So, I Guess I'm Not Done With Golf Just Yet...

Well, color me happy! I survived 36 holes of golf within two days and didn't do too badly for barely having even played last year at all. Predictably, I won the most dubious award called Ladies Shortest Tee Shot. Yup. I saved my big shot partner from receiving the male version of the same award, with my less than perfect tee shot.

Always a fun tournament, they seem to have weeded out all of the drama couples, making for a really enjoyable weekend. Everyone involved actually cares more about having fun than winning, which makes for very little drama, if any. We play a *SHAMBLE* format meaning each pair takes the best drive and you play your own ball to the hole. We also don't do sandtraps.

I also made my first eagle, with the expertise of my fine Scottish partner (actually he's a golf pro in Hawaii who was visiting) on the second day. On a 4 par he hit his tee shot 4 inches from the hole. I sank that sucker with fervor! I'm thinking I still love golf... for the moment. Best of all, I think that perhaps I'm not done yet.

There is a point at which you finally *get it* with golf... at least for some people. I do believe I think I'm there. Or not. It might be a sucker punch waiting in disguise, to knock me off of my high horse again. However, for now, I'm feeling quite full of myself and my golf game.

Since we returned home we've played once at the club and I shot a miraculous 100, which leaves me wondering... Who am I? I can hardly wait for Sunday, when we play again.

Perhaps My Last Golf Tournament... So I'm Going To Have Fun!

This coming weekend we're participating in the same golf tournament we've played in for the last five years (except last year when I was just out of the hospital from having bacterial meningitis). It's always held at a golf course close to Abilene, so it's only a 2 hour drive.

I'm still trying to get myself back to normal physically, so this tournament is going to be a major challenge for me. I've only played a handful of times in the last year but that was due more to bad weather than my physical condition, although I'm still incredibly weak. We went out to the club to hit balls last week and I was sore for the following 4 days. Gah.

I'm tired of being weak and exhausted all the time but because of my blasted inflamed ankle, I am extremely limited as to what and how much I can do physically. So, I've been doing what exercises I can from the comfort of my desk chair. Mostly upper body exercises and leg lifts, which will never get me back to where I was once upon a time, but will hopefully get me to where I can eventually up my routine.

At first, we weren't even going to play in the tournament this year because we felt that it wouldn't be fair to whoever my partner might be. However, after speaking with the organizers of the tourney, we were encouraged to still come play. My high handicap appears quite enticing to the guys who are big hitters and my putting continues to be something short of miraculous. Since the tournament is a *shamble* this works quite well for me since I just don't have the strength to hit amazing tee shots. Well, I've never hit amazing tee shots, to tell the truth, but because of my handicap no one seems to hold it against me. That handicap actually makes me the popular girl for tournaments.

So, I am going into this tourney with the belief that I can still play golf because I'm pretty good at believing my own lies at times. Who knows? Perhaps I'll pull off another golf miracle and win something. It has happened before. Still, I'd appreciate as many good thoughts as people are willing to send my way. I think I'm gonna need it....

Golf & Likker In Triple Digit Heat Can Most Often Bite You On The Derriere In More Ways Than One....

Mr. Snooty and I just returned from a weekend golf tournament (with our "Desert Duffers" group of golfing pals) up around 30 minutes past Abilene, which for most of us, is approximately a thrilling 2-1/2 hours drive (Seriously, I'm kidding. It's ugly as all get-out). It's as dry as a prehistoric bone and flat as a pancake with the only signs of green being the Mesquite bushes, which all seem to suck whatever water and life there may be, until it's gone. Much like nasty cockroaches, Mesquite will most likely survive nuclear war. They often have roots that extend to well over 20-30 miles. I kid you not. It's a greedy weed of a plant (tree), but it really makes some incredibly fabulous wood furniture, counter-tops, and more, once it's been harvested. Luckily, IT ISN'T ON ANY ENDANGERED BOTANICALS LIST. And, I can guarantee that it never will be. Unfortunately, it makes for a lousy shrub unless you embrace the whole Xeriscape concept of landscaping, which many people do in this arid, dry climate.


So, we made our way up to Baird/Clyde, Texas for our annual (and most favorite) golf tourney with our crrrrraaaaazy *Dessert Duffer* buddies. It's a *couples only* tournament, although no one plays with their spouse or *significant other*. The format is always a Shamble, everyone gets one mulligan for each of the two days (if you're sober enough to remember you have one) and no one has to hit out of a sand trap, which all makes for a tremendously fun *tourney with friends*. It's so crazy that one never knows what the final outcome might be until it's all been said and done.


