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Masters opens itself to junior patrons

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Everything was gray at the beginning of the 59th Masters: The old champion who would hit the ceremonial first tee shot. The old course itself, the piney hills and hollows draped in a veil of fog.

But Thursday at Augusta National was designed to highlight the more vivid colors of youth.

So, as Arnold Palmer limbered his 78-year-old bones for his one shot of the tournament, the club's chairman, Billy Payne, stood on the first tee and extended "a special welcome to kids attending the Masters for the first time as part of the junior patron program."

In from Louisville, Bill Crawford nudged his 15-year-old son Eddie, in a "hey, that's you," gesture. Then Palmer, who won the first of his four Masters titles 35 years before Eddie was born, slashed at the ball — and a transaction between the past and the future was complete.

Welcome to Kid's Day at the Masters, the first day of an initiative to get some children off the Wii and onto the real thing. Kids were welcome to come to the tournament in the past, but only with a tournament badge, one of the scarcest tickets in sports. The new junior program allows an adult badge holder to bring along one un-ticketed child between the ages of 8 and 16, as long as an application was submitted in advance.

"I just made the cut," smiled Ashton Sommers, a 16-year-old from Flowery Branch, Ga., who came with his cousin, Sandra Watts. "I honestly don't believe this. I didn't think I'd ever step foot on this course."

"I'm going to see everything and everybody I can. We're not leaving here until dark," he vowed.

There were no reports of children climbing the old oaks behind the clubhouse, or hanging from the cuffs of Tiger Woods' slacks, for that matter. What stood out Thursday was how the Masters was trying so hard to please its new guests. They rolled out the green carpet for the young 'uns.

Ticketholders with junior patrons in tow first went to a special desk outside the entry gate to receive their pass for the day. There, they were met by one of several green-jacketed Augusta National members, who welcomed each youngster and guided him or her to through the verification process.

Then, club members ushered the youngsters and their accompanying adults to a special gate where they were whisked through the security check and onto the Augusta National grounds.

"Marvelous idea, marvelous," enthused the oldest player in the field, 72-year-old Gary Player, after shooting an 83 Thursday. "The youth of the nation, these are your future golfers."

No numbers were released on how many kids got in on the junior patron plan — Augusta National is not real big on giving out figures. There were no waiting lines at the junior patron desks, the newcomers arriving in a slow, steady procession.

It also was difficult to tell who was enjoying the program more, the kids or the adults with them.

Ed Frails, 42, finally was able to buy two tickets this year. His 16-year-old daughter Casey got the other ticket for Thursday. Kayla, her 14-year-old sister, got in as a junior patron.

"It's the first year for everybody," said Frails, who grew up in Augusta but now lives in Aiken, S.C. "I wanted this to be about me and my girls. It's a good day."

He wanted to get straight to Amen Corner, the scenic bend in the course that contains Holes 11-13.

"I just want a T- shirt," Casey said.

Woods' role as golf's Pied Piper never was more evident than Kids Day at the Masters. They flocked to the huge gallery following the four-time Masters champion, only to learn the lesson that he is human, too. Woods finished with an even-par 72.

Hoisting his 9-year-old son Wright on his shoulders for a better view of Woods putting on the first green, Pat Sullivan informed the boy, "I got one hole [to do this] and that's it." He then put

Wright was back up there to watch Woods tee off on No. 2. Dad was going to get a workout.

When Wright was only 18 months old, he was emulating Woods' swing in the living room whenever Tiger was playing on television.

"Tiger," he'd say, beginning his imaginary take-away.

"Woods!" he'd finish, with a big, wild follow-through.

Now he was watching that once distant TV figure in person. The plan for the day: Follow Woods as long as his energy held out, and try his first pimento cheese sandwich, a Masters rite of passage.

"This is his day," said Wright's dad.

For those masters of the Masters who were hoping to lure another generation to their tournament and their game, that was one kid down, a couple of million more to go.

Steve Hummer writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.