good angle into the hole. Simple right? So of course I pull it left again into jail down the left side with the azaleas. Say la vie I guess.

Most memorable moment of the day – Walking over the Hogan Bridge. Now every time I watch The Masters I will be able to say I walked over that same exact bridge. I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it.  

Least memorable moment of the day – Yelling “Fore” after hitting my tee shot on 17 so far left of the Eisenhower tree that I ended up in a greenside bunker on the 7th hole. Not the way you want to play at the classiest track on the planet.  

Coolest Thing I Bought Monday – A dozen Augusta National golf balls. I’m not talking the ones that fans can buy at The Masters with the yellow logo in the shape of the United States with the flag coming out of Georgia. I’m talking the ones that are only available while The Masters isn’t being played. Now that’s exclusive stuff. I think they were $44 a dozen for Pro Vs. About the same at my home course. Pretty cool.

Random observation of the day (Part I) – When you drive down Magnolia Lane to get to the clubhouse, even the curbs are painted Masters green. How cool is that?

Random observation of the day (Part II) –Every single round I play forever more will be compared to this round today. I just hope I’m not a pain in the ass about it and talk about it constantly when I play with other people.

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Sometimes, you just have to let the photos speak for themselves. That's why I'm adding these now before I update my blog. For anyone who cares, I shot 93 today at Augusta National. I'm pretty pleased with that number (even though I have a 7.8 USGA index.) Most amazing stat of the day? I had ZERO three putts. Not a one. Granted, the only reason that's the case is because my caddy, Louis, was absolutely phenomenal. I also made six pars and even had a BIRDIE!!!! on the par-4 7th hole (Driver, 9-Iron, sank the 8-foot putt). Anyway, I'll update the blog more in a bit, but I wanted to share these amazing photos first.

Thanks!
--Squire

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I’d like to say there is some normalcy to my life right now, but that would be a flat out lie. Anyway, here are some of the completely random thoughts that have gone through my head over, let’s say, the last 12 hours since I found out I won the media lottery to get to play Augusta National on Monday.

Driving home from the course Saturday night around 10pm and I’m talking to my wife on the phone. I get so caught up in the conversation that I think I missed my exit on the highway. Fortunately, I didn’t. What’s better than that you ask? Well, in the process of my conversation, I get out of the car to walk to the side entrance to my hotel. But my key isn’t working. That’s because I’m at the hotel next door!!!!....

…. How on cloud 9 am I? There’s a dog actually barking in an adjacent room of my motel on Saturday night at 11:30. Do I care? Heck no. I’m playing Augusta National on Monday!....

…I’m trying to do anything to keep occupied, so I’m reading a pamphlet from the media center about the changes to Augusta National and there’s a quote in there from Bobby Jones. Then it hits me. I’m going to play Bobby Jones’ home track!....

…I guess the nerves really are starting to set in. I know this because I went to bed around 11:30 Saturday night and it’s now 4:45am Sunday morning and I’m wide awake writing this blog. But ignore the time stamp at the top of this entry because I had to write it out by hand since the internet connection at my roach hotel stinks…

…As of Sunday morning, I tallied up the damage from the pro shop for gifts/etc. It stands at $2174.24 and counting. A buddy of mine Brian said I should aim for $2500. If you add in the shipping, I’m probably at around $2250. So I guess that goal is just a few more golf shirts away!!!....

…. I have so many questions right nowthat I just don’t know what to do. You have to take a caddy of course, right? There’s no taking a cart at Augusta National. Quite frankly, I don’t even know if they have carts. But having grown up as a caddy myself, it would be sacrilegious to ride at this course. It would be like going to Morton’s and ordering fish. Sure you are there and I’m positive it would taste great, but you aren’t enjoying the real experience….

