Taking A Trip

This week marks the 72nd offering of golf season's first Major, the Masters tournament.

Last night, former tournament winners gathered to dine among themselves at the Champion's Dinner. Today, players and their children will participate in the Par 3 Tournament and once again, the winner will seek to break the so-called curse of winning that tournament but failing to win the 72 hole tournament. Tomorrow, Arnold Palmer will serve as honorary starter and take the opening shot of the tournament.

Among golfers, Augusta National instills a reverence similar to that of churches and national monuments. The course and its grounds are a memoriam to golf's past. Bridges, cabins, and even water fountains tell the histories and legends of the players that have made this place a museum.

The course itself is as close to Eden as I can imagine, which is fitting for place that once hosted a botanical garden. The course winds its way past creeks and streams that once watered thirsty Confederate soldiers but now only collect errant golf balls. As the tournament is held the first full week of April, flowers, trees, and shrubs that provide names for all 18 holes are in full bloom.

Because this is the only major played on the same course annually, quite a bit of attention is given to the traditions surrounding the golf course and its host club. After all, this is a place where even a then-current sitting U.S. President couldn't get a tree cut down to avoid continually hitting it. Instead, they left the tree intact but named it after him. It's also the place where current members and former champions may only wear their club jackets on club property.

The dominance of professional golfers notwithstanding, the tournament is a tribute to amateurism. The founder of the tournament, Bobby Jones, is perhaps the finest amateur athlete to ever compete in a game of skill. Thus, the invitation list will always hold spots open for the various champions of amateur competitions even though few have been close to winning since 1960.

This week, Trip Kuehne will bring an end to his amateur career at this tournament. Trip is an interesting individual. I'd love to write a book about him someday.

Trip is the oldest child of the Kuehne siblings. His brother, Hank, and sister, Kelli, both play professional golf. They both insist Trip is the best of the three.

A 3-time All-American at Oklahoma State, he faced Eldrick Woods in the 1994 U.S. Amateur. If there's no documentary of this event, one needs to be produced. It was a life-changing event for the two competitors and the community of professional golf, the industry of marketing the game, and even the financial wealth of PGA players may be altered had the result been different.

Trip was up 5 holes with 12 left to play; Woods ended up winning 2-up. Woods turned pro and has done fairly well for himself on the PGA tour. Trip preserved his amateur status, started a career in the industry of finances, and continues to play for the love of a game, never taking a dime for his efforts.

Now, the only Privacy that Woods ever sees is his yacht and Trip doesn't even have his own entry on Wikipedia. Both, however, live the life each has wanted according to his own terms.

I missed most of March Madness and Opening Day of the baseball season. For me, this will mark the official beginning of Spring.

And a new resolve to live life on my terms.