Glam Green at the Masters 2011

Two hours into the first ball which was struck in rage in the ravenous final round of the 75th Masters Tournament, a spectacular mist crept through, coming from the Savannah River into the Augusta National on its renowned cat feet. The glimmer of early morning paved way for a fuzzy, annoying mottled gray luckily, the haze lasted for less than half an hour and was lifted up fortunately, and the green jacket came back in all its verdant glory. Watch Golf Masters 2011 and see for yourself if you can sport the color green in your outfit to.

That’s just one of the unique things that’s breath-taking at Augusta. The big, shimmering, verdant Green. Now why would the Masters choose the fecund green hue for their symbol of victory? Simply put, the old English word for the color is “grene”, which means to grow. It is widely used to designate color on the visible light spectrum seated between 492 nm (the edge of blue) all the way through and up to 577 nm which is yellow’s backside on the wavelength scale. It pictures out the fertile, the sick, the inexperienced and nature for the larger perspective. So, you think you too can don the Green jacket? But first, see for yourself and watch Golf Masters 2011.

Maybe not for those who have vertiphobia, funny, the fear of the color green then this would be the wrong place for you. Green feels like home here. The Queen of Green, it means go in the case of traffic lights, and for those who are fashion-chic, green is the new black of the season. Everywhere, other colors can’t compete with green, just look at the grass, the peapods, the green eyes of your British boyfriend, and the soothing sea foam. And what’s fascinating is that most players for the tournament is from Australia which is known as the Oz, which in other words was the Emerald City, which is also green. And so is money.

And if you’re up for trivia everything about the Masters has been assigned to complement or match the verdant hue. Including tickets, ropes, the Green Jacket, the souvenir cups, garbage bags, the observation stand, even the beer cups. And speaking of munchies, even the health sandwiches are wrapped in green paper, plus the photographic perches, the Spectator Guides, canopies, gutters, and most of all, the green bricks and fences.

It’s actually a spectacular sight that everything isn’t that vomit-green, but verdant, cool green, that’s always easy on the eyes and spirit too.

Golf Aficionados! Ticket Applications Now Available at Masters.com

Golf fans and enthusiasts across the globe can now visit Masters.com if they prefer to book for the 2010 Practice Round tickets, plus, for the first time ever, they could avail of limited edition Daily Tournament tickets. The announcement was made Monday by the Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament, Billy Payne.

According to Payne, the whole app process to the official Tournament web site is a much safer and more convenient way for those who would like to apply for Daily Practice Round tickets. They were also very pleased to release a limited number of tickets for the individual Tournament Round days, which, until now has only been for the Series Badge holders.

For those who would like to have the 2012 Masters tickets, here are some nuggets of wisdom for you guys.

The Tickets page at Masters.com now exclusively accepts applications for Practice Round and Daily Tournament tickets. Deadline of submission for the Daily Tournament ticket applications will be on June 30. All sections of allocations will have its own random selection process and all applicants will be alerted or notified via email within weeks after the deadline for application. Every year, the applications process for existing series badge holders who make up the whopping majority of Thursday-Sunday patrons, will also transpire through the internet, and this new process will be communicated to Series Badge holders later in 2011.

Donald Garners Victory in Par 3 Contest Gig

Cheers from the Par 3 course traveled across Magnolia Lane just as Retief Goosen stood outdie the Clubhouse door. He was waiting for his caddie to arrive, his robust 8-year old son Leo, who’s a love carrying his dad’s golf bag for the very first time in the Masters Par 3 Contest. "He couldn't sleep last night he was so excited," Goosen said. "He was like, 'Dad, what if they ask me for my autograph? How should I sign it?'" The short course’s earth-song natural ampitheater made Wednesday a complete getaway combined with an atmosphere of a family cookout, revving up more oomph to the event’s sprawling popularity.

"I know that the players seem to like it more," Masters Chairman Billy Payne said. "I think it is great entertainment before the seriousness of the following four days."

