Ed Mate had been to Augusta National Golf Club during Masters week once before, about a decade ago. But that was as a spectator for the practice rounds.

This time around, the CGA’s executive director left feeling like he’d wrung the whole nine yards out of the Masters experience.

“I did take full advantage of being there,” Mate said on Monday after serving as a rules official for the four rounds of the Masters. “The whole thing was a lot of fun. It was a lot more enjoyable and less stressful than I anticipated.

“I would describe everything about the tournament as welcoming. They’d ask, ‘Do you have anything you need?’ ‘Is there anything we can do for you?’ They appreciate you being there, and anybody there will tell you that. They just make you feel good. And if everyone around you treats you courteously, you can’t help but reciprocate.”

As with former CWGA executive director Robin Jervey from 2008-11, Mate earned the chance to be a Masters rules official by virtue of serving as an advisory member of the powerful USGA Rules of Golf Committee, representing state and regional golf associations. Mate, the CGA’s executive director since 2000, joined the Rules of Golf Committee last fall, and figures to serve up to four years on it.

According to the Augusta Chronicle, while dozens of people served on the Masters Tournament Rules Committee in 2016, the only representative from Colorado this year was Mate, though former Coloradan Thomas Pagel was also on the committee.

In his rules official role, Mate said he worked the par-4 17th hole on Thursday, the par-3 sixth on Friday, the par-4 ninth on Saturday, and the par-4 third on Sunday. He said he had just three interactions with competitors overall — with Charl Schwartzel on Friday, Dustin Johnson on Saturday and low-amateur Bryson DeChambeau on Sunday.

“It was very simple stuff, but enough to make you feel you contributed,” Mate noted.

Schwartzel’s ball at No. 6 on Friday ended up right next to a pair of sunglasses, leading to an interaction with Mate, though Schwartzel was just confirming how to proceed. He marked his ball, moved the sunglasses and played on.

As for Johnson, after he hit his approach on Saturday right of the hole on No. 9, he couldn’t get his ball to stay in place on the sloping green when he tried to replace it in front of his ball mark, and asked Mate about the proper procedure. Mate told him to find a spot as close as possible where the ball would stay put, and Johnson did just that.

On Sunday, DeChambeau hit his ball behind a temporary immovable obstruction on No. 3, and Mate helped him find his point of relief.

“I felt comfortable” overall, Mate said. “All the rulings I had were so straightforward. I’ve worked a couple of U.S. Opens, and it’s still just golf. I didn’t think of the potential of everyone watching. And I knew if I did have any doubt (about a ruling), I’d just go on the radio.”

Indeed, this certainly wasn’t Mate’s first rodeo — which is to say, major championship. He worked the U.S. Open in 2009 and ’10, and has also served as a rules official at U.S. Women’s Opens and U.S. Senior Opens. He likewise had the opportunity to work this year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, Pa., but can’t commit to that one.

At Augusta National, Mate also enjoyed interacting with — and picking the brains of — rules officials who have worked dozens and dozens of major championships over the years. Also memorable from last week was just the general feel of being at the Masters.

“It was amazing — everything you’ve heard about the Masters,” Mate said. “From the experience standpoint, it’s unlike anything, so unique. It’s like you’re in a time warp, with no cell phones (allowed for fans on the grounds) and the food costs ($2.50 for a Masters club sandwich, $2 for a soft drink and $1.50 for a Georgia Peach ice cream sandwich). It’s the spirit of Bobby Jones and Cliff Roberts: They don’t measure themselves against what everyone else is doing. They do stuff their own way. It’s not a coincidence they’re viewed the way they are.

“There was a great quote (uttered) at a rules meeting: ‘We strive for everything to be the best, and if it’s not, we’ll figure out how to make it the best.’

“And then when you come up to 9 and 18 (greens), there are no corporate sky boxes. On 9 you’re struck by the fact the only things around the green are a bunch of chairs. It’s like a well-attended CGA Stroke Play.”

Mate took advantage of being situated on hole 17 Thursday to take in the experience of the ceremonial opening tee shots by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, with Arnold Palmer also on hand.

“That was a highlight to be there,” Mate said. “How many other times are you going to get to see (those three greats together)? It was packed. And (Masters chairman) Billy Payne exudes charisma. He’s very impressive, so well spoken and gracious. He didn’t drone on (in introducing Palmer, Nickland and Player), but said just enough.”

All in all, suffice it to say Mate is looking forward to a return trip to Augusta National next spring. After all, as they say, it’s a tradition unlike any other.
 

After the BMW Championship — and the other three tournaments in the PGA Tour’s FedExCup playoffs — received a 1-2 punch the last couple of weeks, the PGA Championship produced some very welcome positive news for the Tour stop coming to Cherry Hills Country Club Sept. 4-7.

After all, the BMW Championship will feature the winner of two consecutive major championships — the last two majors of 2014. And so if Tiger Woods didn’t qualify for the playoffs and Dustin Johnson is out after announcing a “leave of absence”, having a phenom like Rory McIlroy (left) in the field softens the blow considerably.

McIlroy on Sunday won the PGA Championship, making him the first player since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to claim consecutive men’s major titles. And, if that weren’t enough, the 25-year-old McIlroy became the third-youngest player — behind Woods and Jack Nicklaus — to have won at least four majors as the Grand Slam events are currently configured. In addition, McIlroy is a very likable character.

That adds up to some serious star power, whether Woods is on hand or not.

