"Great. I love to see the players suffer—52.6%"

I'll be away for a few days and Internet access appears to be dicey. I'm staying at a five-star hotel that touts their in-room VCR's, so you can imagine why I don't have high hopes for high-speed Internet anywhere nearby. (Bet you can guess what country I'm headed to!).

Should this be my last post through Wednesday afternoon, I thought it would be a nice one to let simmer for a few days. And what better time to kick off the pre-Masters hype?

Now, you've all been subject to my rants about the envy that drives the mentality of "relatable golf," better known as wanting to see the world's best players brought down to a level of mediocrity.

Still, knowing how much criticism there has been of Augusta's par-protecting ways in recent years this April Golf Digest online survey question and reponse blew me away:

8. How do you feel about Zach Johnson's winning score of one over par at the 2007 Masters?

Great. I love to see the players suffer—52.6%
Hated it. I watch the Masters for birdies and eagles—39.2%
Zach Johnson won the Masters?—8.2%

I'm hoping for at least one eloquent explanation why the Masters is better when it's a celebration of suffering, as opposed to a contest of skill where, on occasion, someone might shoot 14-under par for the week. Don't be shy!