Several years ago, Bill Weaver came home from work in Fresno and found a large schedule spread across the kitchen
island. His son, Michael, had meticulously mapped a summer schedule, highlighting the junior golf tournaments he hoped to play throughout Northern California. He didn’t say anything about one day qualifying for the Masters. That young, ambitious kid eventually morphed into the runner-up in
last year’s U.S. Amateur and a key player on one of the best collegiate teams in history. But MICHAEL WEAVER, now 22, took a break from his season at Cal in early April, for good reason—he had a spot in the fi eld at the Masters. By reaching the fi nals of the Amateur, Weaver landed a spot in the game’s
most exclusive major championship. It made for a unique experience, as the amateur with strong ties to Northern California spent a memorable week at one of golf ’s most storied venues.
Here’s how it went: SUNDAY
PRACTICE ROUND A
Michael Weaver played practice rounds with Rory McIlroy (left), Luke
Donald and Nick Watney (below).
ugusta National was abuzz with anticipation
as Weaver arrived for his fi rst full day of practice. Specta- tors aren’t allowed on the Sunday before the Masters,
but workers purposefully scampered around complet- ing preparations for tourna- ment week. Weaver spotted Ryo
Ishikawa on the range and saw Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott (whose Masters turned out
reasonably well) on the course. Nice company. Weaver played the back nine with 1979 Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller and the front with U.S. Mid- Amateur champion Nathan Smith. Guess which side included more chatter? “Fuzzy was talking the
whole time,” Weaver said, smiling. “Nathan is a pretty funny guy, too, but Fuzzy is kind of in a league of his own. He’s really funny.” Amid the laughter,
Zoeller offered his young companion some sage, suc- cinct advice. Any time one of them hit the ball in a bad spot, from which recovery was next to impossible, Zoeller would turn to Weaver and say, “Don’t hit it here!” Weaver spent Sunday night in the Crow’s Nest, the spartan amateurs-only ac- commodations on the upper level of Augusta National’s stately clubhouse. He savored a quick history lesson. “It’s pretty plain, but
then you think about all the people who have been there,” Weaver said. “There are a
SUMMER 2013 /
NCGA.ORG / 39
PHOTO: CINDY VINING
PHOTO: AP
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76