Okay, so the first night they drew everyone's pairs for Saturday and I drew a *YOUNG GUN* who was joining our tournament for the first time. His name is Kyle and I think he was like in his late 30's, but then anyone under 50 looks like a baby to me, right? Anyway, this kid could blister (as in: almost stripping the outer layer off) the ball and since the only shot we shared was the tee shot, I was in 7th Heaven, although I did have to bail him out with my drive a few times. I actually shot a 40 on the front nine.



Then we hit the back nine and we each began to fall apart like a House of Cards. It was so ugly that I would have cried had I not been having so much fun with my pard (or had we not each gotten so inebriated). Kyle and I kept getting the hurt-your-tummy-giggles, to the point that all we had to do was hear the other make a muffled giggle sound and it would start all over again. Honestly, you would have thought we were a couple of 12 year old knuckleheads the way we'd just start howling with laughter over.... like... nothing. Except, perhaps, when I accidentally let a toot escape me, thinking no one had heard. I forgot he wasn't old and deaf like us. He teased me unmercifully about it for the rest of the night, which would once again force us into hysterics and tears of laughter.




So, he thought I was truly awesome until we both got entirely too greased and experienced a complete and total *GOLF MELTDOWN*. Trust me when I say that it was UGLY. I ended up shooting a 52 on the back. By golly, I came through like the true hack that I am. Wah! Wah! Wah! I got over it far more quickly than I'd ever have imagined, which made me realize there are even more perks to aging than I'd previously imagined.




Sadly, we both completely choked ourselves to death on the back nine holes. Thank goodness Kyle has such a goofy sense of humor (like mine), otherwise he probably would have put me at the very top of his Sh*t List. Permanently. When it was all said and done, he was still speaking to me, so I guess there were no truly hard feelings.


That night, there were apparently some very drunk puppies in our group, as I saw this faux pas on my way to get ice on Sunday morning-------->


Then today(Sunday), I had the sheer luck to draw one of my good friend's hubby. They are actually the hosts of this tournament every year and they always manage to make it waaaay too much fun for all of us, God Love 'Em. Since Mr. Snoots and I were were the very first to cut and run when everyone finished playing their rounds, we still didn't know how it all ended up until today. Amazingly, my partner and I won 3rd place on the second day, winning a big $63.00 dollars a piece. Color me happy!


I had been so confident that neither Mr. Snooty or I won anything this year, in spite of the major expertise of our oh-so-capable partners. Last year, I could not miss a putt and was able to pull off 1st Place the first day and 2nd Place the second day. This year, most unfortunately, I could barely sink a putt, but then I never do well when someone tries to school me in putting but at least I didn't allow it to put me in a *mood* this year (which is another of the few perks to my aging process.... I don't throw near as many infantile tantrums on the golf course as I did during my impetuous youth). But really, I have no idea why I listen to anyone. I'm a putting genius, I swear. Until. Someone. Decides. To. Show. Me. Where. To. Putt. My. Ball. Oddly, I become a blubbering mess and can't sink a putt, which all makes me want to wail like a newborn baby (never attractive at any age). 


WHY CAN'T MEN JUST KEEP THEIR GOLF TIPS AMONG THEMSELVES AND LEAVE US LADIES ALONE? You know. Like unless we actually request they share their immense knowledge of the game with us (since they're all obviously on the Pro Tour, right?). Does anyone have an answer? Uh-Huh. I'm pretty convinced we'd all give the same answer, unless you're married to a freaking saint.


I awakened at the azz crack of dawn to some strange noises outside. When I opened the door, this is what I saw. Llamas. Very. Loud. Llamas....

Umm... Allow Me To Correct That Statement

Since we were the first couple to leave the golf course and head home, we missed the final announcement of who won 1st, 2nd and 3rd places for the second day of play. Mr. Snoots wanted to get home and watch the final round of PGA golf on TV, so we hit the road as soon as we were done with our rounds.


As it turned out, my partner and I actually won Second Place, which was still good for me. We had such a wonderful time. As a matter of fact, Mr. Snoots even won some money this year. He had the youngest woman (who is on a collegiate golf team) as his partner on Saturday, which made him yet another happy camper. They won 3rd place on Saturday, which was an outstanding treat!