…. My other questions that came to mind are, will they leave the Sunday pin placements? Do we get to use the driving range and the putting green? I’m about an 8 handicap, but what should my target score be? I’m thinking around 100, but would love any advice anyone out there might have for me. Another query is, do we play the tips or the member tees? I’m guessing member tees, only because if we played the tips, it might become a 7-hour round…

… The other thing I’ve been doing since I found out is calling and IM’ing just about everyone I know on the East Coast. Every single person sounded so pumped for me. I can’t tell you how amazing a feeling that is to know how excited people are for you. Thanks everyone!!!!!....

… Some of the things folks have said to me are – are you serious? You’re not joking around here? Because that would be a pretty sick joke. Another friend, who I played on the golf team in college with said to me that I should , depending on the wind, probably hit 6-iron on No. 12 (the par-3) that’s listed on the sheet as 155 for the pros. No way I’m hitting 6-iron Bender. Only if it’s playing dead into the wind :-) ...

…My other questions so far have been how much is the caddy and how much is the tip that I should give him? How early can I get to the course to practice? If it’s an 11AM tee time (which I should find out what the exact tee time is today) can I show up at say, 6AM to start practicing? :-) Okay, that’s a little much, but you know what I mean. I just want that day to last as long as possible…

… A question for everyone out there – Any tips on playing the course? I know the basics like how hard the greens are, but any local knowledge anyone has of this magnificent course would be greatly appreciated…

… Biggest thing missing from Monday? That’s easy. Not having my close family around to enjoy it with. My wife is just starting to take up the game,but I would love to have her here with me. Think they’d let her caddy? (Just kidding dear :-) Man, that would just be awesome to have her here. And to see my Dad watching me walk down that first fairway would just be incredible. For all the times that he put up with teaching four boys  to play golf, I can just imagine how excited he would be to see me do that. Plus I’d love to have my brothers, my sister and my mom and step-father as well as all their immediate families here. Not all are golf fans, but I know they’d love to see the ear-to-ear smile on my face :-) …   

… Another question that comes to mind is pictures. I brought a digital camera that I used during the practice rounds but you aren’t allowed to take photos on the course during tournament play. I would almost die to have a photo of me walking over Hogan’s Bridge on 12 or across the stone bridge to the left of the 15th fairway. I’m getting giddy just thinking about it…

…And I can’t wait to check out the 13th tee box. That’s the only spot on the course really that no one is allowed near, other than the players, since it’s so far set back into the woods. I’d love to see what it looks like from back there…

… Okay, it’s almost 5:30AM now and I really have to get ready. I have to keep reminding myself that I have to work today. Fortunately, the golf here today should be absolutely spectacular, so who could really call it work?....

… I’ll be back on during the day to post about the action itself, and you can guarantee that I will be around to post on Monday after my round. Enjoy the 70th Masters today everyone!!!

--Squire

P.S. – best non-Squire Blog Post…. I’d love to take credit for this, but it was my wife’s idea. She told me she actually thought of it before I won the lottery to play Augusta on Monday, but didn’t share until after I got in because she didn’t want to jinx it.

Pimento sandwich, bag of chips and a Coke -- $3.25

One night at a roach motel -- $260

7 Trips to the Pro Shop -- $2174.24

Getting to play Augusta National even just once in your life – Priceless.

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I’m IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Deep breath. Another deep breath. Stop shaking man. Okay, here’s the deal. The most amazing golf course in the world…. bar none…. has to be Augusta National Golf Club here in Augusta, Georgia. Others are great as well, but nothing is like Augusta National. No way. But here’s a little surprise to me… what you might hear on Monday is…. “Now, on the first tee… From AOL Sports…. Mr. Kevin Maguire.” (Well, I don’t expect announcers, but the dramatic effect would be nice :-)

That’s right! I got picked to play on Monday in the media day!!!! I simply can’t believe it. I NEVER win this kind of thing. I never do well at bingo (except on my honeymoon… don’t ask). I always know what I’d do with that Powerball winning ticket, but my numbers never pop up. Somehow, some way, I’M IN!!!!!!!!!!!! Breathe again. Keep breathing. I have to remind myself that I need to breathe.

