Matt at the Masters: First Round

The tournament has officially begun and boy, did it feel like it. You could feel the excitement in the air as every golfer hoped to start what they hope to be 4 rounds of golf that lead them to a green jacket and Masters championship.

For me, the day started at 6:45am when we left the station. Needless to say, that's quite early. But I did it because I wanted to see Arnold Palmer tee off. Looking back now, I'm really glad I did. There was something special about that moment when Billy Payne, Augusta National Golf Club Chairman announced Palmer, who then hit a perfect drive up the right center fairway to officially kick off the 2009 Masters Tournament.

As far as the round, WOW. Talk about low scores. I knew there was the potential for low scores since the wind died down a bit and the sun was shining but I didn't expect them to be this low. Tons of golfers went under par, including some that you wouldn't think of. Names like Larry Mize, Bernhard Langer and Greg Norman. All 50 years and older but getting the job done on a course that was rewarding those who were making great shots.

Tiger played well overall but probably is not happy with his round of 70. The bogey on 18 will definitely sting, considering the charge he was making on the back nine. Phil didn't play well at all so to be at +1, I think he is quite happy.

Gotta throw some love to Jack Newman, amateur from Michigan State. After going +4 through 12 holes, he rebounded nicely (unlike his basketball team on Monday) and fought back to get 4 birdies in the final 6 holes to finish even. He is in great shape to make the cut.

Tomorrow should see more low scores. Or at least, the potential is there with the weather forecast predicting more of the same. I would expect tougher pin placements though and faster and firmer greens. If that happens, then actually, the scores could be worse. But for now, what a first round of action. If you like birdies, then today was your day!

Matt at the Masters: Par 3 Contest

Short blog today everyone. I'm really tired and well, tomorrow is a big day. The first round of the 2009 Masters Tournament. Plus, it will be an early wake-up call, considering Arnold Palmer is on the tee at 7:50am.

So here's a rundown of my Wednesday. It started with the driving range. But within 20 minutes, I could see this was a worthless venture as every golfer told me they were going straight to the tee. Unlike other days, they weren't just trying to avoid an interview. In fact, each one was, trying to get their final shots on the course before the first round.

So it was off to the course, and that meant Tiger, who teed off on the front nine at 8:55am. Tiger was playing with Bubba Watson and picked up Robert Karlsson on the way. Behind them was Camilo Villegas and Ryo Ishikawa. And in front of Tiger was Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Geoff Ogilvy. Yeah, it was a star-studded morning.

After the noon live shot, it was off to the big oak tree for some post-practice round interviews. Today, those included Steve Stricker, Ben Curtis (Ohio boy like me), Jeev Milkha Singh, Ben Crenshaw and Larry Mize.

I did not see any of the Par 3 contest. Mainly because we could not get any video of it because of restrictions but I will plan on venturing down there next year. Missed opportunity I guess.

So that's pretty much it for the day. Now to the fun stuff. My can't miss pairings and predictions!

Top 5 Pairings
1. Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy, Ryo Ishikawa (2:03pm) - All rookies. All 23 or younger. All going to be stars in the golfing world. The time to see them is now, not later when you can't.
2. Phil Mickelson, Camilo Villegas, Jim Furyk (10:45am) - 3 stars on the tour. Villegas is the only one with no major title, but that won't be long.
3. Vijay Singh, Geoff Ogilvy, Ernie Els (10:23am) - A lot of major championships among this group. Any of the 3 could add another to their total this week.
4. Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink, Jeev Milkha Singh (1:52pm) - Besides Tiger, it's not that amazing. But it is Tiger. Cink and Singh though could surprise.
5. Stuart Appleby, Oliver Wilson, Sergio Garcia (10:56am) - Three international players looking for their first major title.

Next 5 Pairings
6. Trevor Immelman, Adam Scott, Danny Lee (1:41pm)
7. Mike Weir, Padraig Harrington, Ryuji Imada (10:34am)
8. Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Angel Cabrera (10:12am)
9. Bernhard Langer, Greg Norman, Lee Westwood (9:50am)
10. Aaron Baddeley, Bubba Watson, Greame McDowell (11:40am)

Predictions
Winner : Tiger Woods - What he did at Bay Hill proved to me that he is back. He is healthy. Plus, this is his favorite tournament and has won it 4 times already. He hasn't won since 2005. It's time for Tiger to win again.
If Tiger isn't playing: Padraig Harrington - He had a great short game in the last two majors. And on a course where having it is crucial, I like his chances.
Dark Horse: Nick Watney - He has had a great start to 2009 and has done well here in the past.
The Real Longshot: Rory McIlroy - It's been 30 years since a Masters rookie has won. But of them all, he is the one I see most suited to do it.

