I did not start playing golf until I was in my mid-20s. My wife has never forgiven her father. He's the one who got me involved. I've been hooked ever since. Today, 30 years later, I can knock it around the course pretty well.
But I'm still looking for the "secret." I know I'm going to discover it on my next visit to the range.
Guan Tianlang is 14 years old. Yesterday all he did was shoot a 73 at the Masters.
That's 1 over par on one of the sternest tests of golf in the world. You can read about it here.
I don't remember what I was doing when I was 14, probably playing baseball. When I was a kid, some friends of my mom were visiting from Florida. Their kids played golf. They dragged me over to the school fields, put a club in my hands, and asked me to give it a try. After several whacks in which I hit either air or nothing but turf, I handed the club back and picked up my baseball bat.
But they were persistent. They also were pretty good, hitting towering iron shots while I slapped the ball along the ground. I was envious. I was just about to give up again when I decided to take one more whack. That's when something weird happened. The ball rocketed off the club in a majestic path directly toward the tree we had been using as our target.
I will always remember that feeling of watching that little white ball fly.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel it again for about 15 years. That's how long it was before I finally took up the game seriously.
I can assure you that on the rare instance when it happens, there is still nothing quite like the feeling of hitting a perfect golf shot. At least not with your clothes on.
When I was 14, I don't think I would have been up for Augusta, or for the hordes of media who were following young Guan around yesterday.
My cap is off to him. I wish I had stayed with the game when I was his age. I'd like nothing more than to see him make the cut and compete on the weekend. But what he did yesterday - at least to me - is one of the truly great sports stories of the year.
By the way, Sergio Garcia is tied for the lead, while my guy, Tiger, is lurking four shots back at 2 under.
For some reason, I don't think Guan is going to be playing in the last group on Sunday. I can just hear Bill Murray whispering now, "It's the Cinderella story..."
Go Tiger! And go Guan! And wouldn't that make a great pairing on Sunday?
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