Saturday Masters Clippings: Hanging Chad

Chad Campbell may be leading, but Golf Channel's Alex Micelli appropriately likened a wait on Rory McIlroy's fate to the "hanging chad" debacle that defined the 2000 Presidential election.

It seems the Masters rules committee took a whopping four hours plus to decide whether McIlroy had violated the rules after swiping the sand on No. 18. Those of you following along on the live blog (that we'll be doing again Saturday and Sunday) know that our friends watching on BBC reported that the network was scrutinizing the incident, while we ESPN viewers taking the CBS feed got no word whatsoever of Rory's terrible finish, much less a possible rules issue. That merely culminated a day of dismal coverage exposed (ironically) by the excellent online feeds that revealed just how much golf television viewers were either missing, or seeing five minutes after happening.

First, here's the definitive story on Rory, filed by Steve Elling after most of the scribblers finally gave up around 9:30 (!).

After a laughably long delay, club employees finally distributed a pairing sheet for Saturday's third round and the 19-year-old's name was on the list. A moment later, an Augusta employee began hurriedly collecting the tee sheets from media members, claiming they were issued prematurely.

The club then announced that McIlroy was still in the field and that a statement would be forthcoming.

Amazingly, while awaiting further clarification from club officials, a tornado warning was posted at the club.

Approximately 4½ hours after he had completed his round, McIlroy returned to the club and watched a videotape of the incident. Fred Ridley, chairman of the Masters competition committee, said in a club statement that the rules allow for a player to smooth out his footprints in the bunker after making a stroke "provided that, with regard to his next stroke, nothing is done to improve the positon or lie of his ball, the area of his intended swing, his line of play or a reasonable extension of his line beyond the hole or the area in which he is to drop or place the ball."

Elling goes on to detail how the Ridley statement created more questions than answers and why it took so long to handle the situation. This surely will recall memories of Ridley's reign as USGA President. He was at the helm for the Shinnecock Hills debacle.

Meanwhile the Internet Writer Of The Year filed a late piece and concludes appropriately that Rory was a "very lucky young man" Friday. Translation as I read it: how on earth did the committee conclude there was no violation?

The Belfast Telegraph's Ed Curran looked at the 19-year-old's weird day, with a headline calling it Rory's "fit of Masters petulance."

As for television, the day was summed up by ESPN/CBS putting so little focus on Anthony Kim's epic, unbelievable, surreal, unfathomable round of 11 birdies. They barely covered his birdie putt on 18, and while Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo praised the accomplishment, it should have been treated with much more coverage. We don't need another Par-3 contest clip package or a Harry Connick Jr. voice over when history is happening before our very eyes!

Bill Griffith looks at the oddity of an ESPN/CBS synergy, while on a lighter note, Bob Smiley obtains a copy of Jim Nantz's preparatory notes for this year's telecast.

Lede Watch

Doug Ferguson for the AP:

Kenny Perry thought he had a storybook ending to his career when he helped the Americans to a Ryder Cup victory on his native Kentucky soil and shared an emotional embrace with his father.

But that triumphant ride toward retirement is taking a stunning detour down Magnolia Lane.

Bill Elliott in the Guardian:

On the day Gary Player missed his final Masters cut and said goodbye to Augusta from the bottom of the board and 11-birdie Anthony Kim and his young friends frolicked round Augusta National like spring lambs, Tiger Woods suffered a rare bout of mid-career blues.

Larry Dorman, filing for the New York Times:

The wind came up at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday and the second-round scores went up with it. But this was no struggle against the elements. The fortunes of some golfers were blown off course, but for many others the prospects seemed to steady, bringing an elite order to the field at the halfway mark.

All of the above said, I agree with Ron Green Jr. who reviews the storylines and concludes that this Masters is just getting started. Think about that!

Golf.com has the leaderboard and Saturday tee times.

John Boyette reported late Friday that rain and hail hit Augusta National, but that plans were for gates to open on time at 8 a.m.


Chad

Thomas Bonk on "white bread, tan slacks, beige dining room wall, blend-into-the-background" Chad Campbell.


Mr. 11 Birdies In One Round At Augusta National!

I'm not sure what is more amazing, that Anthony Kim made 11 birdies at Augusta National in one round, or that he revealed after the round that he read a newspaper. He told the press that as many of us were, he was struck by the horribly tragic death of Nick Adenhart. Alan Bastable blogs about Kim's epic round and Kim's heartfelt press conference revelation.

