Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

Masters Memories Alma resident Randy Lewis always looks forward to this ƟŵĞ ŽĨ ƐƉƌŝŶŐ͘ His wife, Melanie, decorates the family room almost as if it’s Christmas season. But ŝŶƐƚĞĂĚ ŽĨ ůŝŐŚƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƟŶƐĞů͕ ƚŚĞ ĚĞĐŽƌĂƟŽŶƐ ĂƌĞ Ă ĐŽůůĞĐƟŽŶ of Masters’ tournament memorabilia from when Randy was invited to play at Augusta EĂƟŽŶĂů ŝŶ ϮϬϭϮ ĂŌĞƌ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ h͘^͘ DŝĚͲ ŵĂƚĞƵƌ ƚŚĞ summer before at the then age ŽĨ ϱϰ͘ That 2012 trek to Georgia made Lewis the oldest known rookie to have ever played in ƚŚĞ DĂƐƚĞƌƐ͕ ϭϲ LJĞĂƌƐ ĂŌĞƌ Lewis had narrowly missed out ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ h^' ƟƚůĞ ĂŶĚ DĂƐƚĞƌƐ͛ ŝŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵŝĚͲ 1990s. “It’s a cool feeling,” Lewis ƐĂŝĚ ĂďŽƵƚ Ăůů ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ŵĞŵŽƌŝĞƐ ŇŽŽĚŝŶŐ ďĂĐŬ ŶŽǁ each April, “because I sat there Ăůů ƚŚŽƐĞ LJĞĂƌƐ ĂŌĞƌ ůŽƐŝŶŐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ DŝĚͲ ŵ ĮŶĂů ŝŶ ͛ϵϲ͕ ǁŝƚŚ this sick feeling in my stomach ĞǀĞƌLJ ƟŵĞ ƚŚĞ DĂƐƚĞƌƐ ǁŽƵůĚ come on TV. Even though I was excited to watch it, I kept thinking, wow, how nice would that have been to have ǁŽŶ ;ƚŚĞ DŝĚͲ ŵ ďĞĨŽƌĞͿ ĂŶĚ played at Augusta.“ ͞^Ž͕ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ƉƌĞƩLJ ŶŝĐĞ ŶŽǁ ƚŽ know I have been there and done it. So that makes it all really cool. I always think ĂďŽƵƚ ŝƚ ĨƌŽŵ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ƟŵĞ͕ ďƵƚ ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJ ƚŚŝƐ ƟŵĞ ŽĨ LJĞĂƌ͘͟ dŚĞ Ɖƌŝů ŚŽƵƐĞ ĚĞĐŽƌĂƟŽŶƐ include a crystal trophy Lewis earned during the Par 3 Challenge at Augusta, when he was closest to the pin at ŚŽůĞ EŽ͘ ϲ͕ ŵŝƐƐŝŶŐ Ă ŚŽůĞͲŝŶͲ one by 3 inches. Other items include framed newspaper clippings, Masters’ badges from family members, some ƟĐŬĞƚ ƐƚƵďƐ ĂŶĚ Ă DĂƐƚĞƌƐ͛ ƉŝŶ ŇĂŐ͘ ƵŐƵƐƚĂ EĂƟŽŶĂů ĂůƐŽ sent a Bird’s Eye Maple jewelry ďŽdž ĂŶĚ Ă ůĞĂƚŚĞƌͲďŽƵŶĚ ďŽŽŬ that the club designed and ĚĞůŝǀĞƌĞĚ ĮůůĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƉŚŽƚŽƐ ƚŽ recount the experience forever. LIKE CHRISTMAS IN APRIL By Tom Lang ZĂŶĚLJ >ĞǁŝƐ ƉůĂLJĞĚ Ă ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ƌŽƵŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŚŝƐ ŝĚŽů͕ dŽŵ tĂƚƐŽŶ͘