This was my first round of golf since Friday of The Players Championship on March 27 so I was just trying to make some swings, hit some putts and ease into the week.
I wanted to get used to playing again and get used to the feel of the grass under my feet.
I want to get as much of a look at the greens as I can. I played with Jeff Sluman and Fred Funk on Monday morning for the first nine and picked their brains about the golf course. Any tidbit of information you can pick up can be really helpful around here in the long run.
I was just going to play nine holes Monday. After nine, I was feeling pretty well. Instead of coming in and beating balls all afternoon, I figured it would be better to see the back nine.
Retief Goosen came up on us on about the eighth or ninth hole. When Slu and Funky quit at the turn, Retief and I continued onto the back nine.
He's in the same boat I am. He's another first-time player out here, so we kind of stumbled around the back nine. We hit some golf shots and tried to get a bead of where the ball was going to end up.
The course is a lot drier than it was when I came here to play it for the first time in December. And the greens are quite a bit firmer. The ball is ending up on some different places on the greens. There is a low spot around every pin and it seems to me that the ball wants to end up in that low spot most of the time. I was trying to figure out where that may be and play shots accordingly. That's where Jeff Sluman's knowledge came in handy because he's been here 10 years now. It's nice to pick up on some of that info.
The crowds were about what I thought they'd be. I've played in three U.S. Opens and they're pretty crowded early in the week as well. I'll tell you, there is a real polite crowd out here. They are gentlemen and ladies, and knowledgable. There is a lot of positive input. It's kind of a fun deal.
Someone asked me if the crowd inspired me. I told them I don't need any inspiration to come to Augusta. Being here is enough inspiration.
This is the Masters, but it's also another golf tournament. I don't know how to put that any other way. There is a tradition and history to this place that makes it unlike any other. I'm trying to walk the line between that wonderful part and the fact it is another tournament you have to prepare for. It's a great combination of those things. The hard part is keeping your head screwed on straight so you can get your work done and be prepared to play.
People are always confusing me with Billy Ray Brown, who is playing this week. We spell our last names differently, but people called me Billy Ray on Monday. He gets my mail and I get his. That's nothing new.
I'm playing a practice round with Larry Mize this morning at 9. We were going to play with Paul Azinger, but I heard he wasn't going to come in until Wednesday. So it will be me and Larry and whoever else wants to play with us.
I'm going to play 18 holes today, then go to the first-time invitee cocktail party tonight.
I think the city of Augusta is great. The people are really hospitable. I haven't had a chance to do much yet because I just got here on Saturday night and we moved into our house on Sunday.
I haven't really had a chance to get around. My caddie Mike Harmon is from around here and we're playing on going to a barbeque one night. We're planning on checking the place out a little bit.
Daily diary: Just being here is inspiration enough
