Not all golfers have heartless souls, or are entirely self-centred. Kirk Triplett, for one, raises awareness for adoption programmes in the United States by using a specially designed golf bag featuring information about a different foster child from the 20 cities where he is playing a tournament on the US Tour this year.
This week, the faces of 13-year-old Crystal and her 12-year-old brother Preston - both from the Augusta area and looking to be adopted - smile out to the crowd behind the ropes. "There's a lot of causes out there, but I can't think of any one more basic than this," explained Triplett.
Triplett's "Tour Fore Adoption" programme began as a personal one for him and his wife, Caithi. "It's a cause that is close to our hearts because we have two adopted children, both of them born under difficult circumstances." After struggling to have children, the Tripletts looked into adoption procedures before giving birth to twin boys - Conor and Sam - in 1996, but they still went ahead with adopting a girl, Alexis, now four, and a boy, Kobe, now two.
American domination
seems to be on the wane
The days of Americans dominating the US Masters are long gone, it would seem. When Mike Weir, of Canada, won the title last year, he was one of four non-US players to finish in the top-10 - along with Ernie Els (South Africa), Vijay Singh (Fiji) and Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) - and the previous year no fewer than nine of the top-10 finishers were from outside the United States.
The last time at least one non-US player did not finish in the top-10 at the Masters was 1979, when the best finish was by Seve Ballesteros who finished tied-12th.
The finer points of
cutting the grass
Ever wonder about the finer greenkeeping points of Augusta? Well, the fairways are mowed at three-eighths of an inch, the second cut at an inch and three-eighths, the tees at five-16ths of an inch, the collars at a quarter and the greens at an eighth of an inch. So, now you know!
Scott named European
Tour Golfer of Month
Not unpredictably, Adam Scott has been named as the European Tour Golfer of the Month for March following on from his win in the Players' Championship at Sawgrass. A four-time winner on the European Tour, Scott - who was claiming his second title on the US Tour - was the unanimous choice of the voting panel, who also considered Padraig Harrington (runner-up to Scott) and Colin Montgomerie, who claimed his 28th title on the European Tour with his win in the Singapore Masters. Winners already in 2004 include Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain (January) and Ernie Els of South Africa (February).
Augusta change direction
for sudden death play-off
There will be a new-look play-off in the Masters this Sunday if two or more players tie. For the first time, sudden death will start on the 465-yard 18th rather than the 495-yard 10th, which is where Mike Weir beat Len Mattiace last year.
"We just thought it was best," said Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson in revealing the change yesterday. It means that fans gathered around the 18th for the conclusion of the final round can keep their positions. If the first extra hole does not settle things, the players involved will then play the 10th, then the 18th again, and so on.
Play-offs at Augusta used to be over 18 holes - the last of them when Billy Casper beat Gene Littler in 1970 - and now it is the only one of the four Majors to have sudden death. The US Open retains its 18-hole play-off the following day, while The Open and US PGA now have three- or four-hole play-offs.