For the record, everyone knows that no one has ever won the Par 3 Contest and emerge a champion in the Masters at the same week. Apparently, Luke Donald seemed a bit relaxed after he posted a 5-under-par score. "It's always fun to play," he said. "The vibes are great; people love to see you hit good shots. It's good preparation for your putting and short irons, too."

Donald’s total score of 22 was on the rocks over the course of the afternoon, but it went back to smooth course after he held up for a one-stroke victory against Raymond Floyd and Angel Cabrera. With his best shot, the Englishman, ranked number four as one of the world’s champions, becomes the most current to bear the so-called Contest curse.

Bad luck’s just old, he swept up everything with timing, which seemed to be the only controversy involved with winning on the Par 3 course and its 18-hole bi brother in the same week. Since 1960, there were eleven Masters Champions who won in the annual event played, and closely, Floyd and Cabrera are just a fetch making it to 12.

So much for pressure, the event offered so much fun for the families and you may even wonder who would have enjoyed themselves more: the kids going bonkers as if playing on sandboxes back home or the parents watching them. The cutesy caddies with their sleeves and pant legs rolled up took their own swings and tapped in putts for their dads. The pros anticipated the chance to turn in an official scorecard by having their caddies play a shot or two or just pick a ball in play. It’s delighting to be involved. But you know the Masters champions, they could use a bit of cooling off.

Masters 2011 Golf Pairings Revealed

Many golf fanatics are patiently waiting for the Golf Pairings of Masters 2011 Tournament to be revealed before the first play of the competition. Last April 5, 2011, a few days before the opening of the tournament, the Golf Pairings was finally revealed.

The Augusta National Golf Club unveiled their pairings for the 2011 Masters, and as expected, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be on the opposite sides of the draw. Tiger Woods will be playing on the first two days of the Masters, starting off at 10:41 on Thursday morning, with U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, who rallied from a four-shot deficit to beat Woods last December. Also included in their group is Robert Allenby. Looks like we’re having a good start here with two of the best golf players in the world.

Tiger Woods, known for being a four-time Masters champion, has not won since 2005 and he will try and get his fifth win at Augusta National this year.

Anyway, the first tournament group will go off at 7:45am on Thursday at No. 1 featuring Jonathan Byrd, Sean O’Hair and Ross Fisher. Watch Golf Masters 2011 Live online. If you want to see the rest of the pairings tee times for Thursday-Friday, you can see it below.

