Conference 7.286::golf

I'll go first. Based on the way the US PGA tour is going I wouldn't be 
surprised to see a rookie (or two) on the leaderboard comes the final 9 holes 
on Sunday.

So here are my top five:

Duval - He's been there one almost every tournament this year
Justin Leonard - Same thing
Couples	- he's baaaack!
Norman - Started strong, but is loosing momentum, depends on how he plays this 
week
Watson, if he can figure out those five footers, the rest of the game is there

And my pick to win: Freddy!!!

Here's my top five "best bets":

1. Tom Lehman - he's there every year at Augusta, it suits his game
2. Phil Mickelson - hitting the ball great, and he's a great putter - a must
3. Greg Norman - what needs to be said, although he might want it *too* much
4. Fred Couples - He's playing this week at BellSouth, will 3 wks in a row be
   too much for his back?
5. Colin Montgomerie - One of the best in the world right now.
...
99. Tom Watson - he's getting to the greens as well as anyone, but I can't even
    imagine having the yips AND having to putt at Augusta!

-Eric

    
    My shot @ the TOP three who just may take the 96' Green Jacket!
    
    1.	Woosnam
    2.	Lehman
    3.  Michael Campbell
    
    
    	Ed (Who will be watching from Pinehurst, NC - A little Golf Getaway Next
    	    Week - YES!)

	This is the way I see it:

	1. Mickelson wins it in a playoff over 
	2. Couples

	Close behind

	3. Singh - won't win at Augusta with a long putter.
	4. Brooks - peaked too early this year
	5. Price - had a slow start so far this year.

1. Colin Montgomerie will eagle the last hole
   after hitting a tree to beat
2. Greg Norman by 1 stroke.
3. Tom Lehman will 3 putt the last two holes
   to fall out of contention.
4. Fred Couples will be the last player to make
   the cut but then shot a 59 on the last day
   to move into 4th place.
5. Davis Love III.

Going with a couple of longshots who have a chance to win a jacket,


  1. Mark Calcavecchia
  2. Nick Faldo

-D

    1.  Fred Couples
    2.  John Daly
    3.  Davis Love III
    4.  Phil Mickelson
    5.  Corey Pavin.
    
    Just in alphabetical order, not in order of preference
    

	Grant it that everyone with an invitation to the Masters should be
considered a "somebody", I predict that the winner will be:

	* Someone who's never won ar Augusta before and...

	* Someone who will not be picked to win by anyone

If I were to mention any names, that would disqualify them by the second
condition.
					John

    
    
    Hi,
    
    	I can see it now;
    
    	Opening day at Augusta... 2 hour delay to shovel snow off the
    	greens ! :(
    
    	Is it me or is California with all its perils looking like
    	a nice place to buy a house?
    
    	Living in Mass is really getting to be a pain!
    
    	Walta
    

      Alot of complaining about snow, but be glad the courses will be in
    good shape, unlike here in Colorado's eastern range.  The courses are
    soooo dried out, we've been playing on dirt, greens are like cement,
    and tee boxes don't have much grass.
    
      No snow for us = no good grass come July!
    
      Tim

I guess you're right Tim, but boy, have we been waiting for a long time. The 
first storm hit early December, and here we are 4 months later, waiting to get 
another 5 to 10 inches tonight and tomorrow.

I am so optimistic (or unrealistic?) that I even got a tee time for Sunday at 
Stow, ha, ha, ha.

    
    	Nick Price appears to be ready.... 
    
    	(Watch out for Watson sneaking in by Saturday afternoon... just
    	hope all his putts are over 10 feet..!)
    
    	Jay
    

    These boys may not have a chance to win but they would make a great
    story:
    
    Nicklaus         Repeat 1986 all over again.
    Ballesteros      They say he's washed up!
    Zoeller          Always fun to watch and has not one in a long time.
    Woods            No amateur has ever won.
    Daly             Also fun to watch.
    Stankowski       Fron no one to hero.
    
    I guess it would be asking to much for Arny to do something.

	Fuzzy and the Shark - this may be exactly what Greg needs to loosen up a
 	little and could also bring out the best in Zoeller.

	Faldo and Daly - clearly a case of the tortoise and the hare

	Crenshaw and Woods - Tiger can learn a lot here

    Does anyone know how the pairings are figured?  The "more favored"
    golfers have later tee times.  Is this because they have better
    standings in some sort of rating system?
    
