Golf: Palmer hopes to emulate a real Master

Arnold Palmer will play only a ceremonial role at this week's United States Masters, but another Palmer, with a New Zealand connection, is playing the historic event for the first time.

Twenty-eight-year-old Ryan Palmer from Hurst, Texas, qualified for his first Masters by finishing 37th on last year's US PGA money list. He is unrelated to Arnold, who played his record 50th Masters last year and has now bowed out of competitive play at Augusta.

Kiwis will remember Ryan Palmer for his victory in the Clearwater Classic at Christchurch in 2003 when he was making only his second appearance on the second-level Nationwide tour.

He fired a nine-under 63 in the second round to pave the way for his victory at the Clearwater Resort course. It was the start of an impressive season during which he made the cut in 18 of 24 appearances on the Nationwide Tour and enjoyed six top-10 and 10 top-25 finishes.

He finished the season sixth on the final money list with US$286,066 ($402,000), guaranteeing himself a place for 2004 on the full US PGA tour.

The rookie posted his first tournament title on the PGA tour in just his 34th career start at the Funai Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort. He was five strokes back through 54 holes but closed with a career-best 62 to win by three.

The younger Palmer had not visited Augusta National until this winter. He had seen it on television hundreds of times, but he confesses that TV doesn't prepare a player for what he encounters first-hand.

"Television just doesn't do it justice," he told the US PGA website.

"The look of it is amazing.

"The golf course is so much harder, there's more slope to it everywhere. The greens are unbelievable.

"You know you've earned the trip here, but it's an overwhelming feeling when you finally stand on that tee and play the course," he said.

"You just have to tell yourself to stop thinking about where you are and get ready to play the tournament."

Waikato Golf completed the amalgamation of its men's and women's administration at a special meeting last week when members of the new board were appointed.

Golf committees to organise the various inter-club and inter-district competitions for men's and women's golf were also elected.

Members of the new board are John Gillespie (Matamata), Peg Murphy (Stewart Alexander) and Graham Stevenson (Waikare).

North Harbour was established as a unisex association and several others will amalgamate. The national bodies will also merge.

Masters aces

Not only the winners can take something special away from the US Masters. Holes in one on the Augusta course are certainly worth bragging about.

The official roll of honour for aces is:

At the fourth: Jeff Sluman, 1992 (4-iron, 194m)

The sixth: Leland Gibson, 1954; Billy Joe Patton, 1954 (5-iron, 173m); Charles Coody, 1972 (5-iron, 173m); Chris DiMarco, 2004 (5-iron, 165m).

The twelfth: Claude Harmon, 1947 (7-iron, 141m); William Hyndman, 1959; Curtis Strange, 1988 (7-iron, 141m).

The sixteenth: Ross Somerville, 1934 (mashie niblick, 133m); Willie Goggin, 1935 (spade mashie, 133m); Ray Billows, 1940 (8-iron, 133m); John Dawson, 1949 (4-iron, 174m); Clive Clark, 1968 (2-iron, 174m); Corey Pavin, 1992 (8-iron, 128m); Raymond Floyd, 1996 (5-iron, 166m); Padraig Harrington, 2004 (7-iron, 155m); Kirk Triplett, 2004 (6-iron, 155m).