Golfer Grace Charis In A Masters Green Jacket , Greg Norman Bought His Own Ticket & Buy Mike Gundy's House
They say to never meet your Internet heroes, but my interaction with John Daly couldn't have gone any better
If you want the Masters experience review, go to Thursday Screencaps where I walk you through our experience with Tiger Woods.
Today is all about John Daly.
I won't make this long-winded after yesterday's novel. Let's get right into this.
On Monday, we stopped at Hooters for some wings and beer and for Canoe Kirk to get John Daly autographs on photos of our text group dressed in Hooters uniforms for a golf scramble. Canoe Kirk came back to the table a little dejected because Big John was in business mode. He was moving bodies through the line. He wasn't in Internet John Daly mode.
Tuesday, after The Masters, we went back for more beers and our big night. While sitting there having beers, I noticed a guy had a pack of Marlboros that Daly had autographed, and I immediately remembered back to the John Daly starter pack that I had featured in Screencaps.
I started looking for places to buy smokes. Publix was two minutes down the road. We go get smokes – it was the first time in my life I'd purchased a pack of cigs – and a pack of peanut M&Ms for Daly to sign with about a half-hour before his scheduled time at Hooters was to end.
Now, it's time to do a business deal. Canoe Kirk told me that Big John likes for you to buy something off his table. Then he'll autograph anything you'd like.
We walk in and a guy greets us. Small talk ensues and the guy asks us where we're from. Kirk says he's from Michigan, near Toledo. The guy stops us in our tracks and says he's from our area. It turns out John Daly's best friend went to high school with our buddies.
We're IN!
Conversations are flying across the table. Eventually, Big John gets into the mix and hears we're from Toledo, which leads to JD talking about how his buddy insists on taking him to Lebanese restaurants, which leads to the news that the buddy took JD to Poco Piatti, a Lebanese restaurant down the road from my house.
I ask why they didn't go to Beirut, a Toledo institution.
"It's closed on Monday!" Daly insists.
It's closed on Sunday, but JD remembered the restaurant being closed when his buddy Jason tried to take him, which is impressive to even remember his trip to NW Ohio back in January.
JD's wife interjects and says how she hates Poco Piatti because she's from Tarpon Springs, Florida and knows true Greek/Mediterranean flavors.
Meanwhile, Daly takes the jumbo pack of peanut M&Ms, dumps half the pack into his mouth, gives his wife a couple and then tells me to open up because he's not signing the pack until it's empty.
Daly proceeds to dump half the pack into my mouth, I try to say something with my mouth full of peanut M&Ms and JD mocks me in a fun way with a bunch of mumbles, everyone laughs and his buddy says, "You can't put M&Ms in front of him and not expect him to eat them. Those are his favorites."
Laughs all around.
Daly signs the Marlboros. I buy a Grip It & Rip It towel. JD signs it.
Everyone is having a great time. Photos are taken and JD Experience turns into a huge success.
I'm not lying when I say The Masters trip couldn't have gone any better.
The power of Screencaps at The Masters – a chance encounter with Anonymous Masters Employee
Read this!
The last email I expected to get this week was one where a reader actually interacted with Anonymous Masters Employee
• Dan in Wisconsin writes:
[Wednesday] I had an encounter at the Masters that you should be aware of; I have been fortunate, more like blessed, to attend the Masters 7 times, but yesterday was the first time in 11 years. I was there with my twin sons and their friend.
Around 4pm, adjacent to the Par 3 Course ***th tee, our group stopped to watch Dustin Johnson and his group tee off the ***th hole. Standing at the ropes, to my left is a gentleman dressed in the standard Master employee gear. We make a small conversation about who is not caddying for DJ, and an off-color joke about what she could be doing. At that time my son asks the "employee" what he does. See exchange below:
"Employee": I pour beer. I have tried for many years to get tickets through the lottery but failed so I decided to apply for a job.
Me: My brain lights up.
Me: "Is this your second year of pouring beer?"
"Employee": Yes (But I could tell he perked up that I would ask that specific question.)
Me: "OMG, I know you!" He reacts like how.
Me: "Do you have communications with someone named Joe K?"
"Employee": Maybe, why are you asking?
Me: "You are Masters Anonymous!"
"Employee": Yes, you (meaning me) are the only person that knows that except for my nephew".
We then have a conversation about your visit on Tuesday with Canoe Kirk, your request for information about the Masters (both of us still think Wednesday would have been a better day than Tuesday), and various other Screencap topics.
Then "Employee", I think to test my street cred asks - so what night do you mow? I say Thursday night - TNML! Zero turn? No, Toro Self Propel Mulcher. Do you have a TNML T-Shirt? No, I live next to woods with ticks so I have to wear tick treated long sleeve clothes.
We then discuss letting you know what happened. I said I would email you and refer to him by his proper name initials.