    Linda 

From ESPN web site

THE MASTERS -- FIRST ROUND

    NAME                   SCORE     HOLE

 2. David Gilford           -3        17 
 2. Scott McCarron          -3        11
 4. Paul Azinger            -2        17
 4. Brad Faxon              -2        13
 4. David Frost             -2         6
 4. Frank Nobilo            -2        14
 8. Tommy Aaron             -1         F
 8. Mark Brooks             -1         3
 8. Jim Gallagher, Jr.      -1         5
 8. Bill Glasson            -1         3
 8. Scott Hoch              -1         7
 8. Gary Player             -1         4
 8. Costantino Rocca        -1         2

Purse: $2.2 million 
Site: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Par: 36-36=72

    Thanks for the update, very much appreciated.
    
    Hope to see more later.
    
    Bob who is a Cory Pavin fan.

as of ~ 1:55pm


Rank 	Name 		Score 	Hole 
1. 	B. Tway      	 (-5) 	F 
2. 	P. Mickelson     (-4) 	14
3. 	B. Faxon    	 (-3) 	F
	D. Gilford  	 (-3) 	F
	S. Hoch    	 (-3) 	13 
	L. Janzen    	 (-3) 	17 
7. 	P. Azinger   	 (-2) 	F 
	M. Calcavecchia  (-2) 	7 
	J. Daly   	 (-2) 	4 
	D. Frost 	 (-2) 	12
	J. Gallagher, Jr (-2) 	11 
	S. Mccarron	 (-2) 	17
	G. Player   	 (-2) 	10 
14. 	T. Aaron  	 (-1)	F
	N. Faldo  	 (-1) 	4 
	J. Haas  	 (-1) 	2 
	T. Lehman  	 (-1) 	2 
	S. Lowery  	 (-1) 	15 
	J. Maggert 	 (-1) 	F
	J. Nicklaus  	 (-1) 	2 
	F. Nobilo  	 (-1) 	F
	H. Sutton  	 (-1) 	14 
	D. Waldorf  	 (-1) 	13 
24. 	M. Brooks	 EVEN	9
	M. Campbell 	 EVEN 2 

    NAME                   SCORE     HOLE

 1. Phil Mickelson          -7         F
 2. Scott Hoch              -5         F
 2. Bob Tway                -5         F
 4. Lee Janzen              -4         F
 5. John Daly               -3        12
 5. Brad Faxon              -3         F
 5. David Gilford           -3         F
 8. Paul Azinger            -2         F
 8. Ernie Els               -2         5
 8. Nick Faldo              -2        12
 8. Ray Floyd               -2         F
 8. David Frost             -2         F
 8. Jim Gallagher, Jr.      -2         F
 8. John Huston             -2        15
 8. Scott McCarron          -2         F

Masters First Round Scores

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-round scores from the Masters at the Augusta National
Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia:

(Par=72)
(a-amateur)

Greg Norman            33-30--63   9-under

Phil Mickelson         35-30--65   7-under

Bob Tway               36-31--67   5-under
Scott Hoch             35-32--67

Lee Janzen             35-33--68   4-under

Dave Gilford           35-34--69   3-under
Brad Faxon             34-35--69
Nick Faldo             34-35--69
Scott Simpson          35-34--69
Vijay Singh            34-35--69

Paul Azinger           35-35--70   2-under
Scott McCarron         34-36--70
Raymond Floyd          35-35--70
David Frost            34-36--70
Jim Gallagher, Jr.     35-35--70
Jack Nicklaus          35-35--70
Jay Haas               35-35--70

Tommy Aaron            37-34--71   1-under
Jeff Maggert           35-36--71
Frank Nobilo           35-36--71
Nick Price             35-36--71
Bill Glasson           36-35--71
Bob Estes              37-34--71
Mark Calcavecchia      34-37--71
John Huston            37-34--71
Fred Funk              36-35--71
John Daly              34-37--71
Curtis Strange         35-36--71
Ernie Els              35-36--71
Jumbo Ozaki            38-33--71
Loren Roberts          36-35--71
Steve Lowery           36-35--71

Ted Tryba              36-36--72   Even
Duffy Waldorf          37-35--72
Mark Brooks            36-36--72
Davis Love III         36-36--72
Colin Montgomerie      35-37--72
Mark O'Meara           38-34--72
Ian Woosnam            38-34--72
Justin Leonard         36-36--72
Hal Sutton             36-36--72

Seve Ballesteros       38-35--73   1-over
Gary Player            34-39--73
Michael Campbell       37-36--73
Craig Stadler          36-37--73
David Duval            35-38--73
Alexander Cejka        36-37--73

D.A. Weibring          35-39--74   2-over
Jeff Sluman            36-38--74
Arnold Palmer          37-37--74
Paul Stankowski        39-35--74
Paul Goydos            38-36--74
Payne Stewart          38-36--74
Fuzzy Zoeller          38-36--74
Hale Irwin             37-37--74
Mark Roe               37-37--74

