And the tournament is underway: here’s the leaderboard. And here is Amen corner live!

“I’m probably not playing well enough to win, but I’m probably good enough to win if someone else doesn’t want to,” said Montgomerie.

“Have you seen how long that thing is? I don’t know where I would ever hit a sand wedge there” Phil Mickelson on Augusta

This will keep you occupied until the Masters begin (via the Head Nut)! Also available as screensaver.

The pairings and tee times for thursday and friday are out.

Tiger Woods will begin his campaign for a fifth Masters title alongside Australia’s Robert Allenby and 2005 US amateur champion Edoardo Molinari.

Two times Masters champion Bernhard Langer will join up with Zach Johnson and Bart Bryant, both qualifying as top 40 players from the 2005 USPGA Tour money list.

In case you plan your next golf round in the saudi-arabian desert or just want to be unnoticed on your home course, these bags might com in handy:

(pictures courtesy of golfhouse.de)

I’d buy one of those, but only if I can get the matching pants or rain gear. Loudmouth Golf Pants or Johan Lindeberg, where are you when I need you most???

XtremeCruiser posted some nice pictures of the Masters Practice Rounds over at golfdiscussions.com. Go check them out!

Update: more pics over at BBC.

Before the season really kicks off after the meltdown of the last snow here in central europe, here’s your chance to check out the newest equipment, (no, not on Mallorca but here in Berlin.)

All members of AFTER-WORK-GOLF.net Berlin and guests are welcome to drop by at Golf House Berlin on Tuesday, April 11th for club testing on the simulator, shopping and some nice golf talk. Beer and Snacks are being catered, so drop by and join us. All the details can be found here, to join openBC and AFTER-WORK-GOLF.net click here.

So here we go with the first major tournament of the year, the US Masters. I won’t start the discussion about the most recent changes on the tournament course, that’s been covered elsewhere to the full extent. Funny detail I read today is that Phil Mickelson will drop his sand wedge for Masters, instead he will go out there with two drivers. Anyway, if he keeps his momentum from last weeks Bell South Classic, he will definitely be a contender for the title.

Check this full list of qualified players to see whom Phil has to beat. Some pictures from last years tournament can be found here, just to set the mood. To follow the action on the internet, you’ll find the following links useful:

• above all, the US Masters official website
• CBS provides broadcasts of the 11th, 12th and 13th holes from http://www.cbssportsline.com. Live coverage will run on April 6 and 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, the webcast will run from 12:30 to 5 pm, and on 1:30 to 6 on Sunday.
• for all german natives, there is the tournament site on golf.de,
• and, do not forget JM and Dans “Live from Augusta” blog.

I’ll be back with more

Phil Mickelson destroyed the field at the Bell South Classic, being only one shot away from the PGA Tour record for a 72 hole event at 260. Veteran Paul Broadhurst wins the Portuguese Open title one shot ahead of Anthony Wall.
The real action though was at the the first LPGA major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship where Karrie Webb held off Lorena Ochoa in playoff. Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis are tied for second. Unfortunately, none of the LPGA tournaments are being broadcast over here, so I have to rely on other enthused watchers and golf bloggers.

Apart from that, it’s Major Week, but I’ll follow up on that later today. Meanwhile, watch this:

Monday, 03. April
15.30 CNN, Living Golf (repeated 19.30)

Wednesday, 05. April
19.20 Eurosport, Wednesday Selection
19.30 Eurosport, US PGA Tour “Bellsouth Classic in Duluth, GA (USA)”
20.30 Eurosport, European Tour “Algarve Open in Penina (POR)”

Saturday, 08. April
18.30 n-tv, Abschlag – Golf bei n-tv

Sunday, 09. April
18.30 n-tv, Abschlag – Golf bei n-tv

Premiere subscribers check the extended list on golferlink.de.

Somebody needs to readjust those red poles!

(GC Pankow today, where I played the first round of the year with my wife)