2011 Masters Pairings Tee Times: Thursday-Friday (Courtesy Of Major Championships)

7:45 a.m.-10:52 a.m. – Jonathan Byrd, Ross Fisher, Sean O’Hair
7:56 a.m.-11:03 a.m.- Sandy Lyle, Alexander Cejka, a-David Chung
8:07 a.m.-11:14 a.m. – Jerry Kelly, Camilo Villegas, Jeff Overton
8:18 a.m.-11:25 a.m. – Ben Crenshaw, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Na
8:29 a.m.-11:36 a.m. – Mark O’Meara, Anders Hansen, Heath Slocum
8:40 a.m.-11:47 a.m. – Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Nick Watney
8:51 a.m.-12:09 p.m. – Vijay Singh, Tim Clark, Aaron Baddeley
9:02 a.m.-12:20 p.m. – Gregory Havret, Carl Pettersson, Ryan Palmer
9:13 a.m.-12:31 p.m. – Martin Laird, Mark Wilson, Bo Van Pelt
9:24 a.m.-12:42 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day
9:35 a.m.-12:53 p.m. – Mike Weir, Hiroyuki Fujita, Retief Goosen
9:57 a.m.-1:04 p.m. – Padraig Harrington, Ryo Ishikawa, Bill Haas
10:08 a.m.-1:15 p.m. – Larry Mize, Rory Sabbatini, a-Jin Jeong
10:19 a.m.-1:26 p.m. – Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar
10:30 a.m.-1:37 p.m. – Hunter Mahan, Ernie Els, Francesco Molinari
10:41 a.m.-1:48 p.m. – Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Robert Allenby
10:52 a.m.-1:59 p.m. – Arjun Atwal, Sergio Garcia, Robert Karlsson
11:03 a.m.-7:45 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Stuart Appleby, Charley Hoffman
11:14 a.m.-7:56 a.m. – Ian Woosnam, D.A. Points, Ben Crane
11:25 a.m.-8:07 a.m. – Craig Stadler, Kevin Streelman, a-Nathan Smith
11:36 a.m.-8:18 a.m. – Peter Hanson, Kyung-Tae Kim, Ryan Moore
11:47 a.m.-8:29 a.m. – Angel Cabrera, Ian Poulter, David Toms
12:09 p.m.-8:40 a.m. – Trevor Immelman, Lucas Glover, a-Hideki Matsuyama
12:20 p.m.-8:51 a.m. – Zach Johnson, Yong-Eun Yang, Miguel Angel Jimenez
12:31 p.m.-9:02 a.m. – Jose Maria Olazabal, Davis Love III, a-Lion Kim
12:42 p.m.-9:13 a.m. – Tom Watson, Ricky Barnes, Jason Bohn
12:53 p.m.-9:24 a.m. – Fred Couples, Luke Donald, Steve Stricker
1:04 p.m.-9:35 a.m. – Anthony Kim, Henrik Stenson, Steve Marino
1:15 p.m.-9:57 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Edoardo Molinari
1:26 p.m.-10:08 a.m. – Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk, Yuta Ikeda
1:37 p.m.-10:19 a.m. – Justin Rose, K.J. Choi, Louis Oosthuizen
1:48 p.m.-10:30 a.m. – Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, a-Peter Uihlein
1:59 p.m.-10:41 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Gary Woodland, Alvaro Quiros

Leaders of the Band: The Masters Founding Fathers at a Glance

Just like every civilization which sprung from borne leaders trying to build tools in order to provide nourishment and shelter for their kin, every organization, fellowship, circles, secret societies, and high-end clubs have their founders. And just like a mighty silverback that starts a family of gorillas and passes genes through the next generation over and beyond, your well-loved seat of the Masters, Augusta National Golf Club has its own founding fathers as well. After all, who would have the inspiration to expand the golf mogul’s empire and keep the flame burning without the hard work and dedication of its founders? Anyway, Augusta National Golf Club was found by a legend on the field of golf, and you will believe that he is himself an amateur champion by the name of Bobby Jones. With the help of a shrewd New York investment banker named Clifford Roberts, they arduously designed the golf course, with the esteemed British architect Dr. Alister Mackenzie. And Jones’s popularity with the game made it the apple of the eye of golf’s champions to the Masters, starting with the inaugural event in 1934. Roberts made a big part in noting infinite details of the Tournament. With dedication, he made efforts to refine the Masters experience for competitors and patrons alike and expand the golf empire. Let’s take a hike down memory lane and get to know these pioneer Masters who started it all.

An Amateur Champion with a Lion’s Heart

Born on St. Patrick’s Day on 1902, Robert Tyre Jones Jr., nicknamed Bobby in Atlanta, Georgia is an amateur golf champion who wrapped golf around his finger in the early 1920s to 1930s. He made a record of winning 13 out of 21 championships in the course of seven years. In his lifetime, he had five US Amateur Championships, four US Open Championships, and three British Open Championships. Setting a record in 1926, he was the first man who ever won the Open Championship of the two countries in one year. As a student, Jones excelled in the academics who studied engineering at Georgia Tech with a BS degree in mechanical engineering and finished a BA in English literature at Harvard. In 1971, after tireless years of playing golf, writing books, building a historical milestone called the Masters, he went with his unfailing faith at age 69 from the spinal disease syringomyelia.

