Chapter 31

HOWITZER MEETS THE WORLD!

When he woke up, he took a shower and changed into sleepwear and knocked on our door.

“Enter,” Cory said.

Steven walked in and asked, “Dad, what do you do when you get nervous before a golf tournament?”

“That depends,” I said.

“On what?”

“Nowadays, I can get relaxed by making out with my wife, (SLAP) or getting a massage.”

“There are some medicines just for anxiety,” his mother said.

“I don’t want to take pills for anything.”

“Smart boy,” I said.

Cory got up and went into the bathroom, coming back out with some of KT’s menthol rub., “This is Kelley’s favorite menthol rub, Steven. Back in the day, she would give it to your dad to relax him either before, during, or after a round of golf. Let me try it on you. It may put you to sleep by using it, but it was approved by the PGA.”

“Head on back to your room, and take your shirt off. I’ll be right there, OK?”

“Gotcha, Mom. I would think that part of my anxiety may be because none of the girls are here with us.”

He walked into his room, and closed the door. I sat close to Cory and questioned her, “When was this ever approved by the PGA?”

“Ask me no questions, Big Brother. He’ll be asleep in five minutes.” She said, getting up.

Impressively, in only three or four minutes, she came out with a smarmy smile on her face.

After several more days of practice, with Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Tony Finau, and Dustin Johnson, Cory had kept a special scorecard for Steven, if the five practice rounds had been a tournament, he would’ve come in second, to Tony Finau.

Getting up for the first round of the FedEx Tournament, we all changed with Steven wearing his golf shirt with the Apple logo on it. I had on my VW shirt, just because. He is playing in this tournament and I’m not. My FedEx position was 288.

The PGA has guidelines for who is playing together based on some criteria that Steven might understand, but I don’t.

Nevertheless, Steven was placed with Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas. They go off just before the CBS Network goes on the air.

Cory will deal with his clubbing and I will help keep him from going out of control. My final ‘pep talk’ was as follows:

“Howitzer, you are making history just by being here. I found out the youngest professional to win a tournament was only 19. A 14 year old made the cut in a 2013 tournament, but he didn’t win. You have three tournaments involved, but you don’t have to win them all ... unless you are motivated ... and want to.”

He broke into a smile, and said, “I knew all that, but you are my hero. I will do my best, for everyone.”

Together we said, “NO MERCY!”

“ON THE TEE, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, and Steven Masters.”

My son got the biggest applause of the three, and he doffed his cap.

“First up is Justin Thomas!”

Hole 1, Par 4, 398 yards

It’s a rather straight hole, with an ever so slight dog-leg right, so he took out a wood, probably a four wood. He swung a soft and a hard practice swing, then got up to address the ball.

With a great grip, he swung rather hard going 270 yards, but he would have a great angle to the hole.

“Next up is Dustin Johnson, also known as DJ!”

He got out a long iron, he had a single practice swing. He swung it not nearly as hard, but it just got to the place where Justin was.

After the crowd reaction went down,

“Today, making history is a young man who is only 9 years, who recently won the Johnny Masters Invitational, earning $4,000,000 and he has 500 FedEx Points – His name is Steven Masters, known as ‘The Howitzer!”

His applause was immense, as he did the simple doffing of the cap. Didn’t take long to settle down, asked his caddy for ‘his’ Big Bertha, and swung it quite leisurely. He has such a lovely flowing swing.

He addressed the ball, I saw his left foot open up a little, and he swung with all he could, I think. He rolled up on the green leaving a very long, very uphill putt for himself.

The vrowd was either loud or open-mouthed over what he had just done. DJ said, “Great Shot Howitzer.”

Being last to hit, he walked forward, leaving an appreciative crowd in his wake.

Except for the sounds of people, it was rather quiet. I walked to him and asked, ‘You OK?”

He stopped, looked at me for a moment, and said, “I am exactly where I should be, doing what I should be doing, and it’s all because of my parents.”

The two other golfers got on the green, ending up to the left of the hole. Being the odd man out, I asked if it was ok to remove the pin, and all agreed.

Steven was away, with Cory by his side. All I heard her say was ‘No Mercy!’

He looked, then putt, and he gave it plenty of hit, making his eagle. The other guys had pars. I reminded him this was stroke play, and he said a quiet, “Thanks Pop!”

The leaders, having played 8 holes so far, are Finau and McIlroy, both at 4 under

Hole 2 – Par 3 – 219 yards

The teeing area was still a little moist. It should dry out unless we have more rain, which is not in the forecast. The sky looks ominous! It is a comfortable 60 degrees at the moment.

Steven, with honors, got out his four iron. I was able to see his hand and wrist adjustment, and he hit a flyer landing about 10 feet right of the cup.

DJ said, “Great shot, Howitzer. I suppose you played this a few times in practice.”

