1973 Masters champion Tommy Aaron watches his tee shot on No. 7. (Ron Cockerille/Augusta Chronicle)
Aaron not concerned with final score
Web posted 04/09/00
``I sure am getting a lot of attention for someone who shot in the 80s the last two rounds,'' said Aaron, who shot 86-81 on the weekend after shooting 72-74 to make the cut. ``It was a thrill to make the cut. I hadn't made the cut in a long time (since 1992). It was disappointing in the last two rounds, but..."
Aaron reminisced about being in the headlines again. This is where the Gainesville, Ga., native became famous when he won in 1973. It was by far the biggest highlight of a career where he won only two other professional events - the 1970 Atlanta Classic on the PGA Tour and the 1992 Kaanapali Classic on the Senior PGA Tour.
While playing with noncompeting marker John Harris in Sunday's first pairing, Aaron went through his Masters past. The most humorous memory occurred in 1987, when he lost a ball in Ike's Tree on the par-4 17th.
``I told John about that, and he couldn't believe it,'' Aaron said. ``The ball hit the top of the tree and pollen went everywhere; I think the ball stayed up in the tree. The next day I was walking by and a ball drops down, I walk over and pick it up. It was my ball.''
Aaron enjoyed staying for a week here with his wife, Jimmye, his brother and sister-in-law, and instructor Manuel de la Torre, the retired head pro at Milwaukee Country Club, who also serves as Aaron's teacher.
``I was a terrible student the past two days,'' Aaron said. ``I didn't do anything he told me to do. He tells me what to do, but I'm too dumb to do it, I guess.''
But nothing could ruin his place in the record book.
``When I came here my goal was to make the cut,'' Aaron said. ``I may not make another cut. I may look back on it in pretty nice terms.
``I thought this might be the last year because most of my rounds until this year had been pretty high (seven straight rounds of 76 or worse until this year). But now I'll probably be back next year.''
