*The Masters* scoreboard

[underpants]

http://www.masters.org/en_US/scores/index.html

[underpants]

1. Va.Tech's Drew Weaver is naturally right-handed but plays left-handed

Drew Weaver
Birthdate: May 18, 1987
Country: United States
Best Masters Finish: First Masters Appearance


(7) In 2007, at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, became the first American in 28 years to claim the British Amateur title. Father Bob served as his caddie that week. A junior at Virginia Tech, he was on campus the day of the shootings. Led his collegiate team to the 2007 ACC title. Naturally left-handed, but plays golf right-handed. First Masters appearance.

[Awsi Dooger]

3. Many examples of that

Actually he's left handed but plays right handed. I can think of at least two famous examples, Johnny Miller and Curtis Strange.

And there have been others. Left handed equipment and lessons were considerably more difficult to come by until recently, so many dads taught their lefty kids to play right handed. That's what happened to me. My grandfather had righty clubs and had me swing them in his huge backyard as a young kid, even though I'm lefty in everything else. At age 18 I switched to lefty putting, and if I had it do over again I'd make the complete change. It just seems like I'm fighting things right handed, against my natural instincts. The angles are strange and the lead hand being the stronger hand leads to more twists and turns, as opposed to a passive guide.

Phil Mickelson is an example the other way, a right hander who plays lefty.

And I know Mike Weir wrote to Jack Nicklaus as a young teenager, asking for advice in this regard. Nicklaus told him to keep playing left handed.

BTW, Weaver had a decent round on Thursday, including a birdie on #16, but he really hit behind his second shot on 18, live on ESPN, after a perfect drive. It was a hacker-type shot and came up at least 50 yards short. He shot 76.

[Forkboy]

2. There's some live coverage on CBS Sportsline

I couldn't get it to work, but maybe you guys can. Amen Corner live for the cube rats.

[Awsi Dooger]

4. Not as interesting as the old days

I didn't mind birdie/eagle shootouts at Augusta, partially because it was delightfully wicked to see the same guys tamed by USGA rough two months later.

The Masters played best when almost everyone was going for 13 and 15 in two, albeit with different length of clubs. The greens are diabolical enough. The 450+ yard par 4s don't interest me. Maybe a couple of them per course, but a belief that almost every one needs to be that length produces lesser golf, IMO. Not enough separation. Look at the leaderboard today. Jammed, slightly on either side of even par. In the old days Norman might shoot a 64 in the first round then blow up to 78 on Sunday. Now the 64 has been eliminated.

Augusta was terrific when the shots needed to be shaped, primarily high and right to left, and the rough was virtually non-existent. Shotmakers like Seve either thrived, or died a watery grave like the 4 iron into the pond in '86.

Now the most distinct and memorable holes are the ones that haven't been changed, like the par 3s, #12 and #16.