“Just 5 times, with my best being a 2, DJ. I prefer dry courses, don’t you?”

‘I suppose I do, who doesn’t like hitting the ball a long way?”

“You’re up, Dustin,’ I said.

He can hit the ball really hard, but he doesn’t have a great low rise game. That was one of the things we told Howitzer about.

DJ took out an iron with a lot of loft., and hit it ... over the green.

JT had changed his club a few times, before taking out his loft wedge. He hit it a little fat, and barely got on the green.

With Cory to read it, Steven got his Birdie 2, DJ ended with a bogie 4, and JT drained a long put for a par.

Two birdies in a row! His finesse game is getting better every time he plays.

They were put on a clock, upsetting DJ.

(There was a full hole difference between them and the threesome ahead of them.} He can be achingly slow, so putting them on the clock was to make a point, I believe.

I hadn’t expected anything like that, so the first chance I could, I quickly told Steven to always be ready to hit whenever it was his turn. No thinking after you have addressed the ball...

Hole 3 – Par 4 – 395 yards

Steven with the honors still, he got up, and hit a perfect and easy 2-iron and it was rolling to a perfect position for his 2 shot. DJ was taking his time selecting just the right club when... ,

“Come on, you guys,” Steven yelled, ‘I don’t like being timed, Get your act together, DJ!”

DJ looked at me, then Steven.

He teed up, with an iron as well, and hit his drive, twenty yards past Steven. JT was ready and hit a 4 or 5 wood fifty yards past Steven.

Steven hit his shot to dead center on the green, hitting the pin, but staying close.

JT hit a nice shot landing on the green and stopping in its tracks. Moisture on the green will do that

DJ got on and three putt, for a bogie, while JT and Steven each got Birdies.

The walking to the green was more spirited, as he got the ball from the cup.

By the end of the front nine, this threesome was:

Steven Masters - Six under

Justin Thomas –Four under

Dustin Johnson – Three under

Of golfers through 18:

Brooks Koepka – Eight Under

Tony Finau – Eight Under

Jon Rohm – Seven Under

While our pretty caddy went to the loo, my son got each of us a Kit-Kat Bar and an Aquafina bottle of water from his bag.

Before I could say anything to my son, he stepped away and walked to Dustin, “I’m sorry for my outburst, I just don’t understand the need to look at a shot more than once, or to change my mind about what club to use over and over and back and forth. There is something to be said about first instincts, you know?”

He put his hand out to DJ who shook it and said to my son, “Sometimes I don’t realize I’m doing that. As well as you play, I may retire early!”

They shook hands as Cory led us past a scoreboard, that showed Steven was tied for the lead.

Hole 10 – Par 5 – 513 Yards

Despite being a short 5 par, Steven put together two excellent shots to be putting for an eagle. The others would be likely to get a par, if not worse. Their attitudes have changed from when I played against them. That might be the reason for everything. They are playing against a very young boy; and they are being beaten by a very young boy.

There had been very few loud crowd moments, but after the other guys finished, Steven was putting for an eagle. Cory looked it over, then they had a very quiet discussion. I did hear her say, “Hit it hard enough, Howitzer!” and stepped away.

He addressed it, visualized it, and hit it firm.

With very foot it traveled the crowd was getting ready ... it started its break ... and it fell into the cup as its speed was turned off.

“Howitzer, Howitzer, Howitzer” seemed to go on forever.

After getting the ball from the hole, he raised it up, to even more cheers.

This is the moment when Steven realizes he’s the energizer bunny and the others have to slow down.

He and Cory, are as good a team as there is, including my sister and I!

On the back nine, he went eagle – birdie – birdie – birdie – birdie – birdie – birdie – par – eagle, to end up 16 under, leaving six players second place at 9 under!

He hit all the fairways, no sand, all greens in regulation, only 13 putts and had no bogies. Damn, he is likely much better than I ever was.

He never got hyper or loud, or anything other than a professional.

He was handed his scorecard and went through the step by step procedures in the PGA Tent, coming out to whoop, “I GOT ANOTHER 55!”

He took his mom to the Q&A tent, the first question was, “I ... We all heard you say it was another 55. How many have you had, Howitzer?”

“I have had four 55s.”

“What sort of help did your parents give you while playing today?”

“My mother, my caddy, helped me do the things that all caddies do. Making sure I knew the distance, so I would have the right club. There were a few holes where the fairways were a bit moist where I wanted to place my ball, so I had to move my idea of the best place to be. I countered that by doing what I call a hood and cover which kept the ball lower while still moving forward.”

“And your father?”

“My dad is the best golfer ever under 30, so having him out there likely helped me by five shots, at least!

“Seventeen under is a really fantastic score, but you have three more rounds to play, what is your plan specifically for tomorrow?”

