8 Observations From Day One At The Masters

Our first day in Augusta is winding down and I have eight observations from all the action. Why eight, you ask? Because I don’t have the energy to write nine. Here’s what all I learned from Tuesday with IZOD and Maxim at The Masters…

1.) Two hours of sleep weren’t nearly enough.

Sometime around 2:00 a.m. last night, when I started packing for the trip, it hit me that my 4:00 a.m. alarm wasn’t too far away. Two hours, to be exact. At that moment in the wee hours of the night, I knew my first trip to Augusta would be a struggle. And a struggle, it was.

I walked around the grounds today looking like an extra in The Walking Dead. While golf fans were anxious to catch a glimpse of Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, I was on the hunt for Red Bull. A really, really big Red Bull. Or crack. Whatever I could get my hands on.

It’s not the way I dreamed of seeing The Masters for the first time, but walking around Augusta National like a zombie was better than not walking around Augusta National at all.

The course looked amazing, I think.

2.) The Maxim Clubhouse is awesome.

All the sleep deprivation in the world couldn’t contain our excitement when the taxi dropped us off at the Maxim Clubhouse. The place looks like the way I imagine heaven — models everywhere, TVs everywhere, open bar — located right down the street from The Masters. The only thing missing is a live concert featuring Jimmy Buffet and Notorious B.I.G., and I wouldn’t put it past the Maxim/IZOD crew to throw one together before the weekend.

Here’s a look at the backyard from this morning…

See what I mean?

3.) The Carl Pettersson/Tim Clarke matchup was lopsided.

Matt and I decided to walk the course from the first tee with whatever group was teeing off when we got there. KSR, meet Carl Pettersson and Tim Clarke.

Since it wasn’t the matchup we hoped to see, we decided to do some friendly hole-by-hole wagering to pump up our enthusiasm. I took Clarke, Matt took Pettersson. I was cussing Clarke by the third hole, where he bogeyed for the third time.

Tim Clarke is the worst golfer in America.

4.) I’m rooting for Scott Piercy and so should you.

Piercy is on #TeamIZOD and has drawn the assignment of playing next to Tiger Woods in his first trip to The Masters. He and Webb Simpson, another #TeamIZOD member, are the two guys KSR is backing this weekend.

Hi-Ya!

5.) The egg salad sandwich is the nastiest piece of food I’ve ever put in my mouth.

The egg salad sandwich is a tradition unlike any other at The Masters. At only $1.50 a piece, the individually wrapped sandwiches are a must-try at the golf course, so I was told.

I spit mine out in the front row of the grandstand at Amen Corner. It should be a crime to sell those things.

The pimento cheese, on the other hand, wasn’t as bad.

6.) “Skipping” at the par-3 16th is very fun to watch.

After teeing off at the par-3 16th during practice rounds at The Masters, players scoot up to the edge of the pond to “skip” balls across the water toward the green. Fans will boo players who walk past without participating in the tradition, and applaud those who take a stab at reaching the green off the wet bounce. Most of Tuesday’s attempts were unsuccessful, but Martin Kaymer sunk a skipping hole-in-one last year.

7.) The gift shop is a trap.

Don’t go in there unless you’re ready to buy stuff you don’t need or want.

All sales are final, too. It’s a trap.

8.) It’s going to be a fun week.

Matt and I will be spending the rest of the week at the Maxim Clubhouse for the parties and festivities away from the course. We’ll be doing the radio show from here in the mornings and tweeting out all the randomness throughout the day, plus tomorrow night’s party to launch the tournament. Stay tuned for more and go Scott Piercy and Webb Simpson.