Farewell to the King Palmer!
Revamped Augusta opened the "new age" in golf.

Augusta National is where ``Arnie's Army'' was created in 1958 when Palmer won his first green jacket, and where television first captured his swashbuckling style and made the game appealing to the masses. Palmer won four times and helped popularize the event.
But at the 2002 Masters, in the misty Saturday morning, Arnie's Army was watching from behind the ropes the last six holes that the King was going to play at Augusta National for the last time.

">The 72-year-old Palmer took his decision after the first round, his ever worst at Augusta with an 89 : "I just think it's time for me" he said, as an ending of his 48-year run
It was his 147th round at Augusta, a place he called "home," where he has a memory on each of the 18 holes.
Regarded as the greatest ambassador in golf, the King had said all along it would not be a sad day, but he put his head in his hand on the 18th green and later choked back tears.
"I thought I would keep the emotion down a bit," said Palmer, ready to fly his private plane back to Orlando, Florida. "But, yes, there's a lot of feeling."
Palmer's day was indicative of recent years. He bogeyed three of six holes to finish the event at 30-over 174 -- last among the 87 players to complete two rounds.
But similar performances have not stopped fans from showing their affection for Palmer, who was followed by thousands this week and receives mail by the truck load.
Palmer is an honorary member at Augusta, where he will return for the Masters Club dinner and may some day serve as honorary starter for the event. But how much will he miss participating?

In fact, the redesigned, longer (285 yards more) course has sent a message: the days of shooting in the mid-60s is over. The 2002 Masters have open a "new age" in golfing with new young princes called Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els… all golfers ranked in the first ten.

Tiger Woods is 26. He won his third Masters, for a second straight year, tying him with Sam Snead, Gary Player and Nick Faldo. Will he win the next one being then the first winner of three Masters in a row?
Asked if he could imagine playing in the Masters at Arnold Palmer's age, Tiger Woods, who played with the him two days before, replies ``I just hope that I'm still on this side of the grass at 72".

Behind the ropes
Facts and says from the "old gem"

The old gem

Presenting the changes of Augusta National course in the Herald Tribune before the openinf of the Masters, the former champion Leonardo Shapiro called it poetically: "An old gem adds some sharps edges"
The changes to Augusta National resulted in a scoring average of 74.1, nearly a stroke more than the same days a year ago. The toughest hole was No. 9, and the second was No. 1.
But rains left Augusta National playing soft, allowing shots to hold the greens but making it play even longer than its newly beefed-up yardage. What will it be in the future if weather is dry and the greens become quicksilver and rock-solid surfaces where the balls rebounce?


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Ball in the glasses

Sam Snead, a three-time champion, showing the effects of a recent mini-stroke at the age of 89, hit the glasses of a spectator with the ceremonial tee shot!

A New King?

Tiger Woods, who shot a 1-under 71 to win $1,080,000 for a second straight year, won his seventh major championship, and his first since winning here last year. It was the third Masters win for Woods, who first won the tournament in 1997. That ties him with Jimmy Demaret, Sam Snead, Gary Player and Nick Faldo. Jack Nicklaus won the most, six in all.
Woods is the youngest to win seven major titles. He did it at the age of 26 years, three months and 15 days. Jack Nicklaus held the previous record, winning the 1967 U.S. Open at the age of 27 years, four months and 28 days.

Green pants?
Retief Goosen finished second, shooting a 74 after entering the final round tied with Woods. At the prize ceremony while Tiger was putting on the "green jacket", he asked : ``Do I get the "green pants" for finishing second?''.

Eight and nine

Ernie Els, on the 13th hole, hitting his drive into the woods, and his second shot into a creek, he dropped out and hit his third shot into the water in front of the green, making eight.
Trying to challenge Woods, Vijay Singh hitting a pitch shot, short on the green; the ball roll down the slope into the pond fronting the 15th green. He dropped, hit a second into the water, and made a nine.

Nick Faldo, three-times Masters champion, wrote his first column in the April's issue of Golf World and took the opportunity to relate some memorable instants and menus from the Champions Dinner. It is really amazing.

"I think the best Champions' Dinner ever was Ben Crenshaw's South West barbecue, followed closely by the Vijay's Thai meal, although I don't think my very English fish and chips in 1997 can be far behind. I asked for shepherd's pie in 1990 and, rather less successfully, requested steack and kidney pie in 1991. Now the reaction to that offering had to be seen to be believed; people took one look at the kidneys on their plates and promptly stuck their noses up."

Nick, we believe you easily! But we don't regret to miss that very special Champions Dinner.

Nicklaus prediction
Tiger has the flair and charisma of Arnold Palmer, the power and intimidation of Jack Nicklaus. Playing a practice round on the eve of the 1996 Masters with Palmer and looking et Woods, who at the time was a sophomore at Stanford, Nicklaus predicted to Arnie:" perhaps it won't be long before Tiger Woods has as many green jackets as both of us combined".

The Masters final scores

Tiger Woods $1,008,000 - 276 12-under
Retief Goosen $604,800  - 279 9-under Phil Mickelson $380,800  - 280 8-under Jose Maria Olazabal $268,800  - 281 7-under
Ernie Els                $212,800 - 282  6-under
Padraig Harrington $212,800 - 282
Vijay Singh $187,600 - 283 5-under
Sergio Garcia $173,600 - 284 4-under
Angel Cabrera           $151,200 - 285 3-under
Miguel Angel Jimenez $151,200 - 285
Adam Scott                $151,200 - 285