“It looks like some rain in the next 36 hours. My plan depends on how much rain falls, and how well the course maintenance people can drain it off, especially on and around the greens.”

“Do you think you may get stronger as you get taller?”

“Well, I am one more growth spurt from getting as tall as my dad, which means I expect to start hitting My Bertha regularly over 400 yards, when it’s dry. At next year’s WGC tournament in Mexico, who knows how high and far I may hit the ball? I’d like to play with a few of the longest hitters down there.”

We were then taken to where my son would get the attention he deserved.

“Howitzer, Howitzer, Howitzer.”

Both he and I could not keep from breaking into heavy and deep tears, as the inimitable Jim Nantz walked to us.

“Hello, Masters Family.”

We shook hands, and Howitzer did as well, “It appears that another Masters is on his way to greatness. Besides the fact you shot a 55, you won the day, but there are three more rounds to play.”

“You are exactly right, Mr. Nantz, but my confidence is high, partly from my own ability, however, my mother on the bag and my father in my head may just be what I need to win this and many more tournaments. I already have my eye on the RBC, The Open, and the US Open, next season, plus some others.”

Jim asked a few more questions, and Steven stepped away, to be in the pictures the camera people were taking of my wife, my son and myself. I was battling against crying.

We got back to the hotel room, after finding out who my son would be playing the next day; Bubba Watson and Keegan Bradley.

First thing was a facetime call to KT and the girls. They were all so happy for Steven, especially KT who blew him a kiss good luck, making him blush in the moment.

She stepped out of the picture taking her daughter with her. Steven got a little closer to the screen and I barely heard him say, “I miss you a whole lot, Jules. If I win this, I am going to give the trophy to you to keep in your room when I am gone to other tournaments. You are the only girl I really care for, Goodbye. We will do this again tomorrow night. Lovya, bye!”

As her picture left the screen, he got up and gave us both the most emotional hug I could remember.

We were only slightly concerned over the emotions he was expressing for his sister, but he seems so very focused, especially about golf.

We had dinner in our hotel’s restaurant talking about pin placements and what to do if it rains overnight. He was thinking clearly about golf, not lingering about his feelings for his sister at all.

After our meal, he asked if we could go outside for a few minutes to check the weather. Smart kid. He was using his iPhone by checking the NOAA website. It showed that rain was likely for the parts of the tournament.

That didn’t get him too awful bothered. He knew that Cory could help him increase his lead. He knows a lot of the records I have made, but he has some ideas for a few of the more legendary ones. He has got plenty of time.

Back in our room, we dressed for bed, and he was asleep in 15 minutes. Cory and I quietly smooched for a bit then we fell asleep...

We arrived early the next morning, to see the affects the three hours of rain had on the course. There wasn’t a lot of scurrying about, making us think there wasn’t much of a difference from the day before. If we got some wind, the fairways would firm up and the greens would be slick

Bruce Koepka won this tournament last year in 2022.

We went to the Practice Range, setting up between Jason Dufner and Luke List.

“Hey Jason,” my son said.

“Hey Howitzer, are you putting up another round in the low 50s or 60s?”

“Only if I need to JD, only if I need to.”

He set up, doing the left handed swings he always does first. During it, Luke asked, “What are you doing that for, Howitzer?”

“It equalizes my shoulders. Especially my weak-side shoulder. It should work for anybody, especially if you ever had shoulder or back problems of any kind.”

“Thanks, Steven,” Luke responded.

I watched all of that, and was impressed. “Get swinging Howitzer, you need to be loose enough to add about 8 shots to your lead today.”

He looked up at me with a rather fascinating smile. Than swung and hit his 2 iron at the 260 sign. Damn!

He was ready after another 45 minutes of practice. Cory came out of the pro shop, with a new bag for Howitzer, with wood covers in a new design but with the 55 design I had used back in the day.

“Is he ready, Old Man?” she asked me.

“Did you have to call me that, out loud?” I returned.

She went over and transferred his clubs to the new bag, followed by moving his balls and tees, and lastly his water and Kit Kats.

“That’s not going to be heavier is it, Mom?”

“No, sonny boy, it’s made to look heavy, but it’s not.”

“Cannon, ask the Pro Shop to keep this bag for us, OK?”

I got a kiss on the cheek for that, and I jogged off.

He was practicing with a low teed ball and his four wood. When he releases from the top of his backswing, that is when the Howitzer shows off his caliber.

Finished, but not teeing off for a while, we all watched some other threesomes.

Aaron Baddeley, Adam Schenk, and Keegan Bradley.

Cory whispered how each of them plays on a wet course, she knows her stuff.

Bubba, Luke List, and Jordan Spieth.

This gives me a chance to see the swing and swing speed of these guys for the future when both Masters enter a tournament.

Michael Thompson, Kevin Streelman and Jhonattan Vegas.