So, I got thinking about Phil Mickelson and his runs at the Masters. It’s kinda wild when you look back. I remember wanting to really follow his scores closely one year, like, hole by hole.
I tried keeping track myself. Got a notepad out, sat in front of the TV. You know how it is, coverage jumps around, sometimes you miss a shot or they don’t update the graphic fast enough. It wasn’t as easy as just looking it up later, I wanted that live feel, the ups and downs as they happened.
My Process Back Then
Honestly, it was a bit messy. I’d jot down a par here, a bogey there. Sometimes I’d get distracted, make dinner, come back and be like, “Wait, what happened on 13?”. Then I’d have to rely on the commentators catching me up. It wasn’t exactly scientific record-keeping, more like me just trying to stay plugged in.
- Tuning In: Made sure I was home, TV on, volume up.
- Note Taking: Scribbled numbers, maybe a quick note like “great shot on 16!” or “ugh, water on 12”.
- Checking Updates: Constantly looking at the on-screen leaderboard, trying to match it with my notes.
- Giving Up Sometimes: Let’s be real, sometimes life gets in the way, or maybe he had a rough round and it was just painful to watch that closely.
Watching Phil Over the Years
Following his scores wasn’t just about the numbers, though. It was about watching him. That attacking style, especially at Augusta. You always felt like anything could happen, good or bad. He’d pull off some shot that made you jump off the couch, or sometimes try something crazy that didn’t pan out. That’s what made it fun to follow, even when my score tracking was sloppy.
I remember those wins, of course. Felt like a big deal each time. But I also remember the years he wasn’t really in contention. Still, you’d watch, hoping he’d string a few birdies together. It’s kind of like my own golf game, mostly frustrating but with those one or two shots that keep you coming back. You just keep showing up, right?
It’s funny, trying to keep detailed scores myself didn’t really stick. Too much effort, and the broadcast does it anyway. But the experience of following along, feeling the momentum shifts, that’s what I actually remember more than the specific numbers on a scorecard from some random year. It became more about just watching the story unfold each April.
