Bet leads to diamond ring for caddie's wife

Bet leads to diamond ring for caddie's wife











PGA.COM April 7, 2013 6:15 PM

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Bubba Watson (l) and caddie Paul Tesori (r) are forever linked in Masters lore.(Getty Images)


By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press


The artistic, majestic wedge out of the trees and onto the 10th green at Augusta National. The tearful celebration. Slipping into that beautiful green jacket for the first time in Butler Cabin. The trophy presentation.

Bubba Watson finally had a chance to catch his breath when he sat down for dinner to honor the latest Masters champion.

And that's when it hit him.

''We're all upstairs at the dinner and he said, 'Dude, do you realize what this means?''' caddie Ted Scott recalled. ''And we're thinking, 'Yeah, Bubba. You're the Masters champion. This is a pretty big deal.' He stops dead in his tracks and he says, 'I've got to buy Paul that ring.' ''

Paul Tesori, the caddie for Webb Simpson, was listening to the playoff on the radio while driving home to Florida when Watson made his incredible escape and beat Louis Oosthuizen with a par. Tesori smiled when he thought about the ring and wondered if Watson even remembered his promise.

Leave it to Watson to have instant recall of such an insignificant moment compared with the magnitude of winning the Masters.

There are 350 varieties of more than 80,000 plants at Augusta National, but only one palm tree on the golf course. It now takes on new meaning for Watson, a reminder of how he ruined a caddie's bet with his wife over a wedding ring and made up for it by winning a green jacket.

It all started when Simpson had an extra ticket for the practice round that he gave to Tesori's wife, Michelle. Tesori was so excited about her first trip to the Masters that, as they drove to Augusta and he raved about the beauty of the golf course, he served up a challenge.

''I said, 'Honey, one of the cool things is that there's one palm tree on the property and half the players don't even know where it is. If you can find the palm tree, anything you want is yours,''' Tesori said.

She had been asking about a diamond ring that cost $10,000 and would complete her wedding band. Tesori figured he would buy it whenever Simpson won his next golf tournament, but he got caught up in the moment and offered that as the reward.

They played nine holes that Wednesday with the regular group - Watson, Simpson and Rickie Fowler. Jason Day joined them on the first tee, but his wrist was a little sore and so the Australian left them after three holes.

The lone palm at Augusta is tucked away to the right of the green on the par-3 fourth hole. This was the big moment.

And that's when Tesori made his first big mistake.

''Paul was talking to Bubba about it and I'm thinking to myself, 'This is not a good idea,''' Simpson said.

Sure enough, Watson had no clue about the only palm at Augusta National. And when he heard the deal Tesori had with his wife, Watson couldn't help himself.

''My best recollection is Bubba being his normal self and throwing Paul under the bus,'' Fowler said. ''There are certain secrets Bubba can keep if they need to be kept secret. But if it's something along the lines of a bet, and nothing that can hurt you too bad - like a $10,000 ring - that's out the door.''

Watson found the palm and began making a scene, his voice getting louder as he pointed to the tree.

Tesori urged him to keep it down, which only egged on Watson, who continued to raise his voice and point to the palm. Tesori's only hope was that his wife was far enough back in the crowd and couldn't see - or hear - what Watson was doing. But when the caddie reached the green and looked to the left, he was doomed.

''I found my wife in the crowd,'' he said. ''She's got her arms up in the air in a V formation, jumping up and down. And Bubba thinks it's the greatest thing in the world.''

Tesori felt otherwise.

''His face ... he looked like he was in shock,'' Scott, the caddie, said.

In some respects, it was like the Old Testament story of Samson offering to buy linen garments and a set of clothes for his 30 wedding guests if they could solve his riddle. The guests pressured his wife to get the answer, and they solved it on the last night of the wedding feast. Samson was so angry he killed 30 men and took their garments to pay off the bet.

This was just a ring.

And the man who ruined it all was the first to come to the rescue.

''I said, 'Hey, you lost. You better go down there and hug it,''' Watson said he told Tesori, meaning the tree. ''He was mad. He said, 'Why would you do that?' So I told him, 'Hey, if I win this week, I'll buy it.' Webb said he'd do it and Rickie said he'd do it, too. And then we totally forgot about it.''