As hot and sunny as the day had been, we ran into a dark gray Wall of Thunderstorms on our 3 hour drive home. It was so bad I was more than tempted to pull over, especially after seeing a semi-truck (Fed-Ex) had jack-knifed in the center median of I-20, surrounded by rescue teams and ambulances. I didn't dare steal a look as we passed.



It has been raining ever since we arrived home....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


A neighbor tells me he saw Fernando & Felicia Fox in his front yard over the weekend, which means at least they are still in the hood. Animals must really have keen instincts because she chose the right year to not be in our garden. Apparently, it rained all weekend and has been raining ever since, so we're once again experiencing flooding around the property.


The next event coming up is The Firecracker golf tournament at our golf club this weekend. It's a 3 day tourney with a different format for each day. The first 2 days are a Scramble and then a Shamble and the last day you're on your own. Since you have a choice, I'm just playing the first 2 days. I'm still aching from last weekend's tournament in Baird, Texas....

Exhausted & Sunburned, I Emerged A Winner....

What a weekend for a golf tournament! With temperatures being predicted up around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, we knew it was going to be a real scorcher on the golf course, so we went prepared to do battle against heat and humidity. You can probably guess who won that battle and it wasn't me. However, since I am at long last beyond the hot flashes of Menopause, it isn't as unbearable as it once was. Thank. Heaven.


Last weekend my *golden putter* died and being worried what a new putter would do to my short game, I scrounged around until I located my old, beat-up putter that had formerly been my *golden putter*. I was just relieved I had not thrown it into the trash during a fit of golf course rage, which of course, I've never had. (Ahem!)  Since we were playing a shamble, my partner would be depending on me to take care of chips and putts.






On Friday night, as everyone was arriving and getting settled in, we were blessed with a huge thunderstorm that took temperatures lower than predicted. When we teed off early Saturday morning, the sky was as blue and clear as it gets, with barely a cloud in sight. Teams and partners were drawn the night before and I had one of the top players as my partner, an Irishman from Boston, who came to Texas to work in the oil business. He's also one of the top players at our golf club, although he and I had never been paired before. I admit being a little beyond nervous but I also knew that my short game is on fire at the moment, which is where I come in handy as a partner. Well, I suppose my high handicap was also a major factor. I received pops on every hole, allowing me us to Birdie the first two holes.


When scores were at last tallied (with handicaps figured in) I shot a sweet 82.


I tell you, I was sinking putts left and right. Really. Long. Putts. It was the most fun I've ever had during tournament play and I wasn't even obsessed concerned with winning. Once the first day of golf was finished, we all headed back to the hotel motel for showers and naps (yes, we're all wimps) and finally congregated outside once the sun had gone down far enough to give us shade. It was then that I was told that I had gotten First Place with my partner Dick. We may or may not have had several celebratory drinks but we were definitely all feeling good. After an awesome day of golf, copious amounts a fair amount of liquor being consumed, being in the company of good friends and an evening of fabulous food, everyone was in bed by Midnight. We are clearly not the party animals we once were.

Sunday morning we all rose, packed everything up, and headed to the golf course. I was paired with the hubby of one of my closest friends, whose name is Steve. He is also an amazing golfer and I felt lucky to be paired with him. I continued to drop putts in the hole and it was beginning to make me light-headed. It's like walking around on Cloud Nine. So, we became a tag team of sorts. He set up the shots and I knocked them down. We won First Place on Sunday too, which was nothing short of complete and total amazement for me. All totaled, I won over $100.00. Yay me!


On Sunday I shot an 85! Shhhh! Don't tell anyone but I'm almost beginning to feel like A Real Golfer in spite of my high handicap, even though I was highly dependent upon my partner's tee shots. I can dream, can't I?

Woo Hoo! It's Time For Our Annual Desert Duffers Golf Tournament....

As we do every year, we'll be leaving Friday morning for a little known town just the other side Abilene, that has the most fabulous golf course. I used to always see it when I drove to Dallas with the kids and thought it would be fun to play there. Then, several years ago some golf friends decided we needed to have a tournament there, and I'm so glad they did!

Now, admittedly, there is no nice place to stay, but wherever we stay, we usually have the entire place booked with our group, for the weekend. It's only a room with air conditioning and modest amenities (meaning they provide bars of soap). Okay, wait. It has air-conditioning, which I consider to be the most important of all amenities in our little corner of the world. The weekend is spent playing golf & hanging out at the Motel, and enjoying the company of good friends. We all bring our own folding chairs, citronella candles, food, etc. There will be a total of 16 couples this year which should be a blast!