Before I pass along how I found out and what happened after, I want to pass along some thanks to everyone who said a little prayer for me. I know my wife was soooo pulling for me to play. And my mom did some reiki (hope I’m spelling that right). And my Dad told me just tonight that he said a prayer to my pop-pop in “the big golf course in the sky” so that I would get to play Monday. Honest to God, my eyes are tearing up just thinking about that again. Thanks dad and pop pop :-)

Okay, back to the story.  I had to call my wife right away to let her know. I’m in the middle of working and making sure our video highlights for Saturday are working but I had to step outside the dungeon (where I get no cell signal) to call my wife at her friend’s house. She was sooooo pumped for me. Love that! Then I jump back into the dungeon as they encode the highlights.Seemed like it took FOREVER but I know that it’s just me in my excited state. The folks down there are great. They def. deserve props for their work this week.

Anyway, I get the tape done and head back to the reception desk to just make sure I didn’t see anything wrong and that I’m actually playing. Yup, after the second look, I’m on the list still!!!!!

So many crazy things going through my head. Just talked to my brother. Turns out my Dad already told him. News travels fast in my family. Great stuff. Then called my Mom. You could just hear the excitement in her voice for me. And she really put it in perspective for me. My first thoughts (after being freaked out excited) is that I really want to put up a respectable number. Double digits is all I’m shooting for. Under 100 and I’d be really pumped. So my Mom says to me, “Wow, just think, you can tell you children and grandchildren about playing Augusta National.” Amazing. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity!!!! (My wife and readers of this blog earlier in the week will get that inside joke.)

Well, I’ve got to get out of the media center. I think they are ready to kick me out. I’ll be back on bright and early tomorrow. And yes, I’ll blog all about it Monday night before my flight back home Tuesday.

Thanks everyone!!!!!!

--Squire

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Slippery When Wet

It’s not just a Bon Jovi album. There’s a sign just in front of the main entrance onto the course that says “Slippery When Wet.” What they are trying to tell us is that grass on the hill from in front of the first tee box is cut so shortly that when it rains, the grass becomes extremely slick. Believe me, it does get slippery. No shock, but they don’t have those kinds of signs up around all 18 greens. I think the golfers already know exactly how slick these greens are.

Weirdest Sighting of the Day... So Far

I was walking up the 18th hole before the first groups of the day went off, and I saw five guys who were clearly working on the golf course before the third round. The five guys were all huddled up like a basketball team right before someone was about to take a foul shot. They were laughing and joking and cheering with each other as if they needed to get pumped up to manicure the bunkers. Great stuff.  

Those Are Real Birds

Ever hear those birds chirping during The Masters telecasts? I have to admit, the first times I heard them, it really did sound like a taped piece of audio that someone was playing in the background. But having been here in person, I can attest to the fact that’s not the case. Those birds are legit :-)

 

Playing Rain or Shine

No, I’m not talking about the pros. It’s the volunteers. One of what has to be the absolute best perks of working as a volunteer here at Augusta (and believe me, there has to behundreds of pro bono workers) is that they all get to play the course one day in May. The only caveat? It’s rain or shine. Not that it would bother me. I’d play inthunder and lighting out here if they’d let me. Plus, you get to go through the clubhouse as well. One interesting note that I heard from a few guys out here is that years ago, you had to be a volunteer for a few years before you got to play Augusta National. Seems they’ve relaxed that requirement these days.  

 

Mother Nature Is the Talk of the Course

Everyone here is talking about the weather. There are patrons walking with umbrellas all over this course. The toughest decisions today won’t come from players deciding whether or not to lay up or go for it on No. 15, but on how far they should park themselves away from the main gate with the possibility the skies might open up on them.

