The Masters is the premier golf event in the world and one of the top five sporting events on planet earth. 
It’s only an hour from Columbia, which is quite amazing and truly special. 
I met, then had a very friendly conversation with 1971 Masters Champion Charles Coody and his wife of 60 years, Lanette, at Forest Hills Country Club while watching the Augusta Haskins Invitational this past weekend. 
Wake Forest won the event while the University of South Carolina finished second. Cody Proveux, a sophomore from Lexington, had a final round 65 to pace the Gamecocks in the final round. 
This Masters edition is loaded with player perspective. Here is 1 major difference between The Masters and all the other tournaments. Players dream mostly about winning events, but in the case of The Masters, they dream about just getting into the event. 
Fred Wadsworth, a former Gamecock All-American who won the 1986 Southern Open to earn his invitation had this to say.
“It’s the only tournament I ever played in where I was choking in the practice round,” he said. 
Speaking of practice rounds, David Tolley, another former Gamecock golfer, said his highlight and memory was his pairings. 
Tolley, the runner up in the 1982 US Amateur at The Country Club, earned his invitation via this finish.
“I played  a practice round with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus,” he remembered. “They were incredible, they both were kind, and helpful, while being great ambassadors for the game. In the the first two rounds, I got paired with Ray Floyd, a former winner, and this was awesome. He treated me like a competitor with respect rather than a college kid who needed support which I appreciated.”
I’ll never forget our first exchange alone in the locker room at Harbor Town after my son, Wesley, had his win at the RBC Heritage.
“Dad, can you believe I just won this tournament?,” Wesley said. “This means I will be playing at Augusta next spring!” 
There was a lightning quick response from Wesley when asked about his most prevalent thought of his first Masters.
“Thursday morning of the first round, I stood on the tee with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player,” Wesley said. “Watched them hit tee shots, then teed off right behind them. It was incredible!”
In closing this week’s article, 2 ideas - dream and dream big. This is an incredible country and we have incredible opportunity. 
Larry Bosewell, a former coach and teacher at Irmo High School, told me this.
“The fastest way to learn is to watch great players play,” Bosewell said. “Copy them, and that’s how you learn fast.”
The second idea is this, if you don’t have tickets to Augusta,  consider visiting the Big South Women’s Golf conference championship at The Patriot Golf Course in Greenwood. 
I can’t guarantee that you will run into a former Masters champion, but the golf is fun while educational and the course is beautiful. 
LinRick is hosting “The Inaugural Golf Classic” on April 26. For more go to www.richlandcountyrecreation.com <http://www.richlandcountyrecreation.com/> . It’s a 9 am shotgun start with an awards banquet immediately following.
Call Lisa Lewis Hutcherson at 803-741-7272 (Ext. 102) for questions.