That's all for today. I'll have first round reaction tomorrow!

Matt at the Masters: Tuesday's Practice Round

I really don't know where to begin. Today was a mixed bag. First off, it was windy and cold all day, making for miserable conditions for watching and playing golf. But for a Masters first-timer like me, no weather can ruin this week.

Today included more interviews, all of them in the morning. Unlike the past few days, I only interviewed a few people. For golfers, I interviewed Ernie Els and Robert Allenby. Both men were great to talk to and quite funny as well. Big thanks to them for helping me with my story. I also talked to Larry Mize's caddie and Richard Sterne's caddie, for my story about how cold it was. The story ended up great thanks to them.

Today was a big day for interviews in the press room. The likes of Tiger, Phil, Paddy, Ogilvy, Ishikawa, Villegas, Immelman and Norman all took their turns taking questions from the media. Some of the stuff was absolutely great from Lee Westwood's joking text to Paddy Harrington asking if the "Paddy Slam" was a wrestling move to when Phil remarked that he enjoyed having Mike Weir present him with a green jacket more than Tiger because he was able to keep the "left-handed" streak going.

On the course, about everyone hit the practice course. Phil was out there at 8am, playing with an amateur. Four South Africans played together, which was really cool. I mean, Gary Player, Els, Retief Goosen and Sterne. Talk about some country pride. Tiger did not play today but did putt a bit and plans to play Wednesday.

So what did I do? Well, I had some time after my live shot and wandered a bit. I got as far as Amen Corner before heading back to get ready for the 5pm shot. Let me tell you, it's beautiful. Seriously, it about took my breath away. I've never seen a collection of holes more amazing than that. I alsoc ontinue to be amazed by this golf course's fairways and greens. The angulation is unreal. I am pretty sure there is not one flat area on this course. I can now see why the short game is the most important when it comes to Augusta National.

I did get a chance to see some ESPN personalities such as Scott Van Pelt and Mike Tirico. I also found CBS' Jim Nantz. Now, this is the second time Nantz and I have crossed paths. The first time was back at the 2007 Memorial Tournament. With the sports anchor I interned with, we were walking and as he drove by on a golf cart, he said "Hey, how ya doin?" Now most people would be quite happy with the fact that Nantz even acknowledged us. But not Matt Barnes. No, I wanted hear Nantz's signature opening phrase, "Hello Friends". So today, when he walked by me today, he had his chance for redemption. What did he say this time? "How ya doin?" 0 for 2 Mr. Nantz. But there's still time left.

The weather forecast looks to be great for the tournament, which is really all that matters to anyone. Mid 70's, no rain expected, and the breeze that has been gusting quite frequently will be dying down. Needless to say, I'm pumped.

Tee times also came out. On my blog for my station, I listed my 5 can't miss tee times. You can check it out at wrdw.com/blogs. Find the Masters blog at the bottom.

Par 3 contest tomorrow and more practice round play as well. Also, the last day I can use my camera so I'll take whatever pictures I can in all the free time I can. For now, enjoy the pictures in the slideshow below. They include golf course shots from Amen Corner and others I ventured to. PLUS, some sort-of behind the scenes looks with some shots of the press room and more. Until next time, Hakuna Matata!

NOTE: The best way to enjoy the slideshow is to watch it on fullscreen. Trust me, it is worth it.

Matt at the Masters: Monday's Practice Round

Well hello there. It was another long day for yours truly, as we continue to move that much closer to the first round of the best tournament in the world. Today, it was all about practice. Yes, PRACTICE.

Most of the field came to the course today to head to the driving range and then, to the course, teeing off from the 1st or 10th tees. For me, the day started at 7:30 a.m. when we parked at the National. At the time, it was just a steady rain. But boy, did that change. As we were inside the security checkpoint, the steady rain turned into a full-on downpour. Oh, and winds that about had the checkpoint tent fly off the ground! What a way to start huh?

Thankfully, the rain subsided quickly and by 8:30am when the gates were set to open, the umbrellas were put away. Right at 8:30am, the gates opened and the "running of the bulls" began. It was pretty cool to see that many people rush into what had been a quiet scene and fill it up like little ants.