Tesori was thrilled for Watson when the Masters ended that night - and so was his wife.

''She said I should send him a text,'' Tesori said. ''I said, no, I don't want to do that. He's not going to remember, and I would never even bring it up. I'm rooting for Bubba because he's a friend of mine.''

The next morning, he received a direct message on Twitter from Scott, who was with Watson during the hours after his Masters win. He told him about Watson's reaction that Sunday night when he remembered the ring.

''The look on Bubba's face was about the same look as Paul's face when she saw the tree,'' Scott said.

Watson never thought twice about his end of the bargain.

''If someone said you had to pay $10,000 to win the Masters? Shoot, everybody would do that,'' he said.

Even better, when Michelle Tesori went to the jewelry store and told the story, the owner knocked 25 percent off the price.

It's just a coincidence, but in the months after that practice round, Watson had a green jacket, Fowler won his first PGA Tour event at Quail Hollow, and Simpson followed with his first major championship at the U.S. Open. Too bad Day, the other player in their group, left early.

''It was a cool experience,'' Fowler said. ''For the three of us, we have that memory to look back on with that ring, because all three of us ended up having a pretty good year. That ring symbolizes something.''

Mickelson plays practice round with Condi Rice

Mickelson plays practice round with Condi Rice











PGA.COM April 7, 2013 6:51 PM

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Phil Mickelson said he asked Condoleezza Rice about countries, and she asked him about golf courses.(Getty …


By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Phil Mickelson has won three green jackets, and he was the one asking all the questions Sunday during a practice round at the Masters.

In his group was Augusta National's newest member -- former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"Awesome," Mickelson said after playing 18 holes with his agent and Augusta National members Rice and Lee Styslinger. "She's one of my favorite people to be around. She's so knowledgeable and interesting to talk to. I always learn so much. When I saw she became a member, one of the first things I did was schedule a game close to Masters time. The fact she's here, we were able to work it out. It was really cool."

Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore made history in August when they became the first women invited to join the home of the Masters. Moore is not expected until later in the week.

Rice had lunch with Mickelson and then donned her green jacket to meet with other members on the practice range. Even though she has been a member for more than seven months, it was no less striking to see her in the elegantly tapered jacket that for eight decades had been worn only by men.

She slipped away without taking questions, which is not unusual. Members don't typically give interviews during the week of the Masters.

Mickelson couldn't stop talking about her -- especially her putting.

They played a $10 game in which they rotated partners every six holes, and it ended on a big note -- Rice made what Mickelson described as a 40-foot putt with about 18 feet of break on the final hole. That gave her a net birdie.

"Perfect pace," Mickelson said. "Her speed, touch, being able to read the greens. She one of the better members on the greens that I've seen."

"Every once in a while," Rice said as Mickelson gushed.

Sunday before the Masters is the last day members have the same access to the course as the players, and they occasionally play in the same group. Tiger Woods teed off with Steve Stricker and U.S. Amateur Public Links champion T.J. Vogel as Rice was finishing.

She walked over to the first tee to greet Woods, and they spent a few minutes chatting before Woods teed off. Woods spent two years at Stanford. Rice became the first black woman to be a Stanford provost in 1993, and she now is a professor of political economy at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. She's also one of the Cardinal's biggest sports fans, along with being a member of the U.S. Golf Association's nominating committee.

This day was just about golf -- except for Mickelson's inquiring mind. Lefty was asked if their round ever reached a point that he hounded Rice with too many questions. Mickelson laughed and said, "She kept asking me about the golf course, and I kept asking her about countries."

"It was really fun," he said. "And she can really putt."

Told about what Mickelson said, Rice laughed and said, "He's such a good friend. I've known him for years."

Mickelson was thrilled to learn Augusta National had invited women to join, and he said it wasn't long before he called Rice to arrange a game.

"As soon as I saw she was a member, I called her to work up a game, just like I did Arnold (Palmer) back in the day as an amateur," Mickelson said. "She's just one of my favorite people to be around."

Rice on the golf course -- and later in a green jacket -- attracted the most attention on an otherwise lazy day before one of the biggest weeks of the year.

