masters

Jack Nicklaus' campaign against improving golf-ball technology continues unabated. It's one of the traditions here now, right up there with the par-3 contest and debating course changes. Nicklaus argues that scaling back by 10 percent the distance a golf ball flies would eliminate any further tweaking of Augusta National. (They have moved some of the tee boxes back so far now, they're either in another county or within handshaking distance of the adjacent green.) "During the period of 1934 and up to about two, three years ago, there really wasn't much done to this golf course,'' Nicklaus said. "Why all of a sudden do we have a new golf course? Because we've got new equipment that doesn't fit this golf course any more.'' Club officials have discussed going to a standard "Masters ball'' but it's nothing more than talk...

People paying $31 (Tuesday) or $39 (Wednesday) for access to the practice rounds are coming in when the gates open at 8, walking around for 3 or 4 hours, then selling their passes for $100 and up when they leave. Nothing like making a profit and walking the greatest course in the country.

The azaleas are slightly past peak. In case you were wondering.

The National doesnt release # of tickets sold for the practice rounds, but I can tell you the number of people here Tuesday and Wednesday has doubled at least in the past five years. As has the traffic around the course, which is now routinely impossible.

Who'll win if Tiger doesn't? How about Ernie Els? Rested, great touch around the greens, mentally good enough, not especially flappable under pressure.

It was 80 here today. And sunny. Very sunny. Live big.