I think Saturday is probably the toughest ticket, at least in my experience. Nobody I know really wants to be there on Sunday, since you miss the majority of the golf. You can walk into any house in Augusta on Sunday morning and have your pick of badges sitting on the mantle.
Practice rounds are much easier to come by (just hop on ebay or masters.org). The lottery is open to the general public, and they sell a whole heck of a lot more tickets for Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.
It’s easy to get a tee time at one, and almost impossible to get one at the other. Add to that the fact that more golfers would kill to play the National that St. Andrews, and I think that has something to do with the prestige of the place.
Damn if Phil doesn’t look like the guy making a decision with the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.
What tournament was it a month or so back where after a player teed off someone in the gallery screamed this; “Get in the water”? Boy, the announcers crucified his boorish behavior. Can’t say I blame 'em. Pure D asshole.
You have to enter a raffle to play a round on the Old Course. It’s easy to get a tee time at the other courses.
It’s still easy to get on. Plenty of companies will offer a package with a guaranteed tee time.
I didn’t know that, but I’d be interested to know how you back up the assertion that more golfers would kill to play Augusta.
Fine. I don’t really care to argue about something that can obviously not be definitively proven. Take an informal poll if you’d like. Amongst the golfers I know, the answer you’d receive would be rather loud laughter.
. . . or ask any pro, even a Brit, which tournament he’d rather win. Maybe someone would say one of the Opens (I doubt it , but maybe). Still, Im think consensus would be the Masters.
While I much rather visit the UK than Georgia, I would still much rather have the opportunity to play Augusta than St. Andrews.
That’s what makes the Masters more prestigious than the Open, though it pains me to say it. The Masters is at the same course every year. I love the Open, but the Masters is more prestigious (and has a smaller field, I think). There is something about watching it, knowing each hole, waiting for Amen Corner to trip up the new upstart who has taken a lead on Thursday afternoon.
And the weather is one hell of a lot nicer.
Well, no argument there.
I hold somewhat inconsistent thoughts on this. On one hand, I think it silly that the pros act as tho they need perfect silence - undisturbed by even a camera click - for every shot. Try that in baseball!
I’d love it if Mick were knocking his knees over a 5 footer on the back 9 on Sunday, and the crowd were calling out “Noonan! Miss it!” 
Heckling would be FUN!
OTOH - I think shouting “You da man/Get in the hole” outta be grounds for justifiable shooting. Hell, the nose-in-the-air tourneys see fit to ban everything from coolers to cell phones. Don’t see any reason they couldn’t similarly ban YDM/GITH. Write the prohibition on the tickets, post it at the entrances, and bounce the first few guys you hear scream it.
This happens at every tournament and it is getting more and more prevalent and it drives me crazy. If it were me I would have those people kicked off the course.
I noticed that the sound was much more noticeable this year. I don’t know if it is because I watched it in high def or if they changed the mics. I could hear the player and caddy talking, could hear the officials in the background, the police sirens and I swear I did hear someone yell “noonan.”
(where does “noonan” come from anyway?)
The main character in Caddyshack, Danny Noonan.
I, for one, have always been a John Daly fan and I agree completely with the OP. In fact, I think I started or posted to a thread on this very same topic a couple/few years ago.
World Golf Championships-CA Championship Doral, Florida.
Said to Phil Mickelson on his final tee shot at the 18th on Sunday, March 15. Phil won. I do not believe action was taken against the spectator, who should have had his tongue removed on the spot.
The Pedant has minimal skills, but among them is watching golf when he’s not playing.
If I may weigh in on the Masters v Open debate:
All “which is more x” debates are necessarily opinion. I have seen casual polls in my golf magazines in which Augusta National readily outscores St Andrews as the course at the top of a wish list of courses to play. Augusta is a much prettier course, more exactly groomed and maintained, and much much more exclusive. All of these factors (plus, perhaps, the location of the respondees) weigh into that preference.
Pine Valley and Cypress Point are sometimes both ranked above St Andrews and Augusta National, but such rankings mean little. There are many courses more gorgeous, more interesting, more creative, more difficult–whatever criterion you want–than “officially” ranked courses. I personally think St Andrews is kind of seedy, but that does not diminish its desirability for me as a golfer.
For pure prestige, though, I don’t think the Open is second to the Masters. It’s the original and the most historic. And the Open at St Andrews scores a double prestige value.
For the professionals themselves, it’s very much a personal preference.
If I could only ever win one championship, it would be the Open at St Andrews.
Finally, to the points made about baseball players playing with noise. The problem is that golf is played in dead silence. Any noise creates a tiny distraction which, when processed, can affect the swing. If golf had a tradition of screaming fans, the background would be consistent enough (like other sports) to not distract. But of course along with those screaming minions would come the habit of urinating on fellow spectators, and I would be disappointed indeed to see golf come to that.
I wonder what first attracted her to multi-millionaire Phil?
Hmmm. Gives a whole new meaning to “Get in the hole!”.
Bingo. You’re exactly right. Thanks.
Funny how golfers seem to notice distractons after making poor shots, more frequently than good ones!
I’m sure you’ve played with golfers who get bent out of shape over every distraction. Other guys, you cogh or rattle a club during their backswing, and when you apologize they say, “I didn’t notice it.” Similar to the guys in pick-up b-ball games who never mis a shot without having been fouled.
If a hoopster can concentrate sufficiently sink a freethrow with the fans behind the basket going nuts, a pro golfer should be able to make a shot over a camera click.