 

Christmas Eve’s Eve

I already feel like it’s Christmas Eve’s Eve. You know, two days before you get all those presents as a kid? You just keep thinking about exactly what is under the tree and how that big box in the back looks just like that great present you were so hoping for. That’s the way it is for me today. I keep picturing myself up on that first tee box… or lining up a birdie putt on No. 2. I picture making that walk up 18 with the crowd cheering me on. (Okay, there won’t be any crowd on Monday if I’m lucky enough to play the course during the media day outing.) Getting to play here would be, by far, the greatest golfing moment I could ever have in my life. It would rank above a hole-in-one no doubt (even though I’ve never had an ace… yet :-)

 

Luckiest Guy of the Day

Since there was an odd number of players (47) to make the cut, one person got to play with former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk as a non-competing marker so he didn’t have to play alone. The guy’s score doesn’t count of course, but he does get to play a round of golf with a former major champion on the weekend atAugusta. How awesome is that??????

 

Get Here Early

So the first tee time wasn’t until 10:40AM ET. I leave my hotel two hours before the first golfers hit the course thinking I’ll be way ahead of the game. The minute I get off the highway, I’m stuck in traffic. So much for getting an early start on the day.

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Best Job in the World?

I followed Phil Mickelson’s group on the first few holes on the back nine this afternoon and something struck me. How awesome is Phil Mickelson’s life? Every time he walks up to a tee box, everyone starts clapping and cheering and saying things like, “Go get’em Phil!” Same thing happens when he walks up to a green. Think I can convince my boss to pipe in some theme music into my cubicle so that every time I get in each morning someone cheers me?

On the flip side, it reminds me of the worst job in sports…. The hockey goalie. Every time you screw yup, a big red light goes on. What if you were an accountant and each time you mistakenly added a number… then a red light goes off. That would just suck wouldn't it?

Crazy Winds in Amen Corner

Ever seen a swirling wind? I actually saw the perfect example down in Amen Corner this afternoon. I was standing behind the 12th tee box and looked over at the 11th green. The flag was blowing with a right to left wind. But over on the 12th green, the win was blowing left to right. How is that possible? I don't know. The flag sticks are about 150 yards apart. One of the fans standing next to me noticed it as well and just shrugged as if that's just the way it goes here. Several players that came through Amen Corner had to just sit and wait for the wind to hopefully settle down. Phil Mickelson was asked about that in his post-round press conference and all he could say was…that’s what happens here.  I guess you just take your lumps and move on, eh?

Cleanest Major Sporting Event You’ll Ever Find

Walk around the grounds at Augusta National and there’s something missing. For the roughly 25,000 people who walk through these gates each day, it’s amazing there is absolutely nothing on the ground but perfectly manicured green grass. Patrons are all over the place carrying sandwiches in these classic little green bags. But I have yet to see a single one floating around the course. How many times do you see a spare hot dog wrapper flying around the left field corner of your favorite baseball stadium? You’ll never see that here.

Let’s Get Ready for Moving Day

Saturday is considered Moving Day at pro golf events. Man, this leaderboard is completely nuts. You’ve got Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Retief Goosen… oh, and a guy named Tiger Woods all within five shots of the lead. I said at the start of the week that this is the year for the Magical Masters. It’s all in the numbers. Remember 1986? Nicklaus wins his 6th green jacket at age 46. Amazing. How about 1996? That will always be a classic for Nick Faldo’s historic comeback as for Greg Norman’s colossal collapse. And the next ten year increment comes this weekend. I’m calling a final a final leaderboard with all of the Big Five on the first page with Mickelson taking home his second Masters victory.

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Talk About a Change

Watch out for Hole No. 4 today. It will be one of the easiest on Friday. When Augusta National wants it to play tough, they just have to move the tee box back and it can play up to 260 yards. That hole alone made several players put a 5 wood in their bag just for this week. As for today? The pros are playing from the member tees. It’s got to be 60-70 yard shorter with the front tee box being used. It’s so far forward that there’s a CBS TV tower right next to the member tee that CBS probably uses to shoot back into the back tees. CBS probably can’t use that camera shot. They’d have to shoot straight down to even see the top of the player’s heads.   