Shrewd Banker and Master Architect

Clifford Roberts was born and raised in a farm somewhere in Morning Sun, Iowa in 1894. He was a smarty pants investment banker, who made a name on Wall Street as a Partner for the Reynolds & Company. Named Chairman in Memoriam after his death in 1977, Roberts played the role of a Chairman of Augusta National from 1931 to 1976. With his supervision, the Masters had countless innovations which serve commonplace in golf today. To go easy on the gallery viewing, he shifted locations of perimeter mounds and was the pioneer to use a series of Leader Boards scattered throughout the course. He also devised a plan for displaying the cumulative score of each player – for instance, red numbers for under par, a green zero for par, and green numbers for over par. He brought the Masters closer to the hearts of fans and aficionados alike by enabling the first Masters telecast on CBS in 1956, working closely with the network thereafter. In 1948, he invited then General Dwight Eisenhower to visit Augusta National who later became a political and financial advisor t the President. A golf fan himself, Eisenhower became an active member of the Club. Now how’s that for big credentials?

These are just some of the of the milestones that the first Masters gave Augusta in order to make the course totally a worldwide sensation and the breath-taking experience of a lifetime.

Rickie Fowler holds Great Expectations on Debut of Augusta

As the eyes of the public are set on the first play in The Masters 2011, players were also busy preparing for this prestigious event. Meanwhile, if the first-timers traditionally struggle at the U.S. Masters, probably the American Rickie Fowler is not one of them because he likes his chances of contending for the title in his debut this week at the opening major of the season.

It was his childhood dream to be included in this tournament and this dream will be fulfilled as he tees off in Thursday’s opening round of the game. He has so far relished the whole experience of ebing a Augusta National, the spiritual home of American Gold.

Fowler said in a news conference on Monday that “If I go into the week with high expectations, I feel like there’s a chance we could be walking up 18 (on Sunday) in contention. That’s something I’ve dreamed about. I watched plenty of Masters growing up and the green jacket is obviously something that means quite a bit in the golf community,” he added.

Fowler expects to make the most of every moment on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National this week. Watch Golf Masters 2011 Live Online for you to witness Fowler’s exemplary performance and if he stays long in the tournament.

Home of the Champions: Crow’s Nest

Just after he spent his two Masters season in that familiar place, Tiger Woods realized something about the Crow’s Nest he never even expected. Staying in the course made him a sharper card player.

"That's pretty much all we did up there," Woods fondly recalled this week. "We played cards all the time. How could I not have gotten better?"

The so-called Crow’s Nest, which is the Clubhouse cupola where amateur contestants seek shelter for the Masters Week, has been renowned as a rightful place among the many touchstones at Augusta National.

Tiger Woods made it into Crow’s Nest in 1995 and 1996, which was the first two years he played in the Tournament before he even turned into a champion and a pro in the autumn of 1996. He even joked that the estate and course reminded him of the dormitories in Stanford.

"It's great," Woods said. "It felt like being in college." Save for the fact that the tests take place on the golf course rather than in a classroom.

For the record, the Crow’s Nest can accommodate up to five players who board in a 30-foot-by-40-foot winding cupola with windows on all the sides. The room is divided into four cubicles, three of which have single beds and one with two beds. Apart from the spacious amenities, there’s a full bathroom and an extra sink. And to the delight of Tiger Woods, the furnishings include a game table, a sofa and chair, and a telephone.

Crow’s Nest is definitely a haven, before the big game, both for aficionados and amateurs themselves.

Meet the Invitees for the Golf Masters 2011 Tournament

The much awaited 2011 Golf Masters Tournament is scheduled to stats his April 2010 and along with the much awaited date to come, golf fans also look forward and get intrigued as to who will be included in the final field. Why don’t you watch Golf Masters 2011 Live Online to find out.

The Masters has the smallest field among the major championships because only the bests among the bests are chosen to play for this significant and most renowned golf tournament. Officially, the Masters remains and invitation event, but there is now a qualification process. I bet I have stated here in this website the following criteria as to who are qualified to join or be invited by the tournament.

