EAGLE, EAGLE, BIRDIE. Add in a few more birdies and some timely par saves and you get a lefty donning a beautifully garish green jacket.
This may draw some ire but I’ve never been a fan of Phil Mickelson’s.
Without a shred of evidence, I’ve compared him to David Simms, the villainous golfer in the movie “Tin Cup,” who “hates old people, children and dogs,” and I’ve actively rooted against him in many previous tournaments.
I won’t be doing that anymore.
He earned my respect for his performance at Augusta, and my empathy for his grace in dealing with a difficult family situation.
To steal another quote from “Tin Cup,” a truly underrated golf flick, “when a defining moment comes along, you define the moment . . . or the moment defines you.”
Mickelson defined the moment all weekend and was quite simply, masterful.
The ratings are in
It wasn’t the most popular Masters tournament of all time, that honor still belongs to Tiger Woods’ transcendent performance in winning his first green jacket in 1997.
But ratings for the final round of this year’s tournament improved by 11 percent from last year, according to CBS and Nielsen Media Research.
The 39.2 million viewers who watched all or part of the final round on Sunday were the most since 40.1 million watched Woods win his second Masters in 2001.
Woods returns
After making public relations blunder after blunder, Woods made his first correct professional move in just under five months with his return to the protected confines of Augusta National.
Nowhere else will he be protected from the public as he was at the Masters, and his advisers knew this would be the case.
I think he would have come closer than a tie for fourth with K.J. Choi if he had returned for play at an earlier event.
Choi’s play should be commended as well.
Paired with Tiger for all four rounds, Choi stayed consistent and focused despite dealing with the largest crowd following and the constant presence of television cameras.
I had him pegged as the champ until the wheels came off his game down the stretch.
Couples watch
Fred Couples was another fun golfer to watch last week.
I hope the Seattle native can continue his hot start to 2010 and avoid the back issues that have plagued his career.
He’ll be the host of the 2010 U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee in Redmond on July 29-Aug. 1.
While I was writing this column I received word from the USGA that my media credential application had been approved.
I can’t be on-site for all four days of the tournament but I’ll make a visit and likely have a dispatch and a column with some tournament insights.
If you’re hoping for Hunter S. Thompson covering The Mint 400, well this is a family newspaper and I’ll just have to keep that out of its pages.
SunLand kids event
SunLand golf pro and general manager Tyler Sweet will host a free junior golf open house for children and teens ages 6-18 at the Sequim course’s driving range from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m on Saturday, April 24.
For those unfamiliar with the topography of SunLand, the driving range is located down the hill from the clubhouse.
SunLand will provide instruction, hot dogs and drinks.
The club also will hand out golf clubs for juniors to keep if they don’t have a set of their own.
“It will be great to see all the kids out, and maybe introduce some new ones to the game of golf,” Sweet said.
Providing clubs for those without is a great way to grow the game and worthy of a tip of the cap to SunLand.
Driver, golf drawing
SunLand is also conducting a drawing for a new TaylorMade R9 SuperTri driver, free rounds of golf and free golf balls.
Those interested can enter the drawing at www.sunlandgolf.com.
Remember to enter the word “contest” into the comments box.
SunLand will draw the winners on Tuesday, June 1.
For more information on SunLand, phone the course at 360-683-6800, ext. 13.
Port Townsend events
A good-sized group of players participated in last Saturday’s Men’s Club Spring Fling Scramble and Steak Feed at Port Townsend Golf Club.
Players were treated to a delicious steak feed after play featuring “the biggest baked potatoes I’ve ever seen,” said Port Townsend assistant pro Gabriel Tonan.
Vicki Handyside and Arlene Iardella deserve all the credit for putting on the feast.
Full results from the tournament are available on Page B2.
Recurring PT events
The Port Townsend Merchant League started on Tuesday.
It will continue through the spring and summer at 5 p.m. each Tuesday.
Subs and players are welcome.
Those who competed last year can get back out on the course by turning in a nine-hole scorecard from PTGC.
Those who haven’t played before can turn in an 18-hole PTGC scorecard to get their league handicap.
The venerable course also holds a Thursday afternoon nine-hole gross and net skins game from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Players must have a GHIN handicap to participate in the net portion of the skins game.
Cost is $10 for skins plus greens fees of $13 for nonmembers.
One-time PT events
The course will host the Brad Brown four-person gross scramble skins on Friday, April 23.
Cost is $50 per player plus $13 for greens fees.
The next day, PTGC will host the sixth annual Relay for Life Golf Tournament starting with an 8 a.m. shotgun start.
This event is a four-person pick-your-own team 18-hole scramble.
Tournament fees are $45 for members and $60 for nonmembers.
The fee includes a round of golf, prizes, KPs, LPs and lunch.
Carts are not included in the fee but a limited number are available by reservation.
A raffle will follow play to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life program.
Phone the pro shop at 360-385-4547 for reservations to either event.
Tournament tee sponsorships are available by phoning Lynda Constantine at 360-301-2407.
Port Ludlow ladies
The 18-hole Port Ludlow Women’s Golf Club played a game called “Pink Lady” last week.
Each team is given one pink ball.
Each player plays the pink ball on a different hole, the order being determined on the first tee, and the order is kept through the round.
Individual scores will be recorded, and the scorecard has a separate line for scoring the net strokes for the pink lady ball.
If the pink ball is lost, the score is not recorded in the pink lady line.
Lucinda Thompson, Anne Weigel and Cathie Hampton tied for first with the team of Cheri Wright, Beth Weaver and Adele Govert with a score of 39 each.
The nine-hole women played low gross, low net.
Linda Aho claimed first with a 50.
Full results for the ladies can be found on Page B2.
SkyRidge spring start
SkyRidge Golf Course’s spring opener is set for a 9 a.m. shotgun start on Saturday.
The event will have a two-person scramble format with two divisions.
Each team will use 30 percent of its combined handicap with no more than a 10-stroke difference in their individual handicaps.
Cost is $100 per team and includes honey pot, KPs, range balls and lunch after play.
Phone the golf shop at 360-683-3673 to get in the game.
Discovery Bay golf
Port Townsend’s Discovery Bay Golf Club’s Men’s Club tees it up for the first time this year today.
The club’s commercial league begins with a nonleague two-person scramble at 5 p.m. on Thursday, and the course’s nine-hole Tuesday evening competition begins at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
For more detailed information, visit www.discoverybaygolfcourse.com or phone the clubhouse at 360-385-0704.
Sending out an SOS
Nope, I’m not ending the column with an ode to the great song “Message in a Bottle” by The Police.
Instead, I’m sending out an SOS for information on the Cedars at Dungeness women golfers.
I spoke with this year’s media contact and was supposed to have received some results from the first couple of weeks of play from her.
She was on vacation in South Carolina at the time I talked with her.
I didn’t get the results and as you can see I’ve forgotten her name.
My apologies to those ladies.
If you can put me in touch with her, my contact information follows below.
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Michael Carman is the golf columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Wednesdays. He can be reached at 360-417-3527 or pdngolf@gmail.com.