Zach Johnson gave his caddie, Damon Green, the treat of a lifetime by inviting him to play. Graeme McDowell played with his University of Alabama-Birmingham golf bag in a game with Brandt Snedeker and Toby Wilt, an Augusta National member who was Snedeker's winning partner at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

The club's professional was on the tee, sending out members and players, just like any other country club. Masters week officially begins Monday, with the tournament starting Thursday. Yet, some players, like Mickelson and Adam Scott, have been around all weekend getting in their preparations before it gets too busy.

"My work is done," Scott said. "I've mapped out what I wanted to do. The course is the best I've ever seen it."

Mickelson did not plan to return to the course until Tuesday. Scott said he would putt for about an hour on Monday, and perhaps play nine holes Tuesday and Wednesday. He looked across the course, empty of fans, realizing it would be packed for the rest of the week.

"The next three days will be about having fun," Scott said. "And then you switch it back on for Thursday."

Park rolls to Kraft Nabisco crown

Park rolls to Kraft Nabisco crown










John Reger, The Sports Xchange April 7, 2013 9:50 PMThe SportsXchange


RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Inbee Park saw nearly five years pass before she won her second major championship, but it was certainly worth the wait.


In the most dominating performance of her young career, Park shot a final-round 69 for a total of 15-under-par 273, defeating fellow South Korean So Yeon Ryu by four shots to win the Kraft Nabisco Championships. With the victory at Mission Hills Country Club's Dinah Shore Tournament Course, Park won $300,000 and moved up to second on the Rolex World Rankings.

"It feels very good," Park said. "It has been a while since I won a major, and this is my second major of my career, and it feels very special."

Park, who won the 2008 U.S. Women's Open at age 19, ran away with the final round Sunday, extending her three-shot lead to seven after two holes.

After Ryu, Sweden's Caroline Hedwall and Norway's Suzann Pettersen tied for third at 279.

Holding a lead in a tournament has not been a strong suit for Park. Coming into the Kraft Nabisco's final round, she was only 1-for-5 after she'd been on top through 54 holes, her lone victory at the 2012 Evian Masters.

Keeping this lead never appeared to be in doubt.

"It made my day much easier, that's for sure," Park said. "I holed a long one on the first hole."

Lizette Salas, who was in second place to begin the final round, wanted to put quick pressure on Park with a couple of early birdies, but her chances were effectively derailed when she double-bogeyed the first hole. Salas shot 77 and finished tied for 25th.

"Obviously I'm not very pleased with it, very disappointed in myself," said Salas, a 23-year-old from Southern California. "It was one of those days where it could have gone from bad to worse, and starting off with a double wasn't in the game plan."

After watching Park stripe her opening drive down the middle of the fairway, a common sight in the final round, Salas hooked her tee shot into the rough and only advanced it about 15 yards. Her third shot reached the front of the green, and her chip was 20 feet from the hole. Two putts later, Salas handed Park a three-shot swing.

Park's only mistake on the front nine was on No. 6, when her tee shot found the water. She hit her third shot to 18 feet and failed to make the par-saving putt.

On the back nine, Park made a bogey on No. 10, and for a moment it opened the door for Ryu, who shot the best round of the day, a 7-under 65.

"I felt so good to have a bogey-free round at a major tournament," Ryu said. "It feels really great, and I'm really proud of myself."

Ryu was able to get to within four shots, but Park made birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 to build the lead back to six. Park bogeyed No. 17, and Ryu made a birdie on the final hole, but by then the identity of the eventual champion was no longer in question.

"I think she was playing a different golf course," Ryu said. "She made it look so easy out there."

Park won four times last year and has continued her dominance this season, winning twice in five events. Park contended in majors as well, finishing in the top 10 nine out of 16 times since her U.S. Women's Open championship.

Among the majors, she previously struggled the most in the Kraft Nabisco, finishing tied for 29th and 26th the past two years. Her best finish at Mission Hills was ninth in 2008, the same year she won the Open.

"It is a very good start," Park said. "It's pressure off of me for the rest of the season. I'm just going to go out there and enjoy the season."

NOTES: Two-time champion Karrie Webb shot an even-par 72 Sunday. Webb, who won the event in 2000 and 2006, finished tied for fifth at 282. ... Salas had a substantial cheering section and was definitely a crowd favorite. Her mother and father made the 100-mile drive from Azusa, Calif., and were joined by other family and friends, including USC women's golf coach Andrea Gaston ... Park became the third South Korean and second consecutive to win the season's first major. Sun Young Yoo won last year, and Grace Park won in 2004.

