10 Reasons I Love the Masters

In no particular order...

1. "A tradition like no other..."- A perfect phrase to describe the most important weekend in golf. The Masters honors its tradition and the importance of past champions better than any other sporting event at the Champions dinner. A mutual respect is felt from rivals to those who have won at Augusta in the past while stories are shared. The locker room is filled with history of past champions, who will always have a place to store their things in the champions locker room. The trophy is full of the greatest names in golf.

2. The Back 9 on Sunday- Few sporting events last four days. Few sporting events can hold your attention like the last nine holes of The Masters did this year. Few sports have the beauty and challenge the final nine holes at Augusta National offer. The back nine holes are usually entertaining, but this year there were ten different leaders or co-leaders one the final group got to Hole 10.

3. Green Jackets- No prize is more recognizable in American sports than the meaning of the green jacket. Beginning in the late 1940s the previous year's champion gives the new champion a green jacket with the Masters emblem on the chest. A cordial interview is conducted just prior to the dressing in Butler Cabin with the previous years champion, current champion, and amateur champion and the President of Augusta National.

4. Masters Sunday- The winner claiming a green jacket has lead to many church men in the South, especially in Georgia, wearing their own versions with pride on Masters Sunday.

5. Roaring- One consistent part of The Masters experience is the noise, something not thought to go with golf too often. The eerie quiet while competitors read lines on puts and the roars that can be heard as a golfer makes a run up the leaderboard are a part of this great tradition. All the golfers and fans know when someone is making a charge because of the noise. Oh and this fan loves a Tiger roar as he drains a long eagle putt to gain the lead.

6. Redbud- 16th Hole- The course is familiar to fans and we all have a favorite hole. It is a hard choice to choose one, but if I have to the 16th hole at Augusta National is my favorite. It is a beautiful par 3 over a small pond and a tee shot to an always tough pin placement. The patrons have a good view of everything from the tee shot to the final put, which is full of pressure on the second to last hole. Who can forget this epic call from Verne Lundquist in 2005?

7. "Augusta" and Jim Nantz- Iconic sports broadcaster Jim Nantz's voice and CBS's coverage of Saturday and Sunday are synonymous with the Masters. There has been very little change, other than the addition of streaming online content, in their broadcast since I can remember watching. Continuity is the name of the game in Augusta and it is no different here. The song "Augusta" by Dave Loggins immediately takes me to lazy afternoons in the spring watching golf. The lyrics are pretty good, too.

8. Par 3 Contest- One of the most unique aspects of Masters weekend is the Par 3 contest on Wednesday afternoon. No winner of the Par 3 Contest has gone on to win the weekend's tournament, but it is still a wonderful way to begin festivities. Fans see a lighter side of the players and  it is the last opportunity for the players to spend time with their families before the stress takes over. Some players allow their children to caddy and even take their chances at the holes.

9. Family Memories- Family has become an important part of the Masters tournament. Not only, as I have mentioned before that some families play along with dad on the Par 3 course, but some players actually stay with host families around the course. As for me, one of my favorite sports memories was when Easter Sunday happened to fall on the same day as the final round of the Masters. We had, as we normally do, had my dad's Shorter choir students over for lunch on Easter. After everyone had left and the dishes were clean, the four of us sat and watched the final round of the Masters.

A father and a son share a special relationship. Though I was not around for the 1986 Masters this video makes me think of my own relationship with my father and the bonds we share. On Fathers and Sons

10. It's in Georgia- Very little gets the whole state of Georgia does as the Masters does. There is a buzz around the entire state. Golf unofficially begins its seasons and the courses fill up. Old men tell memories of the time they went to Augusta in April. Young men think tell stories of how that should be them, or wish it could be. Even those that do not watch sports will know the Masters is going on. Being in Georgia means it is not too far away, and some day, maybe way on down the road, I am going to be at Augusta National during the first weekend of April and see the glory of the Masters.