The dilemma of the 9 hole, par 3 course

GOLF: The world's best golfers are in position for the most exciting championship of 2007.

Mental monsters (superstitions and myths) abound. Everyone in the field is competitive, each one wants to win everything in sight. Yet, anyone who has won the Par 3 Championship has not won the Masters in that same year. Therefore, to win or not to win, that is the question. Padraig Harrington from Ireland says he is going to buck the trend and try and win both. As I have a picture taken with him under the Big Oak, he tells me about the talent and character of Jeev Milkha Singh on the golf course. Jeev had bested him at Valderama in the Volvo Masters, by virtue of which he had qualified for the Masters at Augusta. "He's a verrry good player," he says.

Anyhow, everybody else treats it like the festival it is, with Mickelson and so many other players having their very young children caddy for them. These children are specially kitted out in caddy uniforms identical to the white working uniforms that all player's caddies wear.

As I watch, David Toms scores a hole in one on the 5th. Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam (he of the accidental 15 clubs in his bag at the British Open) as past winners receive a lifetime exemption from qualifying for the Masters. Gary Player is playing in his 50th Masters but is still a draw owing to his terrific competitiveness.

And now, within touching distance, come a threesome with 13 Masters titles, virtually 20 per cent of the total, between them (Nicklaus six, Palmer four, Player three). Today being the last day when anyone other than an authorised photographer can take pictures, I get some great close-ups of them. They each get a par on the testing 6th hole and are wafted along on the standing ovations received from an adoring gallery, celebrating their past greatness.

Mickelson narrowly misses a birdie as a great roar goes up; he wears the smile of a defending champion, fully expecting to retain his crown. He stops within inches of me, signing autographs for all and sundry, very graciously indeed (not all players do). As he passes by, a murmur starts that Tiger is coming up next and all eyes are fixed on the distant player on the tee.

As he approaches, we recognise Michael Campbell and, while the audience welcomes him with applause, they are clearly disappointed. It is not mandatory to play this friendly tournament and Tiger has not played the last two years, possibly because it might lead to the consequential/predictable result of his not winning the main event beginning tomorrow.

You may be able to sense that the atmosphere is electric, joyous and actually bordering on the reverential as these icons of this greatest game on earth (well, some might disagree!) can be touched, and talked with. Some will say that watching it on television is better because you get to see many different players at the top of the leader board easily as the coverage is designed for that.

I cannot agree because what one cannot create on the tube is the suspense, the drama, the smells, the sounds, the delight of the extraordinary atmosphere that the players, the spectators and the forces of nature are somehow concocting, not knowing what the result will be.

With the occasional threat of rain, the sun often comes through a reluctant cloud cover timorously, flooding the rolling plains of the Augusta National Golf Club in an ethereal light.

Mark O'Meara, Tiger's great friend and the 1998 Masters winner, has just won the aaapar 3 championship at 5 under. He is not worried about the jinx because, as he said to Gary Player (I was standing by to try to talk with Gary, mainly because he has signed up with K P Singh/Rajiv Singh of DLF to build yet another championship golf course adjacent to the present Arnold Palmer designed facility), this is now a big boys course, those who hit it mighty long. I believe he is not entirely right; there are more shots played/lost on and around the greens and he has just proved he is a master of that game.

The day is winding down; the crowds are wending their way out, the players are still putting in their last minute practice prior to the next day's start; the yellow brigade (cleaning crew) are out picking up real and imaginary litter from the course; the elevated TV camera gantries are being rolled into place to bring the action directly to you; the course mower corp, literally like an armoured brigade with their giant mowers, are with their engines roaring, mowing the fairways down to 3/8th of an inch, the first cut to 1 3/8th of an inch, the tees at 6/16th inch, the collars at 1/4th inch and the killer greens at 1/8th inch, all subject to the weather!

Tomorrow is another day, the beginning of the most exciting golf championship of 2007. Let all the gladiators sleep sweetly, the better to face tomorrow's battle.