Snow At Augusta

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These have been making the rounds online (thanks to the readers who forwarded the email) and there are a few more I don't have here at A True Golfer.

The images were captured February 13th. I cropped the date out to protect the innocent, not that Augusta National should find it offensive that these made it online. Then again, it is Augusta National.

Amazing to think that in less than two months the scene will be idyllic and the turf pristine.


Looks like the heating system is working under No. 12 green. And arguably one of the prettiest golf photos I've ever seen:

I Heart Fantasy Golf!

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I finally caved this year and joined a Yahoo PGA Tour Fantasy League and I must say, it's given me new reasons to stay awake during PGA Tour telecasts. Granted I've cursed at a few of my selections posting some seriously awful final round scores, but the purpose of this post is mainly to jinx the rest of the season and to ensure punishment from the Golf Gods (not to mention my league-mates who took me into their group just before tour play started)...

Yes, ArtVandelay (just going with the Seinfeld-theme to the league) is in 139th place, 99th percentile baby! 

It won't last, I know. But I just wanted to enjoy this monumental moment in Fantasy League history.

What's Bugging Sergio Files, Vol. 591

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Stephanie Wei tries to get to the bottom of what exactly it was that Sergio said to Ian Poulter after his semi-final drubbing that included an odd ruling situation. The whole thing is strange in the timing of Sergio's comment to Poulter and while not particularly important, it is fun to think of these two lovebirds as teammates in September.
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Finchem: "That's just a screw-up on my part."

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No, he's not talking about the recipe he dug up for his Commissioner-hosted Southern-style pig roast at last year's Players Championship and how it left the pork a tad dry. He's actually talking about something of substance: Wednesday's horrible handling of the Tiger statement-reading announcement.
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"For all of the Tiger idolaters out there, it must have been like finding out that ice cream sundaes give you gonorrhea."

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Contrary to what some think, Dan Jenkins wrote this piece weeks ago (those of us who received it virally can attest). Yet his thoughts on Tiger Woods remain timely.

Life as Tiger has known it is over. His reputation is ruined, possibly forever. His name that once meant mastery over competitive golf now invokes cringes, giggles and all the Internet jokes you want to pass along.

Sure, he can come back and even win again, if he man's up, but if he does he will only be a hero to the "you-da-man" and "get-in-the-hole" crowd. And I can't imagine him coming back as a "humbled man." That wouldn't be the owner of a yacht insultingly named Privacy, the guy the press has still slobbered over for these past 12 years.

"If we lose Match Play, Tucson will surely turn to dust and be blown to El Paso."

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Greg Hansen makes a plea to Accenture to keep the Match Play in Tucson beyond 2011 when they can take it elsewhere. Love the hometown spirit, but the event falls painfully flat as a form of entertainment and it's hard not to blame a soulless, spread-out and not-particularly engaging Nicklaus course as the main problem. Throw in small crowds and it just isn't working.
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"So it was the timing of it and the fact that Finchem just dropped everything and said, 'okay, whatever you want Tiger'. That's embarrassing when you think about it."

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John Huggan talks to a player who suggests WGC Match Play contestants were more upset with Tim Finchem than with Tiger over the timing of this week's statement reading.
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"Why did he have a go at the media and why did he bring up his charity?"

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Mark Reason talks to Chubby Chandler about Tiger's statement reading and the agent to Els and McIlroy cites two "blunders."

Chandler says: "Why did he have a go at the media and why did he bring up his charity? I'd have left those two bits out. He should just have been sorry and laid out what he's doing and what he's going to do.

"The more he says he doesn't want his wife and kid photographed, the more they're going try to do it. I don't get it. In our world the Beckhams are as high profile and they manage perfectly well."

And this was bold...

"I don't think Tiger will be No1 in five years. I think it will be one of the young kids. It could be Rory, it could be Kaymer, this Michael Sim is very good, for an 18 year-old Ryo Ishikawa is ridiculous. He's ahead of Rory. If you ask Rory who his hero is, it's Ishikawa. How's that? He says he's the coolest golfer in the world.

He says: 'How's my hero doing?'" Once upon a time 12 months ago Tiger Woods was Rory's hero. Now it's a teenager from Japan with sticky-up air.