1984 Masters, Tournament Week
Note: This is the second of two posts on the 1984 Masters when I caddied for David Tentis. To read the first post go to www.alifein.golf.
The Masters was the most thrilling week in my life as a caddie. Everyone, from the contestants to the volunteers to the fans, then and now, feels special about being at Augusta National. With an international field, contestant invitations are always coveted. And tickets? Everyone knows a Masters ticket is the most difficult to score in the country. It was and still is a special week.
Every round of golf started on the practice tee. While the practice tee is now substantially changed, in 1984 an upper level on the right was separated from the lower left side by a two foot high stone wall descending from back to front. I watched as Tom Watson hit balls from so close to the wall that if he had started the ball a foot to the right, the ball would have hit the wall and taken a crazy bounce, possibly injuring someone, principally himself.
A net was extended about 25 feet high at the end of the 280 yard driving range. The contest was to see who could hit it over the net. Several players did. On a relaxed Monday, players were chatting, enjoying the special feeling of being at the Masters. While today's tour players have their coaches with them, in 1984 it was the caddie who many time acted as the swing analyst. I found it curious that a great tour player would be relying on help with his swing from a caddie who might have played little golf.
The Masters has always been a leader in innovation for golf tournaments. It started at the practice tee. This was the first tournament that offered practice balls, instead of the caddies shagging the hit balls, and the first to offer a variety of ball brands. With several different brands and compression, how did they ever get them separated? Not my problem to figure out, as David selected 100 compression Titleist balls and headed to warm up.
Another innovation I saw at the Masters was a legible yardage book. Given to each contestant, it contained all the pertinent information needed in an understandable presentation. Books in the past were impossible to figure out quickly and accurately.
The Masters has strict practice round rules. At PGA Tour events, contestants practice around the greens, putting, chipping and playing bunker shots. On course practice was prohibited at the Masters. Once the final member of a group had holed out, the group had to proceed to the next tee. And Masters' contestants were on their best behavior.
Like all rounds at Augusta National, practice rounds were special. I believe there were more patrons, as the gallery is called, for practice rounds than for the tournament. Security wandered through the crowds checking for improper conduct and tickets. No shouting to players at Augusta.
David and I worked hard to learn the greens. It was a little like a two year old trying to solve the Rubik's Cube; it was not going to happen. Nonetheless, it was a high walking the course for three practice rounds.
Wednesday afternoon was the event on the par three course. Located after a row of cabins behind the 10th tee, it was a loud and ruckus atmosphere. Today it has become a show of the players' kids hitting shots and caddying. There are nine par three holes with the longest being about 150 yards. The patrons loved the up close look at the players.
While encouraged to participate, not all competitors did. All past majors winners and US Amateur champions are also invited to play. The course is choked with patrons looking for interaction with a player or caddie. It was fun, but I can see now why some players never played, with the constant shouting and autograph seeking.
Thursday morning finally arrived. David was paired with past champion Art Wall. While a great player in his day, Art was taking advantage of the rule that past champions could play for as many years as they desired. Most past champions have enough pride in their game to become a non competing attendee when the time comes. Not Art. Not the most friendly of playing companions, he had little chance of breaking 80 and no chance of making the cut. He may have been the worst pairing in the field.
I was nervous as a cat for David as we approached the first tee for the 10:20 starting time, the third of the day. Patrons were packed in around the tee and up the fairway as our group prepared to tee off. The first hole was a slight dog leg right which climbed up a tree lined hill to the top at 250 yards. A ball not in the fairway is guaranteed a problem. It was not an overly difficult hole but, under the circumstances, all you want. Art Wall was announced and hit a nice drive, short but straight, on his way to beating two players in the field, the next two days.
A stiff breeze blew from left to right through the tall pine trees outlining both sides of the fairway. The breeze made a distinctive rushing sound as it moved through the needles, audible on the tee as the starter read from his sheet.
“On the tee, from St. Paul, Minnesota, David Tentis." How David was able to do it, I don’t know, but he hit a beautiful, long drive to the top of the hill. Then a wedge, from 105 yards to a back hole location, was hit the slightest bit thin, landed in the middle of the green, and spun back toward the front. Faced with a 60 foot putt, David left himself a five foot putt for par - just what you don’t want on the first hole of the Masters. He stood over the putt and knocked it right in! A good start to a pressure packed round.
The breeze continued to blow as we moved around the golf course where birdies were a rare occurrence for all but a few players. David played well with the front nine blemished by bogeys at the fifth and eighth holes.
The back nine started with three difficult holes leading back into 'amen corner'. Few players had the skill to play all three in even par for the tournament. The tenth hole was a huge, sweeping, downhill par four to a green which had defeated the best of them. Severely sloped from back to front and right to left, failing to place an approach shot underneath and slightly to the left of the hole makes for a challenging par. Playing the hole beautifully, David made a par and went to the 11th tee two over.
The eleventh was a brute of a hole. The tee shot played up a long hill, with only the best drives able to carry up on top allowing for some roll. For the second time during the round Art approached David and said, "Just hit it smooth," and for the second time he hit it in the trees, resulting in a bogey.
