The Hlog

Masters Saturday Morning: The Rain Has Begun

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It's 11 a.m., at Augusta National, and it's started to rain.

It has the feel of one of those rains that could set in for a while and pretty much make the day here miserable. It's gray as far as the eye can see.

I've seen what it's like when it rains here, and it takes a whole lot of the prose and poetry out of the place.

In 2005, it rained a lot during the tournament. It made for some very sloppy areas for spectators, or as they're called here and in the Augusta Chronicle, patrons. I'm not the only one who thought the mud and whatever it is they put on it to help people getter walking traction made the grounds smell like a hog pen.

Which is nobody's fault. Rain makes mud, and mud doesn't smell like azaleas or pine. As much control as the Augusta National Golf Club has in golf and in Augusta, it still can't influence the weather.

The weather has been terrific every day this week up until now, which is a lot more than I can say about my two other trips here, in '05 and last year.

Into every life a little rain must fall, so let's get it out of the way in time to get play finished by tomorrow night. The 10 names that adorn the leaderboard feature eight players without a Masters win, Mike Weir, and Phil Mickelson.

A whole lot of people are saying Mickelson is set up to win. With half the tournament left, nobody really knows anything.

Here's what we do know: Miguel Angel Jimenez, playing alone today as the first player out because there was an odd number of players who made the cut, just birdied the first hole to get to 2-over.

I wandered into the players' dressing room early in the week and was leaving as Jimenez was arriving. He greeted a clubhouse attendant, then looked at my press badge, and warmly said "How are you, Mike?" Then he shook my hand.

Jimenez, 44, has been known to wear his hair in a ponytail. He likes cigars. He was stopped at U.S. Customs two years when he tried to bring 50 Cuban cigars into the country while on his way to the Masters. They were confiscated. He plays on.

I am happy to finish this report by noting Jimenez just birdied No. 2 to get to 1-over. My new Spanish friend must like the rain, even if it makes it harder to keep his cigar lighted.

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