Bubba Watson

2012 Masters Champion Bubba Watson

Congratulations to Masters 2012 champion, Bubba Watson, who accomplished a number of firsts by winning.  First major.  First champion never to have taken a professional lesson.  And first to win the Masters with a pink driver.

What encouragement he has given to so many golfers worldwide who play most of their shots from the trees.  Did you see that hooked pitching wedge from the pine straw, deep in the forest on No. 10!

A memorable Masters it was.

Double Eagle

Louis Oosthuizen

How does one describe this?  I've watched golf for almost fifty years but saw something today, watching final round coverage of the Masters, that I had never seen before.  One reason for that is that it rarely happens.  Former Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen from South Africa, playing the par-5 second hole at Augusta National, holed his second shot, yes, his second shot, for a double eagle.  My jaw dropped.  It was an awesome golf shot. But since I'm pulling for Phil Mickelson, it wasn't in me to cheer it.  All I could say, repeatedly, was double eagle, double eagle.  The historic shot vaulted Oosthuizen over Mickelson and Peter Hanson into the lead by two shots.  They say that the Masters really doesn't begin until the back nine on Sunday.  This year, I don't know about that.

Augusta National: No. 11

No. 11 at August National

Watching Amen Corner coverage of the Masters at Masters.com. The pairing of Stewart Cink, a former British Open champion, and Kelly Kraft, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, were hitting their approach shots to the green. Both bailed out to the right, each missing the green by 20-30 yards. The announcer remarked that the 11th green at Augusta has always been one of the hardest to hit, which is sheer nonsense. It's not hard to hit. It's just that the players seldom aim for it. Most of them purposely miss it to the right, ensuring that they miss the treacherous water hazard to the left. I think it was Ben Hogan who once said that you you ever see his second shot on No. 11 hit the green you will know that he "pulled it."