By David Toms
Special

Editors note: David Toms has been compiling a diary on his experiences in the 63rd Masters. Toms, who tied for sixth place in his Masters debut in 1998, shot 78-76 -- 154 this week and missed the cut by six shots. Toms has been sharing his thoughts with staff writer David Westin.

First of all, mentally I don't think I was prepared for the tournament. I thought I could attack the golf course. That's the way I played for two days, especially on Friday because I had to just try to make the cut. After my first round 78, I set myself up so I had to play extremely well Friday to make the cut, but I shot 76.

To tell you how wonderful my week was, my courtesy car got a flat tire on the way home from the course on Friday.

I thought I was prepared for the tournament and thought my game was in good shape. My tee shots were fine, but my second shots were not very good as far as my distance control. It's a hard golf course to control your distance anyway because the wind swirls a lot. You have to be precise on your second shots and I wasn't able to do that all week.

David Toms has been compiling a diary on his experiences in the 63rd Masters.

I wasn't in control of my game all week, but I held my emotion in check and never gave up. I tried to stay positive and find the right club to hit but I never could. My caddie and I both tried to get it down but never could do it.

I had two birdies on Friday. I birdied on the par-3 sixth hole after hitting a 6-iron shot to 8 feet from the hole.

My other birdie came on the 18th hole. I hit a driver and then a wedge 5 feet behind the hole and made the putt. It was a nice way to end the round.

I hope I will be back to the Masters soon in my career. Just in case that doesn't happen for some reason, at least I birdied the last hole.

I'd just three-putted the 17th hole for a bogey so I tried to play the last hole as solidly as I could. I wanted to try to end up on a high note.

On Friday, I was even par through eight holes and was hanging in there. On No. 9, I was in perfect position off the tee. I had a wedge in my hand for my second shot and hit it too hard, over the green. I had an impossible chip and made bogey. Then I made some bad mistakes on the back nine.

On the 12th hole, I hit a 7-iron shot that I thought was going in the hole. Instead, it plugged in the front bunker and I made bogey. It looked like it was going to be a hole-in-one. I don't know what happened.

I don't know if my wife and son and I will stay here over the weekend or not. I haven't called to see if I can change our flight. We were supposed to leave on Monday morning. It kind of depends on the expense of changing the flight. We've already spent a small fortune this week to be in the golf tournament.

I think we've spent more than $7,000. It costs us money to fly here, we spent about $4,200 to rent a house, $1,200 for Masters tickets, $1,000 for my caddy and that's before we eat or drink anything. You can see how it adds up.

I'm not complaining. It's a privilege to be able to be in the Masters and I had the same chance as anybody else in the field to make a lot of money. I know the Masters pays the people who miss the cut $5,000, so that will help.

Playing on the PGA Tour, it cost money for expenses every week, but it seems like the cost of living in Augusta doubled this week.

If we stay here over the weekend, I won't go watch the action at the course. After walking those hills for five straight days, counting the practice rounds, I'm not crazy about doing that again.

I do need to go back to the course and clean out my locker and settle up with everybody. I may do some souvenir shopping. I'll watch the Masters on TV. CBS does a great job covering it and there are hardly any commercials on the weekend. It's a neat way to watch golf, with your feet up.

I'm not playing next week at the MCI Classic at Hilton Head Island. I need to take some time off. I'm mentally fatigued more than anything else after playing four weeks in a row. One of those tournaments was The Players Championship two weeks ago and that was a grueling test. So was this one.

I've been playing well all year, so I hate to start my first major championship of the year like this.