Weather spoils par 3 contest, danger lurks

Siddharth Shriram writes about Augusta National Club

If the press facility that existed up to 2016 at the Augusta  National Club (ANC) set this tournament and venue way above all others, the new facility (details of which will only be unveiled by the ANC on the coming Monday following the tournament) increase the gap as between heaven and earth. Journos who have ceased to come to the Masters will sorely miss experiencing this gem. A five star convention centre, styled in the manner of traditional southern colonial plantation mansions, and hospitality to match, welcome awestruck visitors; each  press person has his/her own personalised computer and data station with instant linkages to past and present (shot by shot) tracking facilities; a huge and comfortable interview room that would shame the White House; perfectly adequate, friendly and cheerful food and beverage facilities (all free) for the media; data and communication facilities for press/ photo and video/ radio connects and more,  and all of this ensconced in the honey coated, Southern American warmth and courtesy, raise the bar beyond reach. The creating of such a facility in India, sometime in the distant future, with attention to the minutest detail including in management of people who operate it, will need deep pockets and a KP esque mind set and that is rare to come by.  

The media get pampered like in no other place on Earth and they in turn are expected to report and analyze accurately, within the confines of good decorum and taste, and routinely submit their output to media management who may check for adherence to policy. Trust, but verify, after the fact as it happens, and those who step out of line can expect to be disciplined with extreme prejudice! Is not that the only way to develop and maintain a culture of high standards? That is what the Delhi Golf Club is aiming at!

The festivities for the Championship week begin with the Par 3 contest that is played on the Wednesday preceding the tournament. Practice rounds take place the whole week or two prior to this as players aim to overcome their particular fears of this difficult first Major of each year. Past champions of course know 'more' than others and Jack Nicklaus (six times champion) has distilled six shots to be particularly mastered as the score can easily climb if they are not. These are: the drive on the second, the tee shot on the fourth, the second shot to the green on the eleventh, the tee shot on twelve, the drive and the second shot on the thirteenth and finally, any shot where you get too aggressive when you need to be patient. This is an unforgiving and therefore heartbreaking course where dreams are shattered but where fortunes are also made. Rory McIlroy figures that if, throughout the week, he can get 3s on the fourth and 4s on the eleventh, his chances to win increase markedly.

However, this year's Par 3 contest had to be aborted as tornado level weather storms caused spectators (patrons, as they are called at the Masters) to be ordered off the course owing to lightning and thunder storms and the possibility of serious consequences with golf ball sized hailstones descending from the grey and gloomy skies. David Helfet refused to get off the course, strongly believing that no God could hit a one iron and therefore he was unlikely to be struck by any misfortune. A huge sea of surging humanity moved at speed, albeit in an orderly and disciplined manner, towards the several exit gates even as the hooters continued to blare their dire warning. Eating concessions and the most unique retail store in the universe shut down to encourage patrons to keep moving out. The wind picked up and sharply snapped the flags of different countries, the dark and brooding sky seemed to descend on the vast plains of Augusta and by the time one reached the safety of the aforementioned press facility, the rain came down in buckets. The towering loblolly pines bent to almost breaking point in the close to 50 mph winds and the practice facility in front of the vast 400 seater press auditorium lay desolate and uninhabited with flag sticks bending so far that the flags were touching the greens. This unfinished Par 3 contest busts the myth that he who wins the Par 3 will not win the Masters in that same year; thus no one is excluded.

This Championship has been played in very cold, very wet, dry, very hot and humid, very windy and all kinds of other conditions in between. These conditions make this seemingly benign course exceptionally treacherous to overcome. The extraordinary weather forecasting capabilities of the USA confidently predict a somewhat wet and cool Thursday and then steadily improving weather conditions till the denouement on Sunday. But today, just like in Shakespeare's Macbeth, through the storm one can almost hear the witches cackling "when shall we three meet again, in thunder lightning and in rain", the response to which was echoed by another crone "when the hurly burly's done, when the battle's lost and won".  As the witches gleefully toss in eye of newt and toe of frog (and other assorted ingredients), one wonders what the witches are brewing in their cauldron for this year!  

Tomorrow:  Predictions of who will win?