"I was hoping he wouldn't say that to me again," said David after the round.
One of the most famous holes in golf was the 12th. At just 140 yards, the green was about eight paces wide for much of the depth of the green. David hit a good shot to 12 feet. There was no patron access to the 12th hole and 13th tee until the drive zone on 13 except for bleachers behind the 12th tee.
We walked over Ray's Creek on the Hogan Bridge. Fairway green, all weather carpet under our feet, I absorbed the colors as we approached - crimson red azaleas surrounded by creamy white azaleas, the green of the grass and the bright white sand in the bunker. Tall pines standing at attention with a thick mat of sand brown needles laying below were evidence that golfers have gazed at the site for decades. It is quiet and peaceful.
David missed his putt, making par.
We walked past the dazzling presentation of azaleas, exiting the back right corner of the green. At the 13th tee players were surrounded by more azaleas, running 75 yards down the left side of the tee. This garden had more colors, light pinks, crimson and again surrounded by creamy white azaleas. Augusta National was known for its beauty and this was the prime spot. I looked down off the tee over Ray's Creek, out to the dogleg left with a stand of majestic pines on the far side of the fairway, more brown needles below.
David hit a great drive, played the hole well and walked away with his first birdie of the tournament. He made one more bogey, paired with a birdie at 17, for a respectable round of 74. He was in position to make the cut with a slightly better round two score. This was certainly within reason as he had proved to himself he could play the course. All in all, he would be more comfortable in the second round. I was optimistic with his position in 45th place, seven shots behind first round leader Ben Crenshaw.
Following the round, I made my way to the nearby ninth green to do some spectating of the high profile late starters. I was comfortably positioned, next to a seated official, adjacent to the player walkway exiting the ninth green heading to the tenth tee. At the time the Masters employed long time Masters members to act as rules officials. Later this tradition was abandoned following a rules fiasco where Billy Casper was told to drop a ball improperly.
Veteran tour player Larry Nelson’s approach shot landed and stopped beautifully 15’ left of the hole on the second shelf of this roller coaster green. Larry Mize followed with another good shot landing on top of Nelson's ball, sending both balls skidding away.
Rule: A ball hit on the green by another ball has to be replaced, while the second ball is played as it lies.
As the players walked up on the green with no idea what had happened, the rules official made no move to inform them. I said to the rules official, “You need to go out and tell the players the first ball needs to be replaced.” I had been to the USGA/PGA rules school and was certain as to the correct procedure.
The official looked at me and said, “Well, do you want to go out there and tell them?” He had no idea of this basic rule and was completely intimidated.
The patrons got involved, shouting out that the ball was hit, as the official sauntered out on to the green. The players interacted with the crowd and asked, “Where was it?” The crowd answered and in short order the ball was replaced right where it had been. At least one part of the Masters left something to be desired! Rules are now handled by a USGA/PGA committee.
Friday dawned a beautiful day, cool with a bright blue sky. David’s fine round moved him up into a pairing with Dan Pohl. Dan, a journeyman from Tucson was an opposite to Art Wall. Friendly, competitive, Dan Pohl was and still is a good guy.
The round started well for both players but, at the par three 4th, Pohl shanked and the ball ended 100 yards from the tee nearly against the out of bounds fence. A horrendous shot, sure to shake anybody up.
He walked down, surveyed the shot, pulled a club and made a safe play to 40’ from the hole. From there he two putted and went to the fifth tee with a bogey. He took what he had, didn’t do anything beyond what could be done, kept his cool, put it behind him - very professional.
David played beautifully around to the ninth green where he was faced with a lightning fast 35’ putt from one side of the green, down a level, to the other side. A difficult putt. For the first time in 27 holes he three putted.
He was distraught. As we walked to the tenth tee his self talk was abusive. I did everything to calm him down, get him focused on the next shot, but the air was out of the balloon. He lost his intensity, edge, drive. It was a tough back nine.
David was one of the best amateurs in the country. He had all the tools to be great. My experience with him was not unique. He beat himself.
Dan Pohl, on the other hand, plugged along making pars. Looking like the cut was out of reach at five over par for the two days, suddenly, in went a 20' eagle at the 15th and a 30' birdie at 16, to get to two over and be on the cut line. Experience, patience, self control, positive self talk, a never give up attitude. The man with the nasty shank off the fourth tee had a starting time for the weekend. We could all learn something from Dan Pohl.
I walked off the 18th green and into the scoring room to watch Dave sign for a disappointing 78. I didn't have the knowledge to help him negotiate the greens and he didn't have the patience to handle adversity. As the Augusta caddie had prophesied, we were heading down Magnolia Lane, Friday afternoon.
I watched through the weekend as Ben Crenshaw won his first Masters. I thanked David for allowing me to experience the Masters and giving me the greatest thrill I have ever had as a caddie. David Tentis was and still is a great guy. Augusta National was and still is a special place. Nothing has equaled being a Masters caddie in A Life In Golf.
