Tampa, Florida					Thursday, September 09, 2010

Come With Me Down Masters Memory Lane
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
TAMPA—Won’t see and/or report live this Masters-2004, but will instead, like most of you, see it on television from the magnificent Augusta National Golf Club where I did indeed see and report for Florida newspapers all but one Masters from 1958 through 1997, or, put it another way, all from Arnold Palmer’s first win until the first of Tiger Woods. Pretty impressive bookends for Masters coverage—Palmer and Woods, eh? So, as it unfolds, instead of being at that best in the world’s golf tournaments with friends, Carol and Barney Barnett (Publix Super Markets), as I was so often, wife Linda and I are with the Barnetts and other friends of theirs, fishing, funning and fretting before the TV set in the Caribbean as this tournament plays on without us. Being there is the best, of course, but this isn’t a bad alternative, watching it is style aboard the Big Eagle, the majestic flagship of the Anheuser Busch in good company of the same Barnetts and, friends and the accomplished crew of the August A. Busch IV family yacht. This new grand experience also allows time between telecasts to talk of past Masters, the 28 I covered and the dozen-plus seen by these shipmates. So, let’s see, about those Masters years: + Reported that first Palmer win in 1958 as a golf writer for the St. Petersburg Times. Hitched a ride and shared a room, at no cost, with the late Wally Bishop, a syndicated cartoonist of those years, who lived on Snell Isle and had money. We stayed in the fancy-dancy Bonair Hotel, now a rest home, in the center of Augusta. It was Masters headquarters. Slept on the floor. Learned the ropes that rookie year and became friends with many golfers. Reported the original Arnie Army recruitment and marching for the first time. Had the break of having reported earlier that year the Palmer win at the St. Petersburg Open, and at Augusta, walked the final 18 with Palmer’s late wife, Winnie, and got a different angle. Not long after that, the Tampa Tribune bought the Tampa Times and its new editor, Bennett DeLoach, hired me as the sports editor of the three-man (Malcolm King and Bob Austin) sports staff of the old Tampa Times. Began writing a column six days a week and never stopped, until I retired from The Tribune more than three decades later. The Masters was my first big time event covered. Only one I missed was 1988 when Sandy Lyle won it. We were in Bergen, Sweden. Along the way to the first Woods win in 1992, these other moments to remember: + Reported the unexpected win by Bob Goalby (1968), a former winner of the St. Petersburg Invitational, and was one of three writers who got the trunk of his car with Roberto DeVincenzo after he had just learned he had not won because he had signed an incorrect scorecard. Understood enough Spanish to understand his fury. Tommy Aaron still hears of that scorekeeping job. But, he says, DeVincenzo signed it. + Covered the first of five Jack Nicklaus wins in 1963 unpopular one at at a time because Nicklaus was known as Fat Jack then, and Champagne Tony Lema, to be the pro at Marco Island later, was popular and second. Most wanted Palmer to repeat, if not him, Lema, who got his nickname because he bought champagne for the press after his first win. Reason enough. + Had dinner the night before with Gay Brewer, Jr., won the 1967 Masters by making a putt on 18 he’d missed the year before to lose by a shot. Brewer was popular in Tampa because he founded a junior tournament at the now gone short Silver Lakes course Matt Jetton built before he built the Carrollwood courses. Then as sports editor of the Tampa Tribune (since moving from old Times in 1962) wrote often about good guy Gay Brewer. + Had dinner at the Masters rented home of Charles Coody the Saturday night before	his surprise Masters win in 1971. Mutual friends Ed Rood and Bill Saxon, a sponsor of Coody, and then walked with his wife the final round, for another good last day yarn. + Had dinner often at the Masters with Bib Murphy, Jim Colbert and Tommy Bolt, who were so helpful through the years. + In the Springs of those years of reporting Masters, became good friends with the MacGregor public relations people, notably the wonderful Bob Rickey, who knew everybody. Spent Wednesdays and Thursday nights those days/nights at a southern mansion they rented and where spent much time with Jimmy Demaret, Tony Penna, Gene Sarazen, Jack Burke, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Raymond Floyd and Nicklaus. It helped so much. + The Associated Press would, before the communications explosion, use runners to post scores on a running scoreboard in the press tent. Will Grimsley was in charge for AP. I told Grimsley I had two young friends in Temple Terrace who were fine junior golfers, why not use them the next year. He did it and future pros Eddie Pearce and Gary Koch, now an accomplished NBC golf analyst worked at least the next tournament while in King High School, and stayed in the Augusta National clubhouse. They loved the adventure. AP loved them. Proud of that, in every way. Proud of them both, Pearce and Koch. + The years Bob Murphy was in the Masters, I shot pool with him after rounds, in downtown Augusta. He felt pool helped his putting eye. Murphy won and won and now works the NBC gig with Koch. Both played on University Florida golf teams. Koch lives in Tampa—his wife is an attorney—Murphy on the East Coast but considers Mulberry and Bartow his old home towns. Once I saw his Gator golf, Conrad Rehing, outside the Masters gates without a ticket. I went in, borrowed the playing badge of Murphy, which Rehling used that day to see many of his “boys” play in the big one. + Was around and followed Lee Trevino from parking lot, where he changed shoes, then strode through clubhouse and to play the tournament with Green Jacketed committee men following. It was not for him, the Masters, not the event, not the course. And, he was not for it. Both sides knew that. + Linda and I had dinner one night long on a Masters Saturday with an assembly of great writers of the day—Red Smith, Jim Murray, Jack Murphy, Furman Bisher, Jesse Outlar, Edwin Pope, Doc Greene, Jerry Greene, Blackie Sherrod, I remember. Linda was the only woman. + An absolute highlight was with Calvin Peete in a chauffeured Rolls from his rented Masters home through the Augusta National Gates, and up the great entry, Magnolia Lane, then sticking with him and his wife (yep, walked with her, too), throughout his time there, and writing about him then. He was a rare, then, a black player in the tournament who only Charles Sifford and Lee Elder had preceded. Not only that, but Calvin wore boots, often pink, with spikes and then had a diamond implanted in a front tooth. We became fast friends and still are. He had the diamond removed when it was time a few years later. Nice man. + There was, of course, plenty more offbeat and bigtime events generated, and reported, like the last captivating Nicklaus win in 1986 with a key putt on No. 16, and the great, spellbinding first win of Tiger Woods. All knew it was the start of something big. . . .But, there came a time to pass on the press pass to others and I have done that but still can share these old memories. But, it is time to stop. And anyway, got a fish on, maybe, a marlin. And we’re on this classic yacht which is as classic on water as Augusta National is on green grass, and the Barnetts appreciate fine food and fine wine. After all, it is a matter of priorities, isn’t it? Now, anyway. ##
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