After watching the morning rush, it was off to the driving range. The range was fairly quiet early because of the rain probably scaring some away. But by about 10am, things really picked up. Among the early arrivals were D.J. Trahan, Bubba Watson, and Billy Mayfair. Around 11am though, things really got going. That's because the sun had peeked from behind the clouds and the golfers that had played in Houston on Sunday were making their way to the course. That meant Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Stuart Appleby, Anthony Kim and Greg Norman.

I only conducted interviews during the day. Today, those golfers included Oliver Wilson, Rory McIlroy, Zach Johnson, Ken Duke, Danny Lee, D.J. Trahan, Jack Newman, and Steve Wilson. By far, Zach was the friendliest, willing to let me ask question after question and you could tell, he was truly sincere with his answers. Danny wasn't bad either and is great about signing every Masters flag possible when walking from the range. Oliver was cool too, considering we'll be talking to him all week, since he graduated from Augusta State University.

After a wonderful lunch break in the amazing press cafeteria, it was off to the course to get some shots of people finishing their practice rounds. My photog and I began on the 18th tower but that didn't last long. That's because the winds today were just ridiculous. I mean, 25-30 mph with gusts around 40mph (those are guesstimates). So we came down and did the rest of our work from the ground.

From the tower though, I could see some great views of the course, specifically holes #1, #9, #10 and #18. I have put those pictures at the bottom in a Flickr slideshow for you to look at. Cameras are allowed Monday-Wednesday but not during the tournament so this is the best I can do so far. At least, until I play the course in May.

Anyways, I had two live shots. One at 5pm and another at 6pm in the chilly, windy weather. Both went well and after some cleanup, we left the National around 7pm. Just like that, one more day closer until someone puts on the green jacket as 2009 Masters Champion!

(NOTE: Pictures best seen in fullscreen. That way, you get the full essence of them and click on info for what each picture is)

Matt at the Masters: First Impressions

The saying goes "you only get one chance to make a first impression". Well, after walking inside the gates for the first time at Augusta National Golf Club, let me tell you, I am very impressed.

I've seen the course on TV all these years. In fact, I've seen it in high-definition the past 2 years. But even HD doesn't give it justice. That is an absolutely beautiful place. The flowers, the trees, the clubhouse and more. I was in awe at just how much work the staff at the club puts in to make it so picture-perfect. Kudos to them. It really makes the whole experience that much better.

Today, I had the opportunity to check out the press room, the driving range area and the par 3 course (from a distance). I'll start with the press room. I went to a university with 20,000 students and we had some large lecture halls. Well, the Augusta National press room beats any of them. Computers all over, a massive theater-like seating section, a huge scoreboard, and a cafeteria that reminded me of the good 'ol days in college when I didn't have to cook for myself. Looks like Augusta National knows how to treat the press.

The driving range area may sound like a boring place but when some of the best players in the world are there, it's a great experience. The range today featured Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Ryo Ishikawa, Luke Donald, Sean O'Hair, Ryuji Imada and Brandt Snedeker. Also there, former Masters champions Gary Player (what a great guy!), Craig Stadler, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, and Mark O'Meara. Of course, this is not a complete list as many more golfers hit the range today.

As far as who I interviewed today, it was amateur Drew Kittleson, Stadler, Langer, Furyk, Mickelson (which is amazing), and Player. Let me tell you, Gary Player is a class act. He's got great jokes and a great heart. I could just tell as the interview went on just how much he loves the Masters and the game of golf. He talked for 2 minutes about hoe great Tiger Woods is for the game and how he will bring people in. And he was so passionate about it. This is his 52nd straight Masters and in the energy of his interview, he could play 20 more. Just a great guy.

Finally, the Par 3 course from afar looks amazing. The greens look more like hills. My sports director Kevin told me that's how the greens on the course are as well. That's insane! The Par 3 contest isn't until Wednesday so I'll have to wait to get closer to it but for now, I'm happy.

So there you have it. My first time inside the gates of the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club. Tomorrow (Monday), the media is allowed on the other side of the clubhouse and that means, you guessed, the course. Hopefully, I get a chance to check it out as I get work done as well. We're planning on talking to people such as Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy, Tiger (of course), Rocco Mediate, Paul Casey, and more. Plus, I will be going live from the course at 5 and 6 pm. Needless to say, I'm pretty pumped.

I will update this blog ASAP when I can after work. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it as much I enjoyed stepping foot inside those gates (but I doubt it). Hakuna Matata.