By David Westin
Staff Writer

Sports fans not on the Masters Tournament patrons list aren't the only people who can't get their hands on an admission badge for golf's premier event.

There aren't enough to go around to satisfy the players, either.

Players are limited to purchasing the individual $100 series badges for their immediate family -- which means wife and children -- plus a maximum of eight more.

``It's never enough,'' said 1995 MCI Classic victor Bob Tway, a former Marietta, Ga., resident who is playing in his 10th Masters. ``People come out of the woodwork wanting Masters tickets.''

``It's one of the toughest, if not the toughest, tickets in all of sports or entertainment,'' said Scott Hoch, 1989 Masters runner-up. ``It's a tough situation. Everybody wants to go.''

The Masters is the only professional tournament where golfers must buy tickets for members of their family.

``I love the tournament,'' Tom Lehman, 1996 British Open Championship winner, said of the Masters. ``But that policy is pretty archaic. They're doing all right. I think they're making a few bucks off the tournament. They could at least give the players as many complimentary tickets as they need, within reason. But I'm not going to argue. I'm just happy to be playing.''

``At the U.S. Open, you get four (free) tickets. Then you can buy, I don't know, a couple more,'' said 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples. The U.S. Open is conducted by the U.S. Golf Association.

On the PGA Tour, golfers are given eight free tickets at each tournament. They can ask for more if they need them. There are 46 PGA Tour-sponsored tournaments on the 1998 schedule.

``The PGA Tour is good to us,'' Mr. Hoch said. ``You can't do that at Augusta. ... They do things their own way there. As if they don't make enough money on the tournament that they need to charge us for tickets.''

It's not unusual for Masters players themselves to hear from people who want to get into the tournament, players said.

``When people ask about Masters tickets, I say, `I'm sorry, I don't have any tickets,''' Mr. Couples said. ``I mean, that's one of the few times I don't even let someone know if I have an extra one. At the U.S. Open, I might be able to get my hands on a couple of tickets. I might be able to give (Scotland's) Colin Montgomerie two at the British Open and get two of his at the U.S. Open because maybe he doesn't have that many people coming. But you start talking about Augusta -- they're all taken.''

After a player's family is taken care of, Masters players face the task of determining who gets those next eight tickets.

``That doesn't leave much for friends,'' Mr. Hoch said. ``I had six sponsors who came on tour with me, and you feel obligated to get them tickets. You want to, but sometimes you can't.''

``You have to divide them out the best you can,'' said Fred Funk, who won the 1996 B.C. Open tournament in Endicott, N.Y. ``I have about 13 to 15 people coming in. Some go some days, some go half-days. You've just got to work it in.''

Said Mr. Tway: ``Pretty much the same people go every year. We just haven't opened the door to too many other people. I think people just realize it's a tough ticket to get.''

When it comes to the Masters, many golf fans -- including players' friends and family members -- understand how hard it is to get a ticket.

``It would be nice to get more tickets,'' said Larry Mize, 1987 Masters champion. ``But the best thing is the companies (players' sponsors) understand that you don't get an unlimited supply of badges. They're really good about it.''

In one respect, Mr. Mize likes the fact there is a limit on the badges.

``It would be a headache if you got more because you'd have to determine who to give them too,'' Mr. Mize said. ``It's a double-edged sword.''

In the end, Masters badges are expensive for even the players. After paying the face-value price for the number of tickets a player needs for his immediate family -- at least three on the average, or $300 -- you can tack on another $800 for the eight nonfamily tickets he'll no doubt purchase.

``I don't charge my business partners and friends for the tickets,'' Mr. Hoch said. ``I wouldn't charge them for that. It's out of my pocket.''