MY MASTERS HITS AND MISSES

TONY FINAU

When you know the story of this son of a Tongan immigrant — eat your heart out, Mr President — who mowed lawns in California as a teenager so he had money to spend on hitting practice balls, it’s not surprising that even a dislocated ankle couldn’t keep him out of the Masters. Why, you just pop it back in, and go out and shoot 68 — what’s the problem?

JACK NICKLAUS

The Par 3 contest is a little too schmaltzy for me, but it was hard not to get caught up in Jack’s joy when his grandson Gary had his first hole-in-one. Gary is a singer by trade but it was a tearful Jack whose voice struck home. ‘Allow me to put my six jackets in the closet and say I don’t know if I’ve had a more pleasurable day on the golf course,’ he said.

TIGER AND PHIL

It’s an age-old story started by Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, continued by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer and now we have Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson — sworn rivals who become respectful buddies as age catches up with them. What a pleasure to be there to see the disbelief on Tiger’s face when Phil holed a ridiculous chip shot in practice.

AZALEAS

As Rory McIlroy’s predicament in the azaleas on the 13th hole on Saturday illustrated, there was a particularly spectacular profusion of pink this year. Even after all these years, it’s still a thrill to walk down the steep hill from the clubhouse, sit awhile and gawp open-mouthed at the most gorgeous par five in golf.

WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Fred Ridley took over as chairman of Augusta National this season and certainly made his mark with the announcement that a leading women’s amateur event will conclude at Augusta on the weekend before the Masters next year.

PLAYERS WITHOUT CAPS

Maybe it’s just me getting old but I love the fact it’s mandatory at the Masters for every player to take off his baseball cap before he comes into the interview room. Sure, the sponsors paying them millions will hate it, but it casts the players in a far better light when they don’t look like walking billboards.

SIR NICK FALDO

In between editions, it’s always insightful to sit back and listen to his commentary on American television. Every five minutes it seems, he comes up with something that makes you think: that’s why you won three green jackets.

SLOW PLAY

You’d think with a tiny-sized field, play over the first two days would be a lot quicker. Instead, rounds were taking five hours, 45 minutes on Friday. Yes, we know it’s a long walk and treachery is lurking on every hole, but how on earth can you justify rounds taking so long? When are the authorities going to realise they’re dealing with an epidemic?

ANGELA GARCIA

Might I respectfully suggest to Angela that she lighten up? The tweet by the Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner following Sergio Garcia’s horrors at the 15th — ‘Sergio won’t be naming his next kid Firethorn’ — was genuinely witty. His wife’s subsequent, unpleasant rant was anything but.

TEES PLEASE

The best souvenir at the Masters was always a bag of logoed wooden tees at $10 for 200. This year they decided not to bother. If my driving goes to pot this summer, it’s Augusta’s fault.