A Tradition Unlike Any Other

Ahhh...The Masters...

Every year, so many people - including people who do not even enjoy the game of golf flock to Augusta or to their devices to watch The Masters.  All of us are glued to the leaderboard and featured groups like we are actually going to share some of the winnings.  The beauty of the course and the traditions of the tournament are unparalleled. The history that it has created and celebrated is incredible. It has sucked patrons in for decades, but it is so much more than a golf tournament; it is truly, "A tradition unlike any other." - Jim Nantz

The Masters is an experience that you share.  It is discussed in families, friend groups, amongst coworkers, and even strangers you run across this special week in public.  Watch parties are held.  Traditional Masters food and drinks are consumed.  Certain golf attire is worn.  Everyone critiques the Champion's Dinner menu.  Everyone picks a favorite to win, and of course an underdog.  It's a priority and a way of life for that special week of April each year.  

Sunday at The Masters is even more special.  It's unexplainable, but it draws you in and you are unable to look away.  Friends and families watch, cheer, and hang on by the moment to see who are the current leaders and how many strokes behind their favorite(s) are from the top.  It's an all day affair, as we wait with anticipation and excitement to see who will don the Green Jacket, and we would not want it any other way. 

The Masters is so much more than all of that to many of us, including myself.  It is a connection to memories, people, and nostalgia that is unmatched.  

My dad loved golf and was an avid golfer, but there was absolutely nothing in his mind that compared to The Masters.  As a child, I remember my parents going to the tournament and coming back to tell us all about it.  The excitement on their faces was not something that can be described.  As time passed, and passes were harder to come by, we settled for watching it on the TV.  We would all settle in and make it a family event, especially on Sunday.  Even when I moved out and got married, we were home for Sunday at The Masters.

My dad would comment on nearly every lie, every shot, every putt, and of course...every outfit.  He would explain to my brother and I why certain clubs were chosen, or why they would choose to lay up.  He would share what that hole looked like in person and who he and my mother had seen play it.  The sheer joy on his face when watching and talking about his times there is something I will never forget.  He always had comments on who he would want to win, and let's be clear...those who he did NOT want to win either.  His opinions were just as loud as his cheers.  He would be so incredibly happy for those who were playing and his reactions when they would sink a putt or hit a lengthy drive would be as though he had done it himself.  Even through the years when he was battling cancer, the family watching Sunday at The Masters and the sheer joy of it never wavered.  I can only imagine the comments he would make now about the new technologies, graphics, and golfers.  Each year, we talk about his advice and thoughts he would have on The Masters.  Each year, I miss him more and more but feel so connected to him as we watch. I am forever grateful for those experiences, memories, and what The Masters is and has taught me via my and about my dad.

• Golf can be your happy place - it was for him, and it is for many others.
• Much of life is a game of inches, always measure twice.
• Perspective is everything, always look at your lie/pin placement or things in life in different ways before making a final decision
• Patience is a virtue.  Always.
• You may play great on some holes and not so great on others; just like days of life, but you can bounce back.
• Everything is a journey, just like the course.  One swing, one putt, one hole at a time. 
• True beauty transcends time.  Augusta will always be beautiful, and true inner beauty is the same.
• Go!  Even if you think you can't - if you are given the opportunity to go to The Masters - you MUST go.  Just like life - seize opportunities and do not let them pass you by.
• Everyone is different and succeeds in different ways.  Masters outfits are different, people's swings are different, people's clubs are different - but they find ways to succeed - that's how life is as well.
• Celebrate others and have fun.  Not every day is your day to win, but every day is a day to celebrate and enjoy life.  
• Be YOU!  Wear your outfit.  Represent yourself.  Put on your flip flops as soon as you sink your last putt.  Be who you are and do not apologize for it.
• Tradition is important.  Embrace it.

All of these things and more make me grateful for The Masters.  It allowed me to see such a joyful side of my daddy.  It made me want to play golf with my parents, which let me see their relationship in a different light.  It made me interested in watching him play golf which gave me the opportunity to see my dad be truly successful at something he enjoyed, not just work.  It made our family spend time together; not only watching The Masters, but then playing golf, as though one of us would one day be there.  

The Masters creates memories and fosters relationships.  The Masters engages generations of people in the game of golf.  The Masters celebrates the beauty of the South.  The Masters celebrates tradition and history.  The Masters merges days of old with new technologies. The Masters is something special. It truly is a tradition unlike any other.

Fore please! Now driving, Bobby Sargent.