On the first night, we all drive to a neighboring town for dinner at a truly amazing restaurant, located in The Middle Of Nowhere, where they serve the absolute best flat iron steaks I've ever had the pleasure to devour. Although their sides, bread, and dessert offerings are nothing special, their flat iron steak is incredibly good and I look forward to it every year.


On Saturday morning the first foursome tees off at 8:00 AM and our entire group is usually finished with 18 holes by Noon-ish. Only couples are allowed (whether married or not) in The Desert Duffers and no one is allowed to play with their own spouse/significant other. It's a scramble format (my fave), if you land in a sand trap you get to pull your ball out and play from behind the sand trap (major plus), a club length for bad lies, and *skins* on every hole.


Afterward, we all head back to the hotel for naps. Then, on Saturday night, we have a huge shrimp boil with charcoal grilled steaks. It is always a truly delectible feast and more food than anyone should be allowed to have. The next day, we get up and do the 8:00 AM tee times again and we're done by Noon-ish. The money prizes are handed out afterward at the golf course and then everyone splits for home.
 

It's always a good time with good friends and lots of good BS, so I am thrilled with anticipation. I only have one little problem. My longtime favorite putter *bit the dust* during play last weekend. Putting is my *thing* and my short game is strong, so I'm worried about having to play with a new putter. I have to go find one today, if that's possible.


Anyhoo, it promises to be an exciting weekend and this year I'm going to win something. Really. I am! Or not. There are always pranks being played and just a general mayhem with this group of rowdy golfing friends. Luckily, someone always shows their *arse* side during tournament play. I just hope it won't be me this year....


Gotta love 'em!

Well, Color Me Happy! My Team Somehow Pulled Off First Place...

This morning amidst a steady, light rain, my team and I teed off at 9:15 AM with great trepidation. There was loud thunder off to the left and off to the right, but we never saw any lightning, so play was never interrupted. I thought that we'd surely hear the sirens from the clubhouse, but they never sounded. We played on, thinking that we were going to have the worst score of all the teams because we were all playing horribly. The air was so heavy you could have cut it with a knife and the balls weren't going as far as they should have. I found myself having to *club up* on nearly every shot and every shot seemed to play out like a game of craps.

Today was another *shamble* with two *net balls* instead of only one, like we had yesterday. The teams were different too, but once again, I made out like a bandit and scored an awesome team of players. Today I only had one Eagle, 2 Birdies and 3 Pars. Boo Hoo! (whatever!) It was great and I enjoyed the entire tournament thoroughly.

However, today, with the all the wet weather, I had to dress for the rain and knew my hair would get soaked, which makes me resemble a wet rat. It's not pretty, but I didn't care. I was there to play real golf today, with real diehard players and it was such a great feeling being a winner for once. I could seriously get used to this.

I also had an epiphany. I like playing with everyone but my own Mr. Snoots. I know. It sounds really mean, doesn't it? But honestly, the man cannot quit telling me what I'm doing wrong the entire time we play together. Everyone else praises me for every shot and every putt, good or bad, which somehow makes me (or allows me) to play better. If Mr. Snoots could just figure this out we'd be great together. But, alas, I fear he cannot and will not ever be able to be different. This will certainly limit our time playing golf together.

The only thing that really ruffled my feathers a bit today, was the two men on our team insisted on telling me precisely where to putt my ball. You know. Like I didn't have the sense to do it on my own. Yesterday, I sank 16 of 18 putts. Today, I sank 5 putts out of 18. Hmmmmm… There's your sign, huh?

When someone insists on telling you where to putt, I think they have no idea how they are undermining your play, but they are. Of course, they think they are being oh-so-helpful, but it's almost insulting when (without invitation) they say, "Firm stroke right here to this spot." For me, it's like the freaking *kiss of death* and then I usually rocket launch my 3 foot putt to destinations unknown. Thanks a lot guys, but I think I can handle this all on my own, unless you'd like for me to line YOUR putts up for you....

I Might Be A Golfer After All... Who Knew?

First of all, I hope everyone has a fun & happy Fourth of July!!!

Yup. Go figure. Last weekend I looked like I'd never picked up a golf club in my life. This weekend I looked like a sand-bagger because I've played so well. I did not do a single thing (that I know of) different.

