Some Quick Final Round Thoughts

Well, I don't know about you, but after those Exxon-Mobil ads, I'm ready to forgive the Valdez, the various shenanigans and the $40 I gave them for 13 gallons of gas this morning.

Any company that loves children that much, must be special.

By the way, if you need to induce a migraine, you can relive those ads here. And if you want to read about some shareholders who filed a resolution accusing the company of discrimination for sponsoring the Masters, you can go here (and even read a quote from the long, lost Martha Burke).

Oh, the golf...

Good thing there was no playoff: Leaders Start Time: 2:52 EST, Finish Time: 7:26, Sunset: 7:55

Angles: Loved the Clampett-Wadkins debate about the talk of angles on No. 11 when Couples and Mickelson had different views of the hole. Imagine if the players could actually pick a side instead of trying to keep it in a 25-yard wide fairway.

"With all due respect, those hugs mean more than the green jacket.": Wow, Phil and Rick Smith are close, but come on Jim Nantz? Oh, you mean the kids...love Lord Fauntleroy suit on Evan. Who's doing his highlights?

Options: Impressed by Peter Kostis's Orwellian take on No. 7, explaining how the new length "gives the players options." A new 12th tee at 275 yards out would install some options there too.

Bored: Did you catch the reclining rules official on No. 13 with his legs stretched out, as if he was sitting on the beach? Classy touch.

Clampett: Minimal nonsense today, only a couple of Hogan's Bridge remarks, and only one head scratcher that came when talking about No. 11: "nobody has figured out a way to make birdie here...except Larry Mize."  Hey, there were 6 birdies just this week! Sorry...

No. 11 Final Tally: Average 4.4745, Rank    1, Eagles 1, Birdies  6, Pars  158, Bogies  86, Doubles  19, Others   4

Driving Distance: The average of all drives recorded was 282.9 yards. The top 5 for those playing all four rounds? Mickelson, Couples , Singh, Pampling, Beem. That didn't stop Kostis from trying to paint Tim Clark as the new poster boy for Hootie Johnson's course changes. Still, Feherty did a much better job Peter and he should win this year's award from the Total Information Awareness Committee.

Your thoughts? 

Comments

[keith talent]

Did you miss clampett talking about shepherds and goats and sheep?

I didn't like the fist-bumps.

The ads were horrible, though the last kid hit a nice little draw.

I wish freddy could putt. He hit his approach on 14 too close.

[Randy]

Non-stop "expert" commentary continues to be a bore. "How I would play it" from the folks behind the microphone are of no importance to me!

[Ned Ludd]

Jim Nantz is too deferential to that Hootie fellow. Makes one wonder if they were sharing a Brokeback Moment before the shindig in Butler Cabin. Hard to tell which of Phil's kids is a boy...Finally figured it out by the process of elimination. Phil is looking rather shaggy as well. Woods, to his credit, did an excellent job of hanging in the background during the cabin talk.
Wouldn't it be something if they could spend their billions on cloning Alister MacKenzie so HE could make the changes, if any, to the course...or in the alternative, lay down the law regarding equipment. To here Nantz et al. talk about MacKenzie in such prayerful tones when all the bunkers scream Alabama Golf Trail is sad.

[OldSchool]

Ned Ludd
The Alabama Trail is the perfect discription. Nantz can't rattle Hootie too much or he will wind up like McCord.

[J.P.]

One short knocker was bound to have a great week.

[Rick Adams]

Fehrty's Irish moment when he called Chad Campbell "Michael"?

[Dan G.]

I agree Geoff that I found Kostis holding up Clark as proof that short-knockers have a chance pretty annoying. But in the interview it seemed to me like Clark felt he was at quite a disadvantage once it rained.

I thought Crenshaw making about nine miles worth of putts the first two days and barely breaking par was pretty striking.

I was really rooting for Freddy and it hurt to see him miss those putts. The sad thing is I think we all saw it coming.

[J.P.]

Not only can hands have bad nerves but so can bellys.

[Hux]

Geoff,

When Clampett fell all over the words "visualises it" on the 12th tee, I could have sworn the next line had to be Zoolander's "A ugooglizer. One who speaks at funerals. Or did you think I'd be too stupid to know what a ugoogly is?"

The Amen Corner shepherd reference was priceless. Being a New Zealander, I know only too well how damaging to wool quality just one or two rogue goats in the flock can be. With their 'Big 5' updates shown several times over the weekend, I wonder if the Masters have actually started physically measuring leaderboard quality. Maybe Clampett is saying he thinks the measurement should be Microns.

Thanks also to the Augusta public relations firm Kostis-Feherty for informing me how to think. I would type more but those pine spills are blocking my gutters and I need to find my ladder.