In theory, the club could simply decline to invite a qualified player. Each player is classified according to the first category by which he qualified. As the whole golf world are waiting for the final field to be announced, below is the list of the 2011 Masters Invitees so far:

Robert Allenby
Stuart Appleby
Arjun Atwal
Aaron Baddeley
Ricky Barnes
Jason Bohn
Jonathan Byrd
Angel Cabrera
Paul Casey
Alex Cejka
K.J. Choi
a-David Chung
Stewart Cink
Tim Clark
Fred Couples
Ben Crane
Ben Crenshaw
Jason Day
Luke Donald
Ernie Els
Ross Fisher
Rickie Fowler
Hiroyuki Fujita
Jim Furyk
Sergio Garcia
Lucas Glover
Retief Goosen
Bill Haas
Anders Hansen
Peter Hanson
Padraig Harrington
Gregory Havret
Charley Hoffman
Yuta Ikeda
Trevor Immelman
Ryo Ishikawa
a-Jin Jeong
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Dustin Johnson
Zach Johnson
Robert Karlsson
Martin Kaymer
Jerry Kelly
Anthony Kim
Kyung-Tae Kim
a-Lion Kim
Matt Kuchar
Martin Laird
Davis Love III
Sandy Lyle
Hunter Mahan
Steve Marino
a-Hideki Matsuyama
Graeme McDowell Rory McIlroy
Phil Mickelson
Larry Mize
Edoardo Molinari
Francesco Molinari
Ryan Moore
Kevin Na
Sean O'Hair
Mark O'Meara
Geoff Ogilvy
Jose Maria Olazabal
Louis Oosthuizen
Jeff Overton
Ryan Palmer
Carl Pettersson
D.A. Points
Ian Poulter
Alvaro Quiros
Justin Rose
Rory Sabbatini
Charl Schwartzel
Adam Scott
Vijay Singh
Heath Slocum
a-Nathan Smith
Brandt Snedeker
Craig Stadler
Henrik Stenson
Kevin Streelman
Steve Stricker
David Toms
a-Peter Uihlein
Bo Van Pelt
Jhonattan Vegas
Camilo Villegas
Nick Watney
Bubba Watson
Tom Watson
Mike Weir
Lee Westwood
Mark Wilson
Gary Woodland
Tiger Woods
Ian Woosnam
Y.E. Yang

Phil Mickelson Earns a Crowd and Victory in Houston

Shell Open Houston saw commanding victory as Phil Mickelson slips glory in the nick of time; ready to defend his title as the 2010 Masters champion, Sunday.

Twelve months ago, Mickelson was just like every other golf champions who seemed to go winless after earning his third Green Jacket, but this time, he closed in with blistering rounds of 63-65 in order to shoot a tournament-record 20-under-par at Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas. Chris Kirk and Scott Verplank were on his heels after he finished three strokes ahead of the course.

"I don't know, that's not for me to say. I'm just trying to get my game in shape." Said Mickelson simply after he was asked if his performance did well for his chances this coming week at the Augusta National.

Te only glitch he had on a scorecard were a pair of bogeys he made in his final round on hole nos. 2 and 3, plus seven birdies, a four in a row from the 10th through 13th holes.

"I've got to maintain my focus throughout the round," Mickelson said. "Next week at Augusta National, that golf course can be very penalizing."

Mickelson jumpstarts the day with a chip-in for birdie at the par-4 first hole to take the lead, but then his bogeys at Nos. 2 and 3 dropped him behind two shots against Verplank. A birdie at the par-4 11th brought him to equals to Verplank, and a par three holes afterwards made him take the lead outright.

Pulling away at No. 16 after he almost holed his 6-iron to set up a birdie 2, Verplank fell three shots back, as he bogeyed the hole.

"He played some terrific golf," Mickelson said, "and I was fortunate in the end."

In the history of the Masters, four champions won a tournament a week before earning a Green Jacket, including Ralph Guldahl in 1939, Art Wall (1959), Sandy Lyle (1988), and Mickelson (2006). In that same year, he eagled the 72nd hole to post a 13-stroke, wire-wire victory at the TPC at Sugarloaf. He then garnered his second Masters title the following week with a two-shot victory against Tim Clark.

