Mikes Diary - Reflection on the 2008 Masters

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:30:03

My week at Augusta came to an end on a difficult day with swirling winds. It was one of the breeziest days I've experienced out there. It was tough to pull the right club on a lot of shots because not only you were constantly trying to guess which way the wind was gusting, you were also guessing when it would pick up or die down.

It was also tough on the greens. You had to factor in how the wind would blow the ball on the putting surfaces. They are so slick, a big breeze often pushed the ball off line. Add that to the regular difficulty of the greens and you can see just how hard it was to score out there today.

I was hitting the ball so well I actually thought I might post an under-par round. I had a three-putt on four and then hit what I thought was a great shot into seven; it was a foot from being perfect but I ended up with a bogey.
I made three birdies in the next four holes and thought I could really get rolling. When I hit my shot on 16, I thought it was perfect, but it stayed up on the top shelf rather than catching the slope and rolling down to the hole. From up there, you have basically no chance so that was another three-putt bogey.

That's the way it was for me this week, just off by a few inches here or there. That doesn't sound like much, except on this golf course, there's no margin for error and I seemed to be on the wrong side of the inch.

Overall though, I was pleased with the way I played. I drove the ball well and hit it close quite often. Tee to green, I'd actually rate this the best Masters I've ever had. I would have liked to have been sharper with my putting, but I did sink a number of good length putts, especially the first two days.

What's great about this tournament for me, no matter what I shoot or where I finish, I get to come back next year. And I'll keep coming back as long as they'll have me and as long as I can swing the club. I had an awesome week this time, especially with my daughters caddying for me in the Par 3 on Wednesday. It's just such a wonderful tournament and I feel lucky to be a part of it.

I'm also happy for Trevor. He's a tremendous champion and I'm not sure if people know just how good a player he is, although I think they might know now. I was partnered with him at the 2005 Presidents Cup, and I got to see first hand just how talented he is. It's really no surprise how well he played and that he's wearing the green jacket.

Finally, thanks to all the fans who cheered me on this week at Augusta National and who were cheering for me in front of their televisions. Your support is always encouraging.

Thanks for reading,

Mike