Derek Lawrenson on the Kim-McIlroy pairing:

Anyone who was following McIlroy and Kim yesterday had an experience to treasure. Talk about a wild rollercoaster ride. There was an eagle from McIlroy at the 13th that was almost contemptuous in its brilliance. There were all those birdies from Kim, plus a double-bogey calamity of his own at the 10th. What price these two having plenty of dingdong battles in the future? For now the momentum is with Kim, who, after a slow start to the season, finds himself just five off the lead.

Old Geezers

Steve Elling on co-leader Kenny Perry who attributes his spirit to his dad, the man who used to beat the crap out of him. Don't believe me, read the story.

Jim Achenbach admits that he is rooting for Kenny, putting him in select company...among media, among media. I love Kenny!

Bill Fields files a career retrospective of Gary Player after his final Masters appearance.

Cameron Morfit says they were planning a big family outing for Player Friday night, weather permitting.

One of Gary's six children, and the chief executive of Black Knight International, Marc was planning a celebratory braii — a South African barbecue — for 200 guests at a large rental house just off the golf course Friday night.

"We have all the tables set up outside," Marc said. "Tell me it's not going to rain, even if it is. You can lie."

Gary Player, 73, indulges in "the odd scotch," Marc said, but he was unlikely to eat much bull tongue or any other animal protein. He still subsists on walnuts and almonds, fruits and vegetables.

An AP story on Fuzzy's goodbye and the 30 seconds that obscured 30 years of good will.

And Kevin Garside looks at the amazing 5 birdie run by Ryder Cup Captain former Masters Champion Sandy Lyle.

Tiger

Tim Dahlberg offers up some prime bulletin board material for Tiger:

All the while, Woods was playing as though he were in the U.S. Open.

For a second day in a row, Woods preached patience and played conservatively. For a second day in a row, he did little but watch as players passed him by.

The Tiger of 1997 would have had this guy for breakfast. If he doesn't watch it, the new Tigers of 2009 will eat his lunch.

The Amateurs

Drew Kittleson has many great memories, some new crystal gobblets on the way, and one epic eagle to remember his Masters appearance by. Oh his sense of humor:

I appreciate my teachers letting me miss so much class, especially Ms. McCrea, who was looking for a shout out from my diary and now has one.

Dave Kindred writes about Kittleson's day and his other eagle on 15.

Jack Newman recalls the highlights of his week and says he's been offered a spot into the Deere Classic.

Grades and Awards

Eric Soderstrom runs through the big names that missed the cut, including Stewart Cink who posted a humorous item on Twitter.

PGATour.com offers their grades, while GolfDigest.com serves up Birdies and Bogies.


Imagery

The SI team's images of the day.

Golfweek's slideshow with some really neat images.

The Augusta Chronicle breaks their images up into multiple galleries. Too many to link.

Flora and Fauna

Michael Bamberger runs into some troops in the Augusta airport parking lot and shares a flood of Masters memories as well as some perspective from the men headed for Iraq.

The Daily Mail's Alan Fraser visits John Daly at this merchandise table and I'm not sure what is worse, the comments or the photos of John sitting there selling his stuff.

How did Tiger finish up in the first round?' Daly asked. 'I was watching but I didn't catch the finish.'

Daly was standing in front of his bus and behind a line of Formica-topped cafeteria tables laden with assorted T-shirts, flags, hats and driver covers from his Lion merchandising range. Daly himself was manning the stall, taking the dollar bills and counting out the change Surely, this was an undignified, nay humiliating, position for an Open and US PGA Champion to find himself in. Surely, if he could not play at Augusta he should have stayed away and not further harmed his reputation.

'I don't care what people think and say,' Daly said. 'One thing for sure, the 25,000 people going through here never question my dignity. It is all about the fans.'

Anne Szeker reports that Daly performed with Hootie and the Blowfish Thursday night. Worse, there's video. And he's performing Knockin' On Heaven's Door. Wouldn't Dylan be proud?

More pleasant video is Marty Hackel's early morning piece on where the early spectators head for some good viewing.

Scott Michaux catches up with Dr. Ed Bailey, who has been to every Masters!

And finally, Alan Bastable passes along Kelly Tilghman's report (I thought she was kidding) that the PGA Tour is talking to Condoleeza Rice about a job. And David Cannon caught the moment Tim Finchem and Condy were chatting under the Big Oak.