He has gone 27 consecutive holes without a bogey at Augusta National, and he has a clear plan of what he needs to do be fitted for a green jacket.
It was the equivalent of showing up for a tee time at Augusta National when the extent of your golf experience was a few rounds of putt-putt.
The membership of Augusta National includes a list of America's business elite, such as billionaire Warren Buffett, former General Electric Co.
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Whatever the opinions of some traditionalists, it is this attention to detail that ensures Augusta National remains a magnificent spectacle for both golf and horticultural aficionados alike.
"If this was the first black male CEO of IBM, and he was not allowed to join, IBM would not even be considering remaining a sponsor or having any other executives in the club, " said Burk, who made Augusta's policy a national issue in 2003.
CNN: Augusta National a powerful holdout among men-only clubs
Augusta National, with a membership that includes America's two richest men, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, is an extremely wealthy place.
Adam Scott won the Masters tournament at Augusta National, posting a -9 score for the four rounds, then beating Angel Cabrera in a two-hole playoff in the rain.
From my view, it feels like Augusta National still has a little work to do if it wants the next generation of fans to take the club as seriously as it takes itself.
Thompson hasn't been to Augusta National since 2008 as a U.S. Amateur finalist.
After he qualified, the owner of his home course in Guangzhou maintained a green, at Augusta National speeds, exclusively for Guan's use.
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Suggs, 88, is one of the 13 founders of the LPGA and was a good friend of Augusta National founder Bobby Jones.
There's also a cooking school, the 1849 homestead of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low and a jaunt to the Augusta National Golf Club.
With a series of gutsy chips and clutch putts on Augusta National's pool-table slick greens, Guan notched four birdies and carded a 1-over-par 73, two shots better than Bubba Watson, the defending champion.
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The page uses the words "Augusta National" and even has a background photo of the clubhouse.
Ike played more than 800 rounds of golf while in office, a quarter of them at Augusta National.
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Near Mobile Bay in the south, they play among towering oaks and magnolias on a course that looks like Augusta National.
The world number one, 34, also said he had been "blown away" by the reception from spectators during a practice round at the Augusta National on Monday.
For decades, Augusta National's uniqueness conferred a special status.
Still more impressive, the day of play at Augusta National drew the biggest audience for a golf broadcast in cable history.
Arguments like the one over Augusta National matter, because they shine a bright light on the ingrained attitudes that should be no longer acceptable in a civilized society.
In a statement released Saturday morning, Augusta National explained that the rules committee had spoken with Woods and decided he had made the mistake unknowingly and did not disqualify him.
Violators usually receive a polite phone call from someone representing Augusta National, requesting they reconsider words that are "confusingly similar" to those that the club has rights to.
That led to a phone call from a television viewer claiming a violation and an investigation by the Augusta National rules committee, which ruled the drop was kosher then reconsidered when Woods confessed to dropping the ball in the wrong spot to gain an advantage.
In that statement, Payne said the decision marked a "significant and positive time" for Augusta National.
Augusta National Golf Club learned of the violation by a television viewer.
Woods insisted beforehand he would be able to withstand any abuse coming his way - a likelier proposition than at the tightly controlled Augusta National.
There were four of us: working press from all over the globe suddenly possessing the wide-eyed stare of excited children, with a glorious invitation to the pristine fairways of Augusta National -- living out our fantasies of actually playing the course.
He also kept from his three buddies the news that his dog had eaten their perhaps once-in-a-lifetime chance to traverse the greens of Augusta National Golf Club.
Little did they know that come April 20, 2012, there would be all kinds of wild changes in the world, like a manned spaceship to the moon, a black man in the White House and a woman maybe even being considered for membership at Augusta National.
Defenders of Augusta National always point to the fact that it's a private club, and is permitted to conduct its business the way it wants.
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