The Shell Houston Open proved to be a particularly good game for Mickelson to plat, given the circumstances that the course was designed to resemble that of Augusta National.

"The golf course is in the best shape of just about any course we play," Mickelson said.

Guy in Pink, Man on Fire: Rickie Fowler Paves His way to the Masters Tournament

On his way to his Masters Tournament at age 22, Rickie Fowler debuted stardom on the field of golf this year after he bagged the coveted tour Rookie of the Year honors in 2010. A native of Murietta, California, Fowler accomplished 11 top-10 goals in 38 professional starts.

Sharing his thoughts, Fowler beams and basking at the glory that the game gave him:

“I got my first look at Augusta National and so many people have asked about my reaction. I say, 'It's Augusta.' It's great, it's a special place, it's something I've dreamed about, being in the Tournament. I didn't want to go until I was in the Masters Tournament, and now I am, so like I say, it's a dream come true.”

He played with Hunter Mahan on Monday and Steve Marino the following morning, alongside Charley Hoffman and Phil Mickelson. Fowler ponders on a lot of first impressions of the course, one of which is the elevation changes. Surprisingly, he found the elevations a bit crazy, saying that the bumps can be seen from the clubhouse, and how the holes are quite close together.

“The course was in great shape, although it was a little cold and wet on Monday morning, so it played long. We waited for a while. So while I was waiting to play Monday, I had breakfast, and I kept thinking how great it is knowing that I'm playing in the Tournament. Tiger and Arjun Atwal were there - they flew up together, and Phil and I flew up together. It was cool to be in the same room, hanging out with Phil and Tiger. I was Ryder Cup teammates with them, buddies with them, and now I was hanging around with those two guys at Augusta. Kind of cool.” He added with genuine enthusiasm.

It’s one of his greatest dreams to play in the Masters, but he said it did not overwhelmed him for sure. Just like the Ryder Cup which he played with much ado in two US Opens as amateur. Playing the Masters is something he only at first dreamt about. Glowing with pride at his accomplishment, Fowler plays Sunday morning on Tournament week, so don’t forget to watch if on Golf Masters.

Qualifying Criteria for the 2011 Golf Masters Tournament

This year’s 2011 Masters Tournament will be the 75^th Masters Tournament and is scheduled to play from April 7-10 at Augusta Golf Club. For those aspiring to be the world’s champion golfer, they may be asking if what are the criteria before you can be considered qualified in the match.

Since not all golfers are qualified to join this prestigious competition, the Association’s answer to that is that there are multiple ways that golfers can qualify to receive an invitation to play in The Masters. In fact, there are 19ways or 19 qualifying criteria that a golfer must meet. in addition to that, The Masters Committee can, as its discretion, invite international players who did not met any of the following criteria below.

The players who meet the following qualifications below will earn invitations to the 2011 Masters Golf Tournament:

·         Former winners of The Masters

·         Winners of the last five U.S. Opens

·         Winners of the last five British Opens

·         Winners of the last five PGA Championships

·         Winners of the last three Players Championships

·         Winner and runner-up from the last U.S. Amateur Championship

·         Winner of the last British Amateur Championship

·         Winner of the last Asian Amateur Championship

·         Winner of the last U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship

·         Winner of the last U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship

·         The top 16 finishers (including ties) from last year's Masters tournament

·         The top 8 finishers (including ties), from last year's U.S. Open

·         The top 4 finishers (including ties) from last year's British Open

·         The top 4 finishers (including ties) from last year's PGA Championship

·         The top 30 finishers on last year's PGA Tour money list

·         Winners of PGA Tour events from the previous Masters through this year's Masters, providing those tournaments award full FedEx Cup points (no opposite-field tournaments qualify)

·         All players who qualified for last year's Tour Championship

·         The Top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the previous year

·         The Top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking published in the week prior to this year's Masters

Don’t forget to watch Golf Masters 2011 Live Online and see if who really qualified.