Scott wins Masters, edging Cabrera in playoff

Scott wins Masters, edging Cabrera in playoff











PGA.COM April 14, 2013 8:15 PM

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Adam Scott celebrated after rolling in a 12-footer for birdie to win. (Getty Images)


By Paul Newberry, Associated Press AUGUSTA, Ga. --Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters, beating Angel Cabrera on the second hole of a playoff on a soggy Sunday at Augusta National.


The Masters went to a sudden-death playoff for the second year in a row when Scott and Cabrera made matching birdies on the 72nd hole.

They both made par on the first extra hole, returning to No. 18, before Scott rolled in a 12-footer for birdie to win it.

Scott pumped his fists in the air, screaming toward the gray, darkening sky, and embraced caddie Steve Williams, who was on the bag for 13 of Tiger Woods' 14 major titles.

For Scott, this is the first, making up for his major meltdown at last year's British Open, where he bogeyed the last four holes to lose by a stroke to Ernie Els.

"I found my way today," Scott said.

Scott, playing in the next-to-last group, made a 20-foot putt at 18 and celebrated with Williams as if it were over. Cabrera, in the final group, watched from the fairway knowing he had to hit a brilliant shot.

He did.

Cabrera's ball pulled up 3 feet from the cup for an easy birdie that sent the two players to the playoff tied at 9-under 279.

"That's how golf is," said Cabrera, who was denied his third major title. "I had some issues during the course but I came back."

Another Australian, Jason Day, had the lead until he bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes. He finished two strokes out of the playoff at 281.

Woods, the overwhelming favorite, came up short again. He hasn't won the Masters since 2005, or any major championship since the 2008 U.S. Open.

Woods struggled with the putter on the front side, then missed a birdie try at No. 16 that could have put some pressure on the leaders.

"I had a hard time getting accustomed to the speed," said Woods, who finished in a tie for fourth at 283. "Every putt I left short for probably the first eight holes."

Adam Scott headed to PGA Grand Slam of Golf after Masters win

Adam Scott headed to PGA Grand Slam of Golf after Masters win












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Adam Scott earned the first spot in the 2013 PGA Grand Slam of Golf with his win at the Masters.(Getty Images)

PGA.COM April 14, 2013 9:00 PM


First, it was a remarkable 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to take the clubhouse lead at 8-under par. Then, it was a scintillating two-hole, sudden-death playoff with Argentina's Angel Cabrera.


But, when it was all said and done, Adam Scott claimed his first major championship at Augusta National, becoming the first Australian to win the Masters.

With the victory, Scott became the first player to qualify for golf's most exclusive foursome, earning a spot in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf to be played Oct. 14-16, 2013, at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda.

Scott began the final round of the 77th Masters trailing Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker by one shot.

In what will go down as one of the biggest putts in Masters history, Scott nailed a 20-footer for birdie on the 72nd to post a 3-under 69 for the final round and an 9-under 279 total for a short-lived clubhouse lead.

Cabrera answered by sticking his second shot on No. 18 to within four feet of the hole and calmly made a birdie putt of his own to force sudden death.

Both players matched pars on No. 18 -- the first hole of the playoff -- before Scott holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole, the second of the playoff, for the biggest victory of his impressive career.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features a $1.35 million purse, with the winner receiving $600,000, second place $300,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.

TNT's prime-time broadcast of the event reaches a worldwide audience of 88.9 million U.S. homes and international viewers in more than 100 countries.The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is hosted by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Port Royal Golf Course, and the Fairmont Southampton Hotel.

Established in 1979, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf has grown from an 18-hole, single-day charity event to a 36-hole annual showdown that matches professional golf's best against each other.

The remainder of the foursome for the 2013 PGA Grand Slam of Golf features the winners of the U.S. Open, June 13-16, at Merion; the Open Championship, July 18-21 at Muirfield; and finally, the 95th PGA Championship, August 8-11, at Oak Hill.