Gay Brewer             37-38--75   3-over
Billy Casper           36-39--75
Tom Kite               39-36--75
Larry Mize             40-35--75
Sandy Lyle             36-39--75
Kenny Perry            38-37--75
Tom Watson             38-37--75
a-Tiger Woods          38-37--75
Bernhard Langer        39-36--75
Tom Lehman             36-39--75
Corey Pavin            40-35--75
Jim Furyk              37-38--75

Neal Lancaster         38-38--76   4-over
Kirk Triplett          39-37--76
Ed Dougherty           38-38--76
Tim Herron             36-40--76
Brian Henninger        40-36--76
Steve Elkington        38-38--76
Satoshi Higashi        38-38--76

Billy Mayfair          39-38--77   5-over
Ben Crenshaw           41-36--77

Brad Bryant            40-38--78   6-over
Mark McCumber          38-40--78
Costantino Rocca       39-39--78
a-Jerry Courville, Jr. 40-38--78
Fred Couples           41-37--78
a-Gordon Sherry        43-35--78

a-Buddy Marucci        38-41--79   7-over
Chris Wollmann         40-39--79
Woody Austin           40-39--79
David Edwards          41-38--79

Steve Stricker         41-39--80   8-over

Doug Ford              42-39--81   9-over

Charles Coody          42-40--82  10-over

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*

9 under! I wonder if the club is going to do something to keep scores high. 
But since greens are already at about 13 in the stimpmeter, I guess their 
only hope is that mother nature helps them.

THE MASTERS -- SECOND ROUND 

    NAME                   SCORE     HOLE

 1. Greg Norman             -9        2:45 pm EDT tee time
 2. Phil Mickelson          -7        2:45 pm EDT tee time
 3. Scott Hoch              -5        2:36 pm EDT tee time
 3. Bob Tway                -5        2:36 pm EDT tee time
 6. David Gilford           -3        2:27 pm EDT tee time
 5. Lee Janzen              -4        2:27 pm EDT tee time
 6. Nick Faldo              -3        2:18 pm EDT tee time
 6. Brad Faxon              -3        2:18 pm EDT tee time
 6. Vijay Singh             -3        2:09 pm EDT tee time
 6. Scott Simpson           -3        2:09 pm EDT tee time 
11. Paul Azinger            -2        2:00 pm EST tee time 
11. Scott McCarron          -2        2:00 pm EDT tee time
11. Raymond Floyd           -2        1:51 pm EDT tee time
11. David Frost             -2        1:51 pm EDT tee time
11. Jim Gallagher, Jr.      -2        1:42 pm EDT tee time
11. Jack Nicklaus           -2        1:42 pm EDT tee time
11. Jay Haas                -2        1:33 pm EDT tee time

Purse: $2.2 million 
Site: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Par: 36-36=72

    
    Tavo,
    
    	I don't know how much tougher you can make the course. Norman and
    Michelson were just on fire. Norman has that great bunker shot on 10
    to save par, then on 16 gets a lucky bounce off a tree into the middle
    of the fairway. He then hits a 4 iron 200 yrds, 4 ft from the pin. He
    actually played 16, the way they use to play it in the 40's and 50's,
    land short and roll on the green. When the putter is hot, not much
    tougher you can make the course.
    
    Ron

    Well, Nick Faldo wins his third Masters with a fourth round 67.
    Probably the round of the tournament when you consider pin placement
    and the situation he was in.
    
    Major choke job (again) from Greg Norman, you've got to feel a bit
    sorry for the bloke - he just completely went to pieces.
    
    
    CHARLEY

    And how about that hole in one by Raymond Floyd...one of the
    more interesting hole in ones I've seen.
    
    Linda
    
    

(not that I would know about holes-in-one) but on 16 with that pin
placement, that's about the only way to get an ace there......

and speaking of 16, Norman's shot there was probably the worst shot
I've ever seen made at that hole......think he was puckering a little?!?!

poor bastahd...

    My heart went out to Norman yesterday, Faldo did play well and
    deserved to win, but Norman gave it away!  I don't think I would
    have been able to give an interview after leaving the tent just
    after the match but I don't think he had much choice...I give him 
    a lot of credit, he really gave Faldo, what appeared to be, a very 
    sincere congratulations after it was over...he has a lot of class.
    
    

Wow, what a blow out! It was painful to watch.

I'm sorry to say this, since Norman has always been  one of my picks, but I 
would be very surprised if he ever wins another major tournament.

Last joke(?) heard: Reebok has all its golf shirts on sale, they are too 
tight in the collar.

In the Boston Globe today Norman when asked about his chances in this week's 
tournament at Harbor Town in Hilton Head, responded: "Watch!"

It will never erase last Sunday's performance, but coming back and doing well 
after that will definitely help him, and the image everyone has of him: "Greg 
Nomore"