"On Our Mind" Golf Blog by Brandon Underwood

It's finally here; golf's first major championship. Every year the masses flock to Augusta National to take part in a somewhat religious experience as they cascade through the gates on Washington Road to witness one of the greateast spectacles in all of sport. Here are some interesting things of note to watch for as this year's tournament begins.

This morning while skimming through the golf articles of the day, I came across an article that offended me and couldn’t have been more incredibly wrong.

The article’s title: Sage Valley a better play than Augusta National.

It’s Masters Week so this type of buffoonery is expected just to drudge up some readers. I won’t bore you with Augusta’s history, being the most exclusive golf club on the planet and everything, I’m sure an introduction isn’t necessary. Aren’t they hosting some type of event this April?

In 2004 K.J. Choi held the lead at the Masters after his first 27 holes before a string of birdies ultimately derailed his dream of winning golf’s most prestigious Major championship. In the end Phil Mickelson won his first Green Jacket, and shed the title of best golfer to have never won a major. Choi finished third, three shots behind Mickelson.

Now as the 2008 edition of the Masters approaches, Choi is making a case for the title of top player to have never claimed victory in a Major, along with the likes of Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose.
 
Before Choi takes his best shot at Augusta National, he’ll take aim at the Shell Houston Open which is taking place this week just outside of the city he now calls home.

What arrives in Las Vegas immediately hops on an outbound flight headed for Houston, drives 370 miles to New Orleans and tees off an hour after pulling into the parking lot wearing rain pants, a souvenir golf shirt and rocking a set of rental clubs.

I can't imagine this new slogan catching on with the agencies in charge of marketing Sin City as an international tourist destination.

For Alex Cejka, this was how he spent the hours between Saturday and Sunday's rounds of the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.

Tiger Woods is the man.

He could beat God in match-play and probably wouldn't need every hole to do so. If he happens to hit a wayward drive into a water hazard, have no fear he'll simply walk on water to retrieve his ball. Well you get the point; the man is worshiped and rightfully so. He is the single most spectacular athlete of our time and perhaps the most captivating of all-time.

But does Tiger deserve a free pass on a blatantly offensive remark he made at the recently concluded CA Championship at Doral as much as Kelly Tilghman deserved to be drug through the mud for a blatantly offensive mark she made about him.

Wisconsin lost its favorite adopted son in Brett Favre but the state may have surpassed its own expectations of being home to two of golf’s most spectacular layouts; both universally believed to be headed for greatness.

While Pete Dye’s Whistling Straits will celebrate its 10th anniversary this coming July, nearby Erin Hills is just beginning its journey that may end with the course hosting a U.S. Open.

The Straits course opened on July 7, 1998  and received critical acclaim much like Erin Hills has shortly thereafter. The daily-fee golf facility located along Michigan’s western shore approximately 60 miles north of Milwaukee, quickly caught the attention of the PGA of America, landing the 2004 PGA Championship and the 2007 U.S. Senior Open.

For those who have been to Augusta National or just love watching on television and listening to the soothing sounds of Jim Nantz and the easily recognizable theme music that accompanies the Masters broadcasts, the event generates special feelings. Now there is evidence to support what we’ve already assumed.

According to a Turnkey Sports Poll in January of 800 senior-level sports industry executives, The Masters was voted the most prestigious event, getting 41.8 percent of the vote, compared with 34.8 percent for the Super Bowl. The World Series (6.2 percent) was a distant third. The poll was published at the beginning of 2008 in the Sports Business Journal.

Unpredictable outcomes have become the norm in 21st century sports. With that said, this weekend was one of the most surprising in recent memory.

The University of Georgia made a historic run in the SEC Tournament and wound up playing their way into the NCAA field after winning three games in the final two days of the tournament. The format had to be altered because of a tornado that hit the Atlanta area on Friday night and cause structural damage to the Georgia Dome.

In the South, or at least in my mind, St. Patrick's Day serves as the unofficial start of spring. So let's break out some seersucker and a new sleeve of golf balls and hit the road. Here are 10 destinations you should consider if you're planning on taking a trip in the new few months.