Kocet's Corner

Haven't gotten my invitation to the Masters yet... Still waiting. I did playthe tournament when I was a youngster, though. Then the event was held in mybackyard. Usually, it came down to a shootout between Nicklaus, Palmer andPlayer. Naturally, I played all three balls (kids had great imaginations backthen). Had to. No such thing as computer games.The backyard course was actually a cow pasture, and fence posts and rocksserved as most of the pins. Shots had to be positioned perfectly into areaswhere the grass had been nibbled short by the cows. An errant slice might findits way up into the cemetery. Hit it in there and you were dead.

The worst hazards on my Augusta National were the dreaded cow pies. Having theball land in one of those was bad news. Not only were you penalized a shot, butusually the ball was considered lost. Of course it you were desperate to save ashot... Nope, never did what you're thinking.

Nearly half a century has passed since I played golf on that backyard course.

That land is not the same anymore, but I still have the memories.

Here are a couple of other Masters memories: The saddest moment I can rememberwas when Roberto DeVicenzo signed an incorrect scorecard after the final round,giving Bob Goalby the outright victory in the 1968 Masters. The whole world hadwatched DeVicenzo and Goalby tie after 72 holes, but it didn't matter. On thecard the score on the 17th hole was marked as a 4 instead of a 3, and once itwas signed, that was that.

The most "Did that really just happen shot" (at least in my opinion) was whenSeve Ballesteros inexplicably hit his second shot into the pond on the 15thhole during the 1986 Masters. Seve was playing so great that day it was hard tograsp at first what had just happened. Take away that brief lapse, and I firmlybelieve Seve would have won the tournament despite the great charge of JackNicklaus.

So what about the weather at Augusta this week? Well, I think it's going to begreat. I can't imagine any rainouts, and Friday is about the only time therecould be a stray shower in the area. Plus, it will be much warmer than it wastoday. Highs Wednesday and Thursday will be in the comfortable 70s. Friday'shigh will be around 80, then it will get well into the 80s both days of theweekend.