When you head over to the 6th hole today, the tee box is also playing well in front of where the tee boxes were yesterday. They were so far ahead that all three caddies in the group I was following (Curtis/Micheel/Westwood) had to find a new mark to step off the distance from. The caddies all looked around like… wow, what are the tee markers doing way up there?

Scariest/Funniest Moment of the Day

I’m walking down the third fairway following Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel and Lee Westwood and I hear a crack over to the left of me. Then a ball flies out of the tree on the seventh hole (which runs opposite No. 3). The ball doesn’t even reach the fairway off the tee box. So one guy walking by says to no one in particular, “Ha, I bet that’s Charles Coody’s ball.” Well, Coody is the second oldest golfer in the field behind Gary Player. Amazingly, he managed to make bogey from there. And through 11 holes, the 1971 Masters champion was one under par for his round, but 16 over for the tournament.

Let’s Re-evaluate

One thing I’ve learned in my short time here is, if you are playing here, don’t let your emotions get the best of you. You need to come to each tee box with a plan to play that hole, but that strategy must change after every single swing of the club. For example, if you think you are on a possible birdie hole, and you put your drive in a fairway bunker, you have to let the possibility of par or bogey come into your thinking. You must think that far ahead. Another piece of advice I’ve heard is, wait until your ball comes to a complete stop before getting emotionally involved. Sounds weird, I know, but it makes sense. If you hit what you think is a good shot and it’s just a foot off the mark you aimed for, you still feel like you hit a solid shot. And then the ball trickles. And trickles. And trickles. If you started to think what a great shot you hit, then it ends up 30 feet from the pin, you are now emotionally involved in that slow rolling ball and are most likely upset. Don’t make up your mind about a shot result until its done moving :-)

The Crack

Ever hear the sound from a club and you get that feeling like you completely pured it? And then you hear that crack off the clubface and you know it’s crushed? Well, if you’ve never heard a tour player do that in person, it sounds like thunder striking a tree right over your head. It quickly proves just how much better these guys are than the rest of us.

NFL Is at Augusta

Former British Open champion Ben Curtis has taken up the NFL color scheme on his clothes from the late Payne Stewart. Curtis is sporting a Carolina Panthers outfit today as he makes his way around the 7,445 yard layout.

The Crowd Really Knows Their Stuff

You have to earn applause here. When you go to regular PGA Tour events, even if a golfer hits a so-so shot, you’ll hear a small spattering of claps. Not here. Never before have I heard so little noise for a 20 foot putt left 4 feet short. And when have you heard 25,000 people so quiet you can hear birds chirping in the background? Pretty much every day here it seems.

The Murmur

My new favorite noise is the Augusta National murmur. I wish they could tape it and play it over and over. Maybe make it my ringer on my cell phone? Now there’s an idea. Most golf tournaments have a similar kind of noise, but not like this. After someone hits a putt and it looks like they have a shot to make it, the murmur increases in volume ever so slightly as the ball heads toward the hole. Eventually it crescendos when more often than not the putt doesn’t find the bottom of the cup. You could really just walk around here with your eyes closed and the noises will tell you just about everything you need to know.

Spend the Money

How cheap is the hotel I’m staying at? Let’s just say they didn’t sport for shampoo and were too cheap to have a Do Not Disturb sign.

Not a Jersey Kind of Crowd

When a fan goes to your typical sporting event, you see tons of team gear at the event. A Jeter jersey at a Yankees game. A Manning jersey at a Colts game. It might not come as a shock, but I didn’t see one jersey here on Thursday. On Friday, that came to an end. I actually saw a Team USA Landon Donovan shirt. I almost fell over from shock.

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