Yes, I admit it was nothing but ugly last weekend. I'm talking about my golf game. I played the roles of reigning Queen of Shankopotamus, ruler of bad putts and master of absolutely nothing related to golf. I suppose everyone has days, even weekends like that on the course, but I felt like the only person ever. Even though I shot a good round for me, a 95 (which gave me a 68 with my handicap), it wasn't even close to being good enough to beat the other duffers, or even half of them. It's hard to believe my partner and I got second place last year. Frankly, I was ready to go home, sell my clubs, and never play golf again.

The heat and humidity were absolutely stifling and I was sure I'd die before we finally hit the 18th hole. Of course, I had my wide assortment of little tricks to keep cool with me, but they weren't much help in the triple digit heat & high humidity. If that wasn't bad enough, I'd also forgotten my hair dryer and my digital camera. The absence of the hair dryer alone would send me into frenzy, but the camera just took the wind from my sails.

Let me see if I can explain this. Whenever I play in a tournament, I must have everything go perfectly before the round. My outfit has to look great, my legs need to be shaved, my hair and nails need to look good, and I need everything where it belongs in my bag. In other words, I don't need any last minute upsets of any kind. Golf is a very unforgiving game as well as being a very humbling game. I want things to be the same every time, without fail. I am then able to focus on making every shot with the same set-up and same precision. When my pre-game organization gets screwed up, so does my game. Yeah, I know. Call me crazy, but that's how I roll. Oh, wait. It sounds more anal retentive than anything, doesn't it? Oy.

So, needless to say, my game last weekend was all out of whack and I wasn't a very happy camper. We didn't party with the other duffers and we didn't stay up late. Normally, I would have, with or without Mr. Snooty. Frankly, the heat just sucked the life out of me, so I retreated to the confines of our air-conditioned room while I licked my wounds. For once, the heat rendered me speechless…. Go figure.

Today, I played in a tournament called The Firecracker, which is another *shamble*. I am, of course, the D player in an A-B-C-D tournament team. This tournament is at our home club, so I was much more comfortable knowing what to expect. Besides, they had me pretty well padded with good players, so that I couldn't do too much damage to the team. Our team ended up with a 49 today, which put us in second place! I made a total of 5 eagles today and I was on Cloud Nine. What am I saying? I am still on Cloud Nine. It was an awesome day of golf with some really fun, good players, so of course, I'm not going to quit playing now. It seems I go through this sort of thing at least twice a year, so maybe I should just admit when I'm in a slump and quit saying I'm going to quit playing.

So, I shall leave you with a few shots of a hummingbird it took me a good 30 minutes of sitting still, to get a shot of. Tough little guys to capture, I assure you. Also, I've included a few new pictures of Felicia. The pups are as big as she is now and it's getting difficult to tell them apart...

Desert Duffers Golf Tournament Weekend And Fox Pictures

Be sure to click on the pictures for a full size view.

Felicia stopped to pose for me one evening, on the fence to the garden.

We are leaving today to go play in a two-day golf tournament outside of Dallas with our large golf group called Desert Duffers, so I thought I'd leave you with the most recent pictures of our little fox family.

And I know you'll all want to tune in on Monday to find out about whatever misadventures I've found myself in during this tournament. As always, it should be interesting to see if I show my ass again. It's been hellishly hot and we all know what happens to me in the heat, when I'm drinking and playing golf.... Thank goodness we're playing with friends that are used to my antics. Truth be told, I think they all like it when I misbehave and they tend to urge me on. However, Mr. Snooty doesn't like it, but he should really be used to me by now.

Anyway, this is the first of three tournaments we have with this group every year, so if I'm not naughty this time, I'm sure I will be the next time.

Also, several of the hubbys play guitar, so we usually sit around at night, singing and listening to some really amazing guitarists. Hell, we might even sing a round of Cumbaya (Koom-By-Ya).

Most of the time, Felicia seems to be resting while the pups are either asleep or off hunting with their Dad.
Her favorite new place is up on the cinderblock fence, amongst the Trumpet Vine.

The pups are really growing and seem to be getting some wise advice from Mr. Owl.

The Nose Knows... How To Improve Your Mental Golf Game

More than a month ago I was reading my friend Heather's blog (Real Women Golf) and she had a new *toy* that she claimed was helping her golf game. Called *Golf Scents*, this new idea was brought about by a golfer and endorsed by a renowned golf psychologist with the idea that certain scents can change our mental game as well as our physical golf game, based on memory and smells being linked to our actions and reactions, during play.

