Augusta man attending 70th straight tournament
[ad_1]
There could possibly be patrons who have a for a longer period active streak of attending the Masters Tournament than Augusta’s Dan LaSure Sr., but’s he’s under no circumstances heard of them.
Throwing out the COVID-19 Masters in 2020, when no outdoors enthusiasts had been permitted, this is LaSure’s 70th consecutive Masters. He was even here in 2021, when attendance was confined mainly because of the pandemic.
“I went more than 50 many years with out missing a working day (of tournament perform),” LaSure explained on Friday at Augusta Countrywide Golf Club. “Sometimes I’d arrive seven straight times. I just like the put. It’s like becoming in heaven.”
LaSure, who will be 89 in June, attended his initial Masters in 1952, which was gained by Sam Snead. Back again then, a badge was $10 and involved the exercise rounds, match rounds, parking and a plan. A four-day match sequence badge is $375 this year.
To place it in historical context, when LaSure commenced attending the Masters, it was not televised, none of the 3 bridges (the Hogan on No. 12, the Nelson on No. 13 and the Sarazen on No. 15) had been committed and the Par 3 Training course did not exist.
In 1952, the exact same 12 months of LaSure’s to start with Masters, the Champions Dinner begun. The next calendar year he watched Ben Hogan win his second Masters.
“It indicates pretty a bit to me,” LaSuresaid. “It’s like the starting of spring. If you play golf, you simply cannot wait to get right here.”
On Friday, LaSure was at the program with his oldest son, Danny, who is 60 and lives in Asheville, N.C. The spry LaSure nonetheless walks the study course.
“He’s tough to maintain up with,” Danny mentioned. “We adore No. 13, 16 and especially Amen Corner. It is entertaining to get to share this with him. I appreciate just currently being with him. I discover one thing from him every single 12 months.”
LaSure Sr. is currently considering about the 2024 Masters, when he will be 90.
“I’ll preserve coming back again as extended as I can amble all over here,” he explained. “I will confess the hills have gotten increased.”
LaSure Sr. was 18 a long time old, attending Richmond Academy and functioning at Cullums on Wide Road in Augusta when the clothes retailer opened a small booth at Augusta National for the Masters in 1952. He assisted out in the booth, liked what he saw and has occur back again every year considering the fact that.
For 25 many years, he labored the scoreboard adjacent to the 13th green, overlooking the 14th tee.
“It’s such a superb gap,” LaSure stated.
He saw some of the finest shots in match history, but it is a doubtful one that he remembers the greatest. He was the a single who posted an update to the score of Tsuneyuki “Tommy” Nakajima when he produced 13 on the gap in 1978. It nevertheless stands as the optimum rating on that gap.
He later on labored the scoreboard to the left of the par-3 sixth hole.
The two best pictures throughout LaSure’s time at the Masters, he says, ended up Tiger Woods’ chip-in on the 16th hole on the way to victory in 2005 and Bubba’s Watson escape from the proper woods on No. 10 to acquire a sudden-demise playoff in 2012.
Like so a lot of, LaSure is a Woods enthusiast and has obtained even much more respect for the way he’s battled back from a automobile incident 14 months in the past to engage in this 7 days.
“His taking part in in the tournament this week is remarkable to me. He’s the gentleman. Most people enjoys him,” LaSure mentioned.
He picks the 1987 Masters as his preferred since it was the only one gained by an Augusta indigenous.
“I was serious glad when Larry Mize gained,” he reported.
He regrets not preserving all his scorer’s and sequence badges.
“I did not commence preserving them till real late,” he claimed, “due to the fact I did not think significantly about the actuality that they would be one thing I ought to have saved.”
[ad_2]
Supply hyperlink