As the world's best golfers battle for the Green Jacket at Augusta this weekend, it's been 75 years since the 1946 tournament. In 1942, Byron Nelson won his second Masters. Because of World War II, there was no tournament from 1943-1945. Nelson had a blood disorder that kept him from serving in the military but he traveled the country putting on golf exhibitions to raise money for several charities to help military families. In 1945, Nelson won 18 of the 30 PGA events played, including 11 in a row.
In 1946, the Masters returned and Herman Keiser earned his only major title with an upset win over Ben Hogan. Keiser, who served in the US Navy during the war, beat Hogan by a single stroke and earned $2,500 for the win. Keiser went on to win two more times that year on the tour. Hogan, who served in the Army during the war, would go on to win two green jackets in 1951 and 1953.
And now the notes(Larry King style):
Speaking of the Masters, you can buy an egg salad sandwich and pimento cheese sandwich for $1.50 each or you can splurge and get the new chicken salad sandwich for $2.50. Who says the 1950s no longer exist?...If I had one of those green jackets, I'd wear it every Sunday at my golf club and start a conversation...Still getting used to this MLB extra inning rule again where we start the 10th inning with a runner at second base. I keep thinking I missed a double...Is Steve Kerr still a great coach? He has Steph Curry and Draymond Green, two hall-of-famers, and they are below .500...If you don't love the cheesy crust on the outside of the bowl when you get french onion soup we can't be friends...The NFL Draft has become the biggest non-game event in all of sports. The coverage of the draft has now become a four-month process. I remember when NFL teams went to the Marriott Marquis in New York and sat at tables with helmet phones and made picks...Keep an eye on Medina Spirit at the Kentucky Derby. The Bob Baffert trained horse ran second in the Santa Anita Derby. You gotta love any Bob Baffert horse at Churchill Downs...I love watching the A's play an afternoon game at home. I don't know why but it looks pure...How did the Bucs bring back all 22 starters from the Super Bowl team? I thought that stuff was impossible...Do kids still jump rope? Play hopscotch?...All these professional poker players on TV, if all of them are rich doesn't someone playing have to be really bad?...Steve Nash, Nets coach, looks like he could still get 12 assists today...Any time I hear a Frank Sinatra song, I listen...Topps is going public. Then Michael Eisner, who runs the company, said they are moving more towards digital cards. That makes me sad. Buying a pack of baseball cards and then flipping and trading with friends is something every kid should learn...I can't name a single Pittsburgh Pirate starting pitching...Speaking of the Pirates, Dave Parker was on the radio show talking about his new book "Cobra". Any guy who used a sledgehammer instead of a bat in the on-deck circle is a good guy to me...
Final thought: There are 480 million goldfish sold every year.
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