Joe, long email, sorry; But after coming home I wanted to send this email. I do not want to jeopardize [Anonymous'] employment, and your source of insider Master intel. While I know who your source is, you have my word that I will never share *********** name.
Joe, you have created Screencap Nation, think about this - A random guy from Wisconsin stands next to a random guy at the Masters (from Mississippi) where there are 40,000+ people, they start a conversation and then one of them figures out the other is a Screencap insider! How does that happen without you! What are the odds of that happening?
Joe, in staying with the theme of the week, in all sincerity, you have created a wonderful, far reaching column, that is creating "a tradition unlike any other"!
Kinsey:
I confirmed this story with Anonymous. It's real and it's amazing. Like our experience meeting John Daly's buddy at Hooters and learning he knows our friends, Dan started talking and happened to meet the Anonymous Masters Employee.
It's a reminder to converse with people and learn their stories. You never know what they'll share.
Here's another example from our trip. I get into the golf cart with Wes G. during our round on Monday. Small talk ensues. Wes G. says he has a cousin that actually lives in my town. Says he's an insurance agent.
Before he could even get the name out of his mouth, I knew it was the State Farm agent in town.
"Do you know a Barry VanHoozen?" Wes G. says.
Not personally, but he was my State Farm agent for years!
It's a small world.
That's my man Wes G. front and center at Applewood on Monday. The guy is a character. If you're ever traveling through Augusta and need a golf partner, Wes G. is a guy you want to join up. Just send me an email. The guy knows Augusta.
Masters intel from Anonymous Masters Employee
Anonymous writes:
I noticed a lot of hawks flying around earlier in the week Talking with a member of the security team, he was speculating that they are part of the squirrel elimination team.
Another member of the security team was pointing out that ANGC staff planted a pink azalea in full bloom right beneath a camera stationed in the shrubs to the left of 13 green looking back to the 14 tee box. Presumably for TV purposes.
Verne's last call of No. 16: How does he get into the tower?
• Don J. writes:
Congrats on having a wonderful time at the masters on Tuesday. Sorry that I did not run into you. Seems like crowds were much higher than my previous visits. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip. I’ve got a question thinking about this being Verns last Masters call, how in the world does he climb that tower on 16? That would be something interesting to know, same with Jim on 18? Maybe a scissors platform?
Kinsey:
Does anyone know how Verne gets into his perch?
Where are your course photos?
Mrs. Screencaps comes to me this morning and asks if my laptop has a USB port. It doesn't. That means Mrs. SC will have to move the photos off the data card onto her computer and then forward them to me which is going to be a process.
At the same time, she's fighting with the scanner to get our taxes over to our preparer. In other words, I'm not going to test her patience this morning.
You'll get course photos. I promise.
• Helen in Tampa Bay writes:
Was so excited to read your article today. I could definitely tell how ecstatic you were throughout your whole day there. Growing up in Detroit, when it was Sunday and the finals of whatever big golf tournament was on,my parents and I would always watch them.
( the good ol’ days with Jack and Arnie and ChiChi etc….)
So glad you had a great time. Looking forward to the pictures!
• Alex R. writes:
It brings me great joy reading about your experience. Love to hear that stuff, you could write for a week on that and I would love to read it, glad you had an amazing trip.
Does it bother anyone that they don't broadcast normal coverage for the Masters all day from the first tee time till the end? I know the ESPN app has Amen corner and some key groups but honestly I would post up from 9am till 9pm watching the Masters this week.
Just turn on the cameras, I don't even need the play by play in the am, I just want to watch every bit I can. That is what I love about the PGA Championship and British open is that you can watch it live from start to finish.
The Masters is one of the few events I would actually pay to be able to watch it all. Make a masters feed and just let me be able to switch from hole to hole and choose from a set of steady cams that you know are there. Give me the four screen to follow groups. That would be great.
I am in for $25 a year to have that, wake up, coffee, masters, answer some emails, masters, ignore work, masters. Good 4 days.......I'm just saying
• Duncan in Georgia writes:
Glad you had a great time at the Masters! The place is incredible. Not sure if you know, but the pimento cheese sandwich you ate is different than it used to be. My wife's best friend is Ted Godfrey's daughter, and she said she'd tell me the secret ingredient. But I said I didn't want to know, don't think I could keep it secret!
I leave you this morning with a message from Gary Player. Take 30 seconds for this message:
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That's it this morning. We're still fighting to get Instagram embeds back which means I have to do more work finding Instagram models on Twitter or TikTok, which means more time fighting my way through content and finding embeds that will work.
It's a mess, but we will survive.
Let's have an incredible weekend. May your baseball diamonds dry out and your golf outings stay dry. What a week it has been.
Tomorrow is the 2nd annual Taste of the Masters at my house. Our numbers are going up this year. Eat up!
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com