Thursday

Masters Virginity Lost... In A Screaming Spiethgazim!


Cathleen Hannigan  
@GolfGirlTwin
So, I'm officially heading back to work after a heavenly masters week golf vacay with my twin sister Patricia (who you know as Golf Girl) and her dedicated husband Nick, who I refer to as her "other-other half". ~ It was a superlative experience from the start, with practice round spectating at the ethereal Augusta National, followed by a stay and play at the lovely and historic Pinehurst Resort.

While watching the round and playing some beautiful courses, I thought of a new term to describe my condition prior To April 6th 2015: I was a "Masters Virgin"!  Hoping it was an original title, but suspecting it was not, I immediately googled it... and just as I thought, my moniker was far from unique.

I found an early example... dating back to 2001... when sports columnist Tim Guidera, used it in a piece about first timers at the storied tournament . In 2012 John Garrity of Golf.com casually dropped it into an article about the best places to view the Masters.

Then I discovered that the eloquent Tony Korogolos was no stranger to the term either, Mr. Korogolos of the long-running blog, Hooked on Golf is also credited with inventing the term Spiethgazim... specifically "premature spiethgazm"... to describe how, in their continuing quest to coronate a successor to an increasingly tenuous Tiger, the golf media collectively erupted in frothy obsession for Justin Spieth after his first round 64.  In the end, however, Mr Korogolos conceded that Spieth is the real deal.

And to hear the screams of excitement from the audience... myself included... while Mr. Spieth worked his magic in the final round, I think I can officially declare that I lost my Masters Virginity with a Screaming Spiethgazim!  Well, I'm pretty sure that line is original... and needless to say, the experience was beyond thrilling.