By: T.J. Auclair, PGA.com

Lateral Hazard: Tiger Woods still on track to catch Jack Nicklaus

Lateral Hazard: Tiger Woods still on track to catch Jack Nicklaus











Brian Murphy April 14, 2013 9:13 PMYahoo Sports






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Tiger Woods tips his cap as he walks to the 18th green during the final round of the Masters. (USAT Sports)It's long been my thought that Tiger Woods is so comfortable at Augusta National Golf Club, that his game and his competitive soul were so bred to win green jackets, that he will pass Jack Nicklaus on the all-time majors list because he will stockpile two, maybe even three more green jackets en route to 19 total major wins.



And after an eighth consecutive Masters without a Tiger win, as we approach the five-year anniversary of his last major championship, I'm sticking with that thought.

I know, I know. He had his chances this time around and wasn't as sound as champion Adam Scott or as clutch as runner-up Angel Cabrera. Heck, I even know he lost the respect of many with an illegal drop – no, I don't believe in the "grassy knoll" Augusta Chronicle photos claiming his drop was legal – and signing an incorrect scorecard, only to avoid disqualification with a call from the governor, a.k.a. the green jackets who weren't about to DQ Tiger (Freakin') Woods.

And I know he's 37, and not getting younger. And I know his knees are surgically repaired. And I know the fields are strong, that for every Rory McIlroy, there's a Bubba Watson and an Adam Scott and a Webb Simpson and a Keegan Bradley.

But there is something still so vital about Tiger's game, you'd be a fool to read a tie-4th at the 2013 Masters – four shots off the lead – as a sign that Tiger's best days are over.

To wit:

• He's won three times this year already, and six times in his last 21 starts. Nobody in the world matches that.

• In seven of the last eight Masters, he's finished tie-3rd, tie-2nd, 2nd, tie-6th, tie-4th, tie-4th, tie-4th. He's not just knocking on the door. He's taking a battering ram to it.

• He probably has another eight years of peak golf left in him, so that's 32 more majors in which to win five, with a good chance to win, say, three Masters and, let's just say, two British Opens (the creativity suits his game).

• And as his new squeeze, Lindsey Vonn, tweeted after the Masters on Sunday: "Plenty more golf left this year. :) #fighter #eyeofthetiger"

[Related: Expecting Tiger Woods to disqualify himself is antiquated and absurd]

Let's set aside for a moment that she actually went there, that she actually used a smiley-face emoticon, that she actually hash-tagged "#eyeofthetiger", a remarkable bit of junior high level public display of affection. Instead, focus on her content: There is a ton of golf left, starting with Merion's U.S. Open and on to Muirfield's British Open and then Oak Hill's PGA Championship.





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Tiger Woods reacts after missing a putt on the fourth green. (AP)And if you need evidence of why Tiger's just fine after another major without a win, study his back nine on Sunday. He'd played tight on the front nine, making bogey on Nos. 5 and 7, failing to birdie either par-5 – Nos. 2 and 8. It almost felt like he was pressing, that he felt the Ghost of Eighteen Majors lurking in his backswing. His putting, so murderously good since Steve Stricker's advice to him last month, looked suspect, as if he'd forgotten Stricker's tip. (Idle thought: Is it within Augusta National's bylaws to carry smart phones on the course? Because a quick text to super nice guy Stricker, "Dude. Go to TV. Watch my stance. Text me fix. Thanks, bud. Pimento cheese sando on me," could have solved it all.)



Then he got to the 9th hole, a difficult place to make birdie. He did, by making a 20-footer. His approach at 10 was money, leading to another birdie. He darn near jarred a chip for birdie on 11, missing by inches. He had a great look for birdie on 12. He had a look at eagle on 13. In other words, he was charging, like Tiger does.

He had a look at eagle on 15, and a good look for bird on 16. He was right there. Golf being golf, he didn't convert them all. Hey, it happens. A useful note to anybody who argues that if Tiger was all the way "back", he'd win: Tiger just logged his 11th top-five finish at the Masters. The record is held by Jack Nicklaus, with 15. So, Jack didn't always convert either.

And, of course, this Masters will forever be remembered for Tiger's 15th hole on Friday. Tied for the lead, he was about to take control when his approach ricocheted off the flagstick, setting off all kinds of controversy. While I happen to think Augusta National botched the ruling – see 'Broadcast Moment of the Week' below – I also know that Tiger was the victim of an awful, rotten break. Yes, he's received tons of great breaks in his career. But remember how good his golf was right up until that point, and how the penalty affected the rest of his tournament.

