It started in 1988 when Sandy Lyle birdied the final hole from a fairway bunker with a face so steep it would be like trying to hit a wedge over Heinz Field from the Art Rooney statue.
Then it was watching Scott Hoch (as in choke) miss an 18-inch putt on the first playoff hole in 1989 and Raymond Floyd commit the cardinal sin and hit it in the greenside pond at No. 11 a year later, in both instances handing the green jacket to Nick Faldo. It was hearing the red-white-and-rude hecklers failing to ruffle Ian Woosnam of Wales in 1991 and seeing Fred Couples' ball somehow stop on the grassy slope at No. 12, as though the hands of so many other Amen Corner victims came out of Rae's Creek and said, "That's far enough."
For the next five years, the Masters produced some of the most poignant, memorable and historic moments in the 83-year history of the tournament, from Ben Crenshaw feeling his mentor, Harvey Penick, on his shoulder just days after Gentle Ben served as his pallbearer in 1995; Greg Norman's epic six-shot collapse in 1996; and the unforgettable and transcending day in 1997 when Tiger Woods sent out a warning to the golf world with his record 12-shot victory. Sadly, I missed all five.
I never missed another Masters after Woods' epic victory in 1997. I saw him win four more, none more incredible than last year when his victory — his first major title in 11 years — was a moment for the ages. I saw Phil Mickelson win three green jackets, watched Bubba Watson chop-hook a 52-degree wedge from the forest off the 10th fairway that bent like a Sandy Koufax curveball, saw Adam Scott become the first Australian to win the Masters, witnessed the second coming of an American star when Jordan Spieth tied Woods' scoring record in 2015, and, maybe most memorable of all, stood among an adoring crowd and watched the King, Arnold Palmer, a four-time Masters champion, walk up the 18th fairway at Augusta National for the 50th and final time in 2004.
I saw them all since 1997. Heard the roars climb from the valley and shake the ground considered the most hallowed in American golf. Felt the buzz on a Saturday afternoon when players positioned themselves on the wooden leader boards like horses entering the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby. Watched the sun filter through the Georgia pines on a late Sunday afternoon, lighting the 18th green like a Hollywood movie set.
Twenty-two Masters in a row.
Until now.
Damn pandemic.
They will begin another Masters on Thursday, seven months later than originally scheduled, and it won't be the same, not for me, not for the players, not for anyone who knows what it's like to be there.
There will be no patrons, no Tiger roars, no roars of any kind. The Masters with no fans is like breakfast without coffee.
"Most events it's about the players," said two-time U.S. Open champion and ESPN analyst Andy North. "Here, it's about the players, the course and the patrons. They've had the history of the roars and all the amazing things that have gone on. It's been such a part of the tournament for so long."
And it's not just that.
_The brilliant pink-and-white colors of the azaleas and dogwood have been replaced by the yellow and orange hues of the trees.
_The course will be soft and a little spongy, not firm and fast, thanks to a heavy dose of watering to make sure the overseeding of rye grass goes Masters green in time to replace the browned-out dormant Bermuda grass.
_Because of less daylight, the Masters is doing away with its usual first-tee start for all competitors and will use two tees for a morning and afternoon wave.
_The 10-shot rule has been eliminated, thereby allowing for fewer players on the weekend in attempt to finish before darkness ... or NFL football.
_No par-3 contest.
And all eyes will be on Bryson DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champion who is toying with using a 48-inch driver — the maximum allowable length under the Rules of Golf — in an attempt to create even more distance with swing speeds that reach 144 mph. DeChambeau, the sixth-ranked player in the world, leads the PGA Tour in driving distance at 344.4 yards, nearly 16 yards farther than world No. 1 and FedEx Cup champion Dustin Johnson (328.8); and nearly 20 yards longer than Rory McIlroy (325.3), who is trying to become the sixth player to complete golf's Grand Slam.
DeChambeau, who won by six shots and posted the lowest score ever at Winged Foot, said he is hitting the ball farther than when he won the U.S. Open in September. But he said he'll likely stick with his 45 1/2-inch driver this week.
"I'm excited to see what he does," North said. "He can hit it in places where he can make this golf course look like a pitch-and-putt course."
But, sadly, nobody will be there to roar their approval. Including me.
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15 players to watch ... and Gerry Dulac's 2020 Masters prediction
Bryson DeChambeau: Can he do at Augusta National what he did at Winged Foot?
Dustin Johnson: No player on the planet had a better year than DJ
Jon Rahm: Any man who can skip it across the water for a hole-in-one ...
Justin Thomas: His 2017 PGA title is only top-five finish in 19 major starts
Rory McIlroy: Another attempt for the Grand Slam at a 'more relaxed Masters'
Tyrrell Hatton: World No. 9 in good form for a major run after BMW Championship
Patrick Reed: Never count out the 2018 Masters champion.
Matthew Wolff: Second at U.S. Open, fourth at PGA in his only major starts
Colin Morikawa: Augusta demands control of the ball, and PGA champion has it.
Tiger Woods: The defending champ can't do it again ... can he?
Xander Schauffele: Knock, knock. Is this the year he finally wins?
Brooks Koepka: Remember him? Four-time major champ was second last year
Patrick Cantlay: They should call him Patrick Can-play
Jordan Spieth: Has lowest Masters scoring average (70.27) and most leads (9) of any player in the field.
Webb Simpson: Ball-strikers are always a consideration, no matter the venue.
And the winner is: Matthew Wolff. Look at what he's done in first two majors. And, with no patrons and no roars, young players don't feel the same pressure.
