FELDY: So it took me a while after Brandt's collapse to recover, but it's all OK now. Actually, Snedeker's emotion was sort of refreshing. So many pro golfers are like machines, on and off the course, which probably comes from the nature of the sport. Golfers love routine, routine and more routine. Snedeker left Augusta National with a big, big paycheck and a third-place finish in the Masters, yet he wasn't satisfied because he so badly wanted to win. I'd rather see a guy like him cry than watch a guy like Tiger Woods pout his way around the course.
This year's Masters is getting criticized for being a snoozer, and I imagine it was a snoozer watching on TV. No big names put up a serious challenge to Trevor Immelman, and no one else put up a challenge for the final 14 holes on Sunday.
I guess the final outcome wasn't what I'll remember about this Masters, though. What will I remember? The beautiful weather for most of the week; watching Justin Leonard's daughter putt for him at the par 3 contest on Wednesday; watching the threesome of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player play nine holes together at the par 3 contest; and the strange layout of the streets and roads in Augusta (as I told Mike, the friend I traveled with, it looks like someone used an Etch-A-Sketch to design Augusta's streets, and they all parallel each other).
This was my second Masters, and hopefully I'll get a chance to return some day. Getting to see the actual tournament rounds is a special opportunity. You just can't buy badges for those four days; the waiting list for full-tourney badges is closed; it's the toughest ticket in sports, even tougher than getting a ticket to Lambeau Field.
If you want to see Augusta National, though, you can apply each year for Monday-Wednesday practice round tickets . Even though it's not the actual tournament you'd see, I highly recommend going for the practice rounds if you have a chance. The unique part of the experience isn't watching the golf, it's seeing the course and the AGNC grounds. The par 3 contest on Wednesday is a pretty cool experience, too, with many players' kids caddying for them. The golfers are far more relaxed and most of them will interact often with the crowd.
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Really, if you want to see AGNC, apply now for next year's practice rounds. If you don't get 'em next year, keep applying. The hotel rooms will be costly (well over $200 a night in Augusta; $150-200 a night in Aiken, S.C., about a 20-mile drive) but if you're a passionate golf fan, it's absolutely worth it.
