By MONTE DUTTON
The only time I ever went to Augusta National was when I was barely out of Furman. I wrote columns on Saturday and Sunday, and, man, am I confident they were horrible.
I enjoyed it, but I think, even at the time, I thought once was enough.
Never did I enjoy writing about a stock car race from an infield media center. I’ve never liked letting TV dictate what I see. I liked the press box, armed with a pair of binoculars, a stopwatch and a scanner. Being in the infield afforded me the luxury of venturing out in the garage to sniff around, but I also considered it an atmosphere that clouded my perceptions.
In the infield, I sensed the loss of what was really going on. At the road courses and at Indianapolis, there was no other practical choice, so I got enough of the infield mobs to form some analysis.
The best of the Masters, to me, was going out on the course in the morning, when the contenders hadn’t teed off, and enjoying the fun of watching carefree players who had no pressure on them interacting with the gallery. Chi Chi Rodriguez, for instance, used his putter as a makeshift sabre and mimicked thrusts and parries after holing a putt.
Rory McIlroy has been trying to win the Masters – and complete his collection of title in majors – for 10 years. Unlike McIlroy, Lee Trevino never came close. It was said to be because his shots took low trajectories, but Trevino was so great in his prime that part of his woes had to be mental. No matter. Tagging along with his group was great fun.
Craig Stadler won The Masters that I staffed. A stocky, mustachioed man who looked grumpy whether he was or not, he was nicknamed “The Walrus.” Imagine a young Wilford Brimley. He won in a playoff against Dan Pohl, of whom I had never heard. I think I called him Whatsisname in a column.
That was when I was young enough to be colorful in lieu of being sufficiently knowledgeable. I used big words when I should have been using the right ones. I expect every writer goes through that stage.
It was 43 years ago. I’d like to think I’ve learned a lot, but sometimes experience can also be a curse.
The words may be complex, but the approach must be simple, whether it’s a school-board meeting or the National … buh-buh-buh-BUH … Football League.
Write what you see. I never saw enough sitting in a building – it was then a large tent at Augusta National – and watching on TV until players started strolling in for press conferences.
Today, at major events of all kinds, it’s the way of the world. The powers that be have fenced in the frontier. Late in life, I’ve come to enjoy smaller events more. I’d rather write about the Furman-Citadel game than the Daytona 500. It’s hard to make a living, though.
On to the smattering of daily news about the Paladins’ latest exploits. …
Furman closed out its men’s tennis home schedule on Wednesday with a 6-1 Southern Conference victory over the Wofford Terriers at Mickel Tennis Center.
With the win, Furman evens its overall record at 11-11 while improving to 4-2 in the SoCon. Wofford drops to 7-11 on the season and 2-5 in conference play.
The Paladins swept their way through doubles to clinch the opening point. Cole Burnam and Connor Laymon got things started with a 6-1 victory at No. 3 against Ian Rasheed and Ashe Ray, and Ben Cahill and Emil Westling, playing at No. 2, secured the point after defeating Will Fullett and Alex Horn, 6-2. Thomas Kennedy and Elijah Poritzky wrapped up doubles at No. 1 with the duo topping Hugo Rask and Robbie Young, 6-2.
Furman continued its momentum into singles play winning four consecutive matches to claim the victory. In the No. 5 match, Walker Allen won in straight sets versus Fullett, 6-2, 6-2, with Poritzky following at No. 1 with a 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Max Graham. John Rado clinched the match for the Paladins after rallying back in his No. 4 match versus Jack Deveney for a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 win. Kennedy also rallied from behind at No. 2 to record a 4-6, 7-6(4), 1-0 win versus Young.
Following a win by the Terriers at No. 6, Westling, who was honored on Senior Day prior to the match, closed out the match with a 6-4, 6-7(6), 1-0 victory against Ray.
Westling was one of three Furman players recognized during its Senior Day ceremony along with Cahill and Cole Rigsby.
The Paladins end their regular season on Sunday afternoon, traveling to Mercer for a nooon match.
Lacrosse saw its three-game winning streak end on Wednesday evening with a 17-11 defeat to the Mercer Bears in Big South Conference action at Paladin Stadium.
Furman drops to 5-8 overall and 3-1 in the Big South. Mercer improves to 7-5 on the season and 4-0 in conference play.
The Paladins had four players finish with a team high three points in Paige Harman, Anna Roser, Mia Falco, and Sophie Shaw. Harman and Roser both scored three goals while Falco added two goals and an assist.
Caroline Glus paced the Bears with a game high six points on five goals and an assist. Gabby DiVirgilio led all players with four assists. In goal, Kate Vanderlinde finished with four saves and three ground balls.
Furman starts a two-game road trip on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Rock Hill for a 1 p.m. opening draw at Winthrop.
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