Since I'm always the first one to jump on anything that promises to improve my golf game, I was all over it. Now that I've had a chance to use it for a reasonable amount of time, I see major improvements in my golf game. Mainly, I'm hitting better & longer tee shots and my putts all seem to be drifting over the lip of the cup, disappearing into the hole. The last four times I've played, my score has been right at and around 100, which is an improvement of around 5 to 10 strokes, as well as a new consistency I've not experienced before.

I am going to buy one of these for each of my golfing pals, to give them for their birthdays, although not until after it has majorly improved my own game. Hehehe...

Of course, you must follow their explicit instructions on how to use the little olfactory bulb of wonder, but I am seeing major improvements here, which just confirms what I've thought all along. Golf is 40% physical and 60% mental. Now, through associative learning and conditioned response, scents become a part of your memory.

I have found that it is particularly helpful when playing golf with Mr. Snoots. Golf Scents helps me to remember how well I play when playing with *the girls*. It also enables me to ignore all of his comments like "You just looked up, is all." or "You just hit that too hard for a putt." or "Can't you watch where your ball goes?" or "Maybe you need another lesson." or my most favorite "You just need to concentrate more." For that alone, this little tool is worth its weight in gold.

Apparently, these guys are onto something here. Mind over matter, baby!

Also, I'm sure the new golf shoes I've ordered, because I saw them over at Tales of a Golf Gal, will help as well. They are FootJoys LoPro Collection. I still hold firmly to the belief that if you look good and feel good you're going to play a better game. Right? Well, perhaps in just theory, but mind over matter again. The new shoes should be here any day now, so I'm excited!

Last year, I was reading Patricia Hannigan's blog Golf Girl's Diary and she turned me on to another new gadget, which has helped my game tremendously. The Thumb Caddy, which is a tool that teaches you where to properly grip on your club. Once you get used to it, the grip will just become a natural part of your game.

The other pictures are just some shots taken while golfing over the last few months. It seems like we're always waiting on a group of guys who won't let us play through, so that affords me ample time to take pictures of the golf course wildlife.

This last picture is where my tee shot ended up on our #10 hole. Ummm... Could I get a ruling here please? You can click on the picture to get a better idea of my frustration... Okay, this wasn't one of my better tee shots.

Choking Mishaps At The Masters In Augusta...

Augusta was as beautiful as ever this year...





I'm certain that I wasn't the only person who noticed that there was a lot of *choking* going on near the end of the famed Masters Golf Tournament this year. Although heart-breaking to watch, it just proves what a *mental* game golf really is. It's also rather comforting to discover that even the best of the best can blow a good round. I'm sure that thought will help me none whatsoever the next time I choke during a round of play. Still, it does rather soothe the amateur soul.










Because he grew up down the road from us in a little West Texas town called Andrews, we were, of course, really pulling for Chad Campbell. Andrews, Texas has always had an amazing golf team and that is where Chad got his start.




However, we were also pulling for Kenny Perry, the *old man* of this year's Masters. Next year he will undoubtedly play on the Senior Tour, so we would love to have seen him win another green jacket at Augusta.





Unfortunately, golf is just one of those games that often allows us to defeat ourselves with just a few bad shots during a round. But four consecutive days of golf would certainly kick my derriere. I'd have to go to bed for a week.





Honestly, I didn't expect Tiger to win. I think his hiatus from golf (during his recovery period) is causing him to take more time getting back on top of his game. I don't mean the physical aspect. I think it's inside his head and will just take a bit more time to get it screwed back on like it was prior to the surgery. At least he HAD an excuse.





I'm not quite sure what the deal was with Mickelson, but he certainly looked sharp and very fit, although he's never been on my list of favorites.










I thought it was great that tennis champ Chris Evert caddied for her husband Greg Norman, but evidently, Chrissie was not his good luck charm.








I did enjoy the exuberance of Japan's top golfer, Shingo Katayama. He just gets so excited after sinking his putts, kind of like me.




Now, I might be showing my aversion to watching golf on TV here (to me it's like watching paint peel), but I'd never even heard of the winner, Angel Cabrera. Obviously, he was the only golfer to not choke this year, so congrats to Mr. Cabrera.




I think it's definitely showing my age when I say that I watched the entire coverage of The Masters this year, from beginning to end. But, I would still rather be out on the golf course playing, than watching on TV….