The Masters

It’s Master’s Week and maybe most of you are going Wha? Why are your husbands/boyfriends huddled around the TV like the Pope just came into town – well maybe not exactly like that – but it is an holy deal – and you don’t know really why.

It’s because the Master’s is the Holy Grail of golf – if you win it you are a Knight forever. It is that special; and I think I just categorized it better than any other professional fucking sports writer.

I’m not going to go though the history - pick up your local sports page – they will tell you. What I will go though a bit is what happened 20 years ago to this day – the most amazing Master of all – and I saw it while reveling in the man himself.

Jack Nicklaus. The only really great golfer.

In college we would revere the weekend by donning green and drinking gin and tonics – anything to reflect the green jacket they would give the winner – it started for us that soon! Brad, Rock and Cecil.

I was in may apartment in Houston working on a golf flyer for a friend’s golf tournament when I saw 46-year old Jack Nicklaus come back from 6-down on the back nine to roll in a 20-foot birdie putt to birdie the 17th hole and win the “86 Masters .

One of the greatest sports wins of all time.

Nuff said. Watch on Sunday.

I wrote the above on Friday after seeing everybody crammed in the Oakland Airport bar trying to see who was doing what in the late second round. It reminded me of the universal appeal the tournament has. Some guy next to me said some no name was in the lead and that former Houstonian Fred Couples at 46 years old was still in the hunt. "In-fucking-credible" he said.

Now its minutes before the final round on Sunday. Saturday's play was delayed by weather so they had to finish the third early Sunday. Couples is in the final pairing with Phil Mickelson with Tiger only two back. Freddie can actually take over the title of oldest player to win the Masters from Jack if he wins today (by three months). They in fact just replayed Jack's win onTV a few moments ago - wow 20 years ago - that seems like a lifetime. And one of my favorite years. But that's another story.

This Sunday that has been set up for the Master's is one of the best in recent years with alot of names and storylines near the top of the leaderboard. Its shaping up to be historic again. The gin-and-tonics are ready. I can't wait.