Masters Week: Better Late then Never

Cue the piano. IT’S MASTERS WEEK BABY!

It is finally here. The week of the 2020 Masters has arrived.

Everyone knows that one guy, that is bat shit crazy about The Masters. I am that guy. Guilty as charged. The Masters, has easily become my favorite sporting event of the year.

For my wedding, I asked my groomsmen to be apart of my wedding party using a mock Masters invitation. In the swag bag they all got was a caddie coverall that all of the caddies at The Masters wear.

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You see, I am that guy.

My First Masters

I first became aware of the Masters in 2005 when Tiger famously chipped in for birdie on 16th hole in route to winning the green jacket. At the time, I had never played golf in my entire life. Hell, I had never even heard of Tiger Woods.

I grew up playing hockey and I happened to be at a year end banquet during the final round of the 2005 Masters. One of the dads at the banquet was a huge golf fan and he was pulling hard for Dimarco to beat Tiger. I had no idea who Tiger was, but I was pulling hard for him just to be a devils advocate.

Seeing Tiger’s chip shot on the 16th hole live is a sporting moment I will never forget. I have watched the clip on YouTube at least a hundred times, and I still cant believe the ball fell into the cup. The shot was pure theatrics. Having never seen a golf tournament live before, that single shot sucked me right in. I didn’t know it at the time, but that shot began my love affair with golf and more specifically, the Masters.

The Reason I Play Golf

The Masters got me into golf and is a big part of why I have stuck around. In the summer after the 2005 Masters I played golf for the first time and purchased my first set of golf clubs. Until that point, myself and my buddies had never played golf in our lives. But, in the summer of 2005 we played at least twice a week every single week.

The executive course we played had a junior program that allowed us to play 18 holes for $14. $7 a nine. What a steal.

From that point on, minus a brief period where wrongfully believed I was destined to be the future second basemen of the San Diego Padres, I have been hooked on golf. When I finally realized that my dream of playing in the big leagues was over, I turned my full attention to golf.

My dream in golf has always been to play in The Masters. Might sound delusional, but it is somewhat possible. Don’t believe me?

Then, let me explain.

Amateurs compete in The Masters

Each year, a handful of amateur golfers successfully qualify to compete in The Masters. This year, six amateurs will tee up with the pros at Augusta National Golf Club this week. Every year, Augusta National Golf Club invites the following players to complete in The Masters:

1. Winner of the United States Amateur Championship
2. Runner-up of the United States Amateur Championship
3. Winner of the Asian Pacific Amateur Championship, Latin America Amateur Championship, British Amateur, United States Mid-Amateur Championship

You see, all I got to do is win one of these six spots and I am in. Sounds easy enough right?

The Masters is about Traditions

I believe it is the traditions centered around The Masters that make it the best golf tournament in the sport.

The week of The Masters is filled with traditions. You have the champions dinner on Tuesday night. The Par Three tournament on Wednesday. And finally, you have the ceremonial first tee shots on Thursday morning to name a few.

The tradition of amateurs competing in The Masters is my favorite tradition. I believe it gives young golfers all over the world a reason to dream. A reason to believe.

I have personally chased that dream, and I still do today. The main motivation for improving my game, is the dream that one day, I will be good enough to qualify for The Masters. I am running out of options, but the a win in the U.S. Mid Am is all I need.

A guy can dream, can’t he?

Until next time,

Enjoy the chase!

On Wednesday’s post I will detail out who I like to win, who I think will be the low am, and what I think about a repeat… Check back on Wednesday for that post.

If you want to see more posts from the blog, follow this link -> Chasing Birdies Blog.