The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 3 of 11)

Also in 1991, you had many great announcers properly assigned to a single hole (or two at most), adding to Lawrence's list: Jim Nantz (who started on 16 in the Nicklaus year of 1986), Verne Lundquist at 17, Pat Summerall and Ken Venturi at 18, plus in my childhood, the late and great Frank Glieber and Henry Longhurst. The 1978 Masters, which CBS showed on Sunday, also included Jim Thacker, the first partner for Billy Packer, which is still, to me, the best basketball pairing ever.

Now it's five-hour rounds with twosomes, and there's no question that the lead-footed Immelman drove the see-it-and-hit-it Snedeker crazy. And we get to see the golfers walk to the 12th green instead of somebody four holes ahead trying to get that birdie that will qualify them for the 2009 Masters.

I can see Mr. Henry turning off the TV when Immelman got to 16, no matter whether it was before or after Trevor dunked his tee shot in the pond. That pairing was the only one left on the course!

p>Rudy Martzke of USA Today didn't like Chirkinian and his crew, but we golf fans did, and we miss them with a passion today. br> -- Al Pote br> Lovington, Illinois /p>

I have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Henry's assessment of this year's Masters Tournament. This year's Masters held plenty of great shots and excitement with Brandt Snedeker playing great golf through about 60 holes.

For boredom, no Masters in my lifetime can top the '72 Masters. Jack Nicklaus led every round, won by a blistering 286 (-2) and the nearest opposition, Bruce Crampton, was four shots back.

p>The greens that year were studded with poa annua, a substance that is OK to putt on if it is consistent on the green. However, with the Bermuda grass greens of the time, the players' putts bounced around more than a br> basketball on a court. /p>

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