The field knows. They know Tiger will be in the hunt at Merion, and at Muirfield and at Oak Hill. He just went 70-73-70-70, and you can make a good argument that Friday's 73 was on its way to a 69, if not for the unfortunate bounce off the flagstick.

Point is, Tiger's Masters proved he is, indeed, back. But don't believe me. Believe Lindsey Vonn's hashtags.

SCORECARD OF THE WEEK

73-75-77-75 – 12-over 300, Tianlang Guan, 58th place, The Masters, Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.

OK. This isn't serious, is it? A 14-year-old kid from China didn't just fly halfway around the globe, roll into Augusta National's clubhouse with his travel bag, see Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy – not to mention Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player – in the grill room, then do that? Then go become the youngest player to ever make the cut at the Masters? And never three-putt a green? And never make worse than a bogey?





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Tianlang Guan hits his tee shot on the 7th hole during the final round of the Masters. (USAT Sports)And do it all after Augusta National slapped him with a 'slow play' penalty, an insult to all of us golf fans who've endured penalty-free slow play from pros for the past decade?



My goodness. Imagine how well he would have played without the crushing awkwardness of puberty, embarrassing parents and nursing a crush on a girl in his eighth grade history class.

We worry about 'too much, too soon' for some of these athletes. We see players like Michelle Wie get fed to the wolves early, and sport scar tissue as a result. We know Tiger didn't play in the Masters until he won a U.S. Amateur and was a freshman at Stanford. So, yes, we worry about Tianlang Guan not rushing into things.

He says he's not turning pro, that he has "too many things to work on." One thing he doesn't have to work on is his poise. The kid did interviews in English (!), took the high road on the slow-play penalty and even wore sporty plaid slacks, too.

If the 2013 Masters is remembered as three things, let it be: a) Australia's triumph; b) Tiger's 'DropGate' and c) The super-cool stretch of golf by a 14-year-old kid who redefined mettle in the cathedral of pines.

BROADCAST MOMENT OF THE WEEK

"I do believe the onus is on Tiger Woods to step forward, for the proceedings today, for this tournament, for his career, to disqualify himself." – Brandel Chamblee, The Golf Channel.

Thing is, I could have chosen about a gazillion other moments from DropGate, or TigerGate, or RulesGate or the latest example of how Tiger Woods cleaves the population into Tiger lovers and Tiger, um, dislikers.

I'll go with Chamblee, because he crystallized the "Tiger Should W/D" crew's views. On Saturday morning, he had company from Nick Faldo, who called Tiger's drop "dreadful" and many in the Twitterverse, including David Duval and Greg Norman. Norman put it simply: "Woods violated the rules as he played … WD for the game."

But the "W/D Posse" was stripped of ammunition when rules committee chair Fred Ridley went on CBS with Jim Nantz in Butler Cabin Saturday. (And by the way, does it get more country club than Nantz and Ridley? Talk about two blazer-wearers you'd see at the Friday night club buffet before the Saturday morning club championship, followed by some gentlemanly chat in the grill room.)

[Related: Photos: Sunday at the Masters]

In an amazing side note, it is being reported that Nantz is the one who called Ridley Friday night to re-open the case, after seeing Tiger's ESPN interview in which he said he took the drop "two yards" behind his original spot. Nantz as the narc! The plot thickens. In fact, Augusta National said a different caller phoned in during Tiger's round to raise the question of the drop. This opened up the ethical question of armchair rules officials and their duties. Even Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Joe Montana took to Twitter blasting fans who call in. Ridley said the Masters gets dozens of calls about rules during the tournament, and leads to one to wonder: How many are prank calls? Any from Howard Stern's famous "Captain Janks," who has infiltrated huge moments with prank calls, including the O.J. Simpson chase in 1994? How many call Augusta National asking if the club "has Prince Albert in a can?"

Anyway.

Ridley reminded all of the 2011 addition to the Rules of Golf, Rule 33-7, which is the magic bullet for Tiger: "A penalty of disqualification may in exceptional individual cases be waived, modified or imposed if the committee considers such action warranted."

