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" It&amp;#039;s hard to convince Americans that the Masters is the greatest of all televised events\u2014better than the Oscars, better than the Super Bowl, better even than the CMA Awards.  But it is.  Because of the ghosts. It&amp;#039;s the greatest because every one of the previous Masters has been contested in this one place* and, especially on the back nine on Sunday, every player is aware of how Gene Sarazen double-eagled the 15th in 1935 on his way to winning. It&amp;#039;s the greatest because every player, whether it&amp;#039;s his thirtieth Masters or his first, knows that Tom Weiskopf took thirteen shots to play the par-3 12th in 1980. It&amp;#039;s the greatest because everyone can still see Fred Couples&amp;#039;s ball miraculously stop rolling just shy of Rae&amp;#039;s Creek in 1992. It&amp;#039;s the greatest because everyone remembers the way Greg Norman&amp;#039;s mind froze and he lost the ability to play golf on the last ten holes of the 1996 contest, despite a six-stroke lead. And it&amp;#039;s the greatest because every player knows the potential that every shot holds for glory or disaster, because so many dozens of historic shots have been hit to or from precisely the spot he is hitting to or from at that moment. So, between 3 and about 7:30 on Sunday, don&amp;#039;t call. Don&amp;#039;t be offended when I say no to whatever you were gonna invite me to do. Let me sit and watch the best players in the world try to forget everything they know about the tournament they most want to win.** *I played Augusta National a few years ago, and the biggest surprise was that when you come off of 9 you go to the RIGHT to get to the 10th tee. TV has always made it look just the opposite. And I wonder if the little refreshment hut is there during the tournament, and if they serve the most delicious drink in history\u2014grape juice and ginger ale to gird you for the back. **This year&amp;#039;s Masters is a bit wistful for me. For each of the last four years, it has kicked off the wager that has made my life worth living. In 2010, right after Tiger Woods had his difficulties with his then-wife and a fire hydrant, I wagered a friend that Tiger would never win another major. One thousand dollars a year, automatically renewing after each season in which he fails to win a major. It&amp;#039;s the best bet ever, and not just cuz I&amp;#039;m up four grand. All credit to Tiger but there really is no other golfer in history with regard to whom this bet would even be thinkable, but watching Tiger find creative ways to scuttle his chances at the Masters each year has brought me great joy. Hitting the pin, watching the ball ricochet into the water and then making an illegal drop! On one hole! Come on! That is its own kind of genius. I miss you Tiger. I miss you.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.esquire.com/sports/news/a28228/masters-greatest-tv/>