In other words, Ridley and the green jackets could overlook Tiger's ignorance of the rules (never an excuse in the old days) and Tiger's signing of an incorrect scorecard (never an excuse in the old days) by using the key words "waived" and "exceptional individual cases."

"It's a very complicated situation," Ridley said, failing to add on national TV: "You have to understand, there's no (freaking) way I'm gonna DQ Tiger Woods at the Masters."

To my eyes, it's pretty simple: Tiger violated the rules, then signed an incorrect scorecard. It would keep golf's honorable code intact if he was disqualified. But the new rule provided Augusta National and Tiger with an out, so they're technically and legally in the clear. That the committee failed to inform him of a violation, or that the committee studied the tape and didn't see the violation, provided the opening for the committee to say "Our bad" and invoke 33-7.

Or, as the great Dan Jenkins called it: "A Get Out of Jail Free Card."

Chamblee and Faldo had to pipe down by Saturday afternoon, with Faldo saying "it's a new era, with new rules" and Chamblee saying, "the committee made their ruling, the ruling stands."





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Augusta chairman Billy Payne (middle), competition committee chairman Fred Ridley (left) and chairman of the media …In fairness to Tiger, he's not the first beneficiary of a favorable ruling by Augusta National. Famously, Ken Venturi thinks Arnold Palmer won the 1958 green jacket because the club awarded him a hugely favorable, erroneous ruling on the 12th hole on Sunday. Ernie Els got a majorly favorable free drop in a pile of debris left of the 11th hole in 2004, too. So, like the NBA makes sure to coddle LeBron and Kobe when it comes to officials' whistles, Augusta National has a history of – wink-wink, nudge-nudge – making sure the big boys get rulings that work well for both parties.



Ridley recoiled at that notion when Nantz posed it.

"Jim, the Masters was founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts," Ridley said, name-dropping. "Integrity has been the underpinning of this club from day one. We look at every player the same, whether it's the last player who qualified or Tiger Woods."

He failed to add, again: "And you have to understand. There's no (freaking) way I'm gonna DQ Tiger Woods at the Masters. You dig?"

If George Orwell were still on the Rules Committee, he'd note: "All players are created equal. Just some are more equal than others."

Or, as caddie Kip Henley tweeted: "Something tells me that if it was B. Gay, he'd be at the Holiday Inn packing his stuff."

MULLIGAN OF THE WEEK

Jason Day arrived at the 16th tee on Sunday with some cool facial scruff, a birth certificate that said he's only 25 years old, and a two-shot lead at the Masters with three holes to play.

Three holes later, Day walked off the green with the cool facial scruff and the birth certificate – and two bogeys in his last three holes to miss a playoff by two shots.

Day had to watch Scott scream, in CBS super slo-mo, 'COME ON, AUSSIE!' and think: "I'm an Aussie … I could have yelled 'COME ON, AUSSIE!' … and all I have is this stinkin' bronze medal." Ouch.

Day would have joined Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros as the only players aged 25 or younger who ever won a Masters, and that's some tall cotton.

[Related: Adam Scott claims Australia's first Masters]

Instead, he'll forever rue the bogeys at 16 and 17 – particularly at 16, which was set up for birdie, as Augusta National loves to churn up some late Sunday drama. In fact, Day's bogey at 16 was the only bogey made by any player who finished in the top 10.

The culprit was an overcooked tee shot, leaving Day an awkward chip back and a tough par putt. He didn't convert.

So let's go back to the 16th tee, in that Georgia rain, remind Day that the hole is a piece of cake, that he only need hit the green, make his 3 and move on, club him down one and … give that man a mulligan!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Shhhh. It's hangover week.

Golf's raging party of the Masters – tense, thrilling, an overload of the senses – rolls into a serene coastal spot in South Carolina. Harbour Town is always the ultimate post-Masters 'hair of the dog,' a sleepy, beautiful golf course, with great scenery and boats drifting in the water. It almost feels mandatory to watch the Heritage from Harbour Town in a hammock, with a Bloody Mary.

Carl Pettersson is the defending champ, but the field is strong, with Snedeker and Luke Donald and Ernie Els in the mix. It was so quiet at Harbour Town, late Sunday afternoon, if you tried real hard, and leaned your ears toward Georgia, you could hear a guy yell: "COME ON, AUSSIE!!"