“The excitement level has just multiplied by 100,” Cherry Hills head professional John Ogden said Monday as the BMW Championship held its annual media day. “Obviously, you don’t see this kind of golf come around very often. Personally I can’t wait for (McIlroy) to come here and compete at Cherry Hills and in Colorado. As they keep saying on the television and in the media, it’s a passing of the torch (among golf’s all-time greats). You’re seeing something we didn’t think we’d see again in our lifetime. So I can’t be more excited.”

And it should be noted, of course, that one of McIlroy’s nine PGA Tour victories came at the 2012 BMW Championship. That event was named the PGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year. The top 10 that week featured McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Woods, Johnson, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Lee Westwood.

“We’ve been busy preparing for those top 70 players in the world, and now we’re starting to get a feel for who they are and what they look like,” 2014 BMW Championship general chairman George Solich said Monday. “We’re super excited about what this field looks like.”

The top 125 players in the FedExCup season-long point standings following this week’s Wyndham Cup will qualify for the The Barclays in Paramus, N.J., Aug. 21-24. The top 100 after The Barclays will go to the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton Mass., Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The top 70 after that advance to Cherry Hills, and the top 30 following the BMW Championship make the Tour Championship Sept. 11-14.

Through the PGA Championship, the top five players on the FedExCup points list are McIlroy (2,582 points), Jimmy Walker (2,493), Masters champion Bubba Watson (2,172), Matt Kuchar (1,921) and Jim Furyk (1,851).

Other notables in the top 70 currently are Sergio Garcia (seventh, 1,699), Jordan Spieth (eighth, 1,692), U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer (13th, 1,525), Scott (14th, 1,479), Rickie Fowler (15th, 1,471), Kent Denver graduate Kevin Stadler (30th, 1,066), Mickelson (42nd, 921) and Henrik Stenson (67th, 720).

Walker led the FedExCup standings for 30 consecutive weeks, but McIlroy took over the top spot with his victory Sunday at the PGA Championship.

But there’s obviously plenty of juggling that will take place in the weeks leading up to the BMW Championship at Cherry Hills. To prove the point, McIlroy moved from 42nd place less than a month ago to first now thanks to three consecutive victories (British Open, Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship).

Officials Say BMW Championship Could Attract 140,000 Fans for the Week: Even though spectators can’t attend BMW Championship activities until a Tuesday (Sept. 2), and that ticket sales for any given day are limited to 27,000, tournament officials are hoping that the event at Cherry Hills draws more than 140,000 fans for the week.

“We do expect to see maybe over 140,000 fans for the week,” general chairman George Solich said.

Tickets are still available for the event (CLICK HERE). But as Vince Pellegrino, the senior vice president for tournaments for the WGA, which runs the BMW Championship, noted, “Especially after this past weekend (at the PGA Championship), people are buying them up left and right, which is great.”

How Cherry Hills Will be Set Up for BMW Championship: Various details about how Cherry Hills will play for the BMW Championship have been solidified. Though yardages will vary slightly day to day, the course will play about 7,352 yards for the tournament. It will be a par 34-36–70 layout, with no par-5s on the scorecard until No. 11. Holes 5 and 18 (left), which play as par-5s for members, will be par-4s for the PGA Tour players.

The rough will be 3 inches deep, albeit very thick Bluegrass. Greens will run about 11-11.5 on the Stimpmeter. And eight holes will feature fairways that are “pinched-in” compared to how they played for the U.S. Amateur in 2012: Nos. 3, 4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 16 and 18.

“Three inches (of rough) is going to present them a lot of problems,” Ogden said. “It’s just so dense. I’ve had lies out there this year where you just barely miss the fairway … I don’t care who it is — Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, whoever — you’re going to have a hard time hitting the ball anywhere out of that stuff. The ball has a tendency to go to the bottom. That’s always going to be a challenge.”

Added Solich: “With all the rain we’ve had, (the rough) has got some teeth. There’s no doubt about it.”

Ogden predicts that if weather is typical for that time of year, the winning score will be between 264 and 268, or 12-16 under par.

Hoping for Hefty Bottom Line for Evans Caddie Scholarship: The Evans Scholars Foundation, which sends needy and qualified caddies to college with full tuition and housing scholarships, is the sole charitable beneficiary of the BMW Championship. Just since 2007, when BMW became the title sponsor of the event, more than $16 million has been raised for the Evans Scholarship. Overall, the proceeds from the BMW Championship represent between 15-20 percent of the revenue raised for the Evans Scholarship, which currently has 14 scholarship houses nationwide, including one at the University of Colorado.

“So it’s a very important event from a charitable standpoint as well,” noted Solich, an Evans Scholar alum who graduated from CU in 1983.

Notable: Pellegrino said during tournament week, play will run from roughly 11:15 a.m.-6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. On each day of the event, rounds will begin off both the first and 10th tees. … With this being the BMW Championship, BMW automobile and motorcycle owners will have access to preferred parking (6145 Happy Canyon Road) and to a BMW owners tent on the course, near holes 8 and 14. … A total of almost 2,600 people have signed up as volunteers for the BMW Championship, with all openings having been filled. Ninety percent of the volunteers are from Colorado, though 40 other states and two other countries are represented. A wait-list for volunteer openings has been established at BMWChampionshipUSA.com. … Military personnel have been offered free tickets to the BMW Championship, with active duty, Reserve, military retirees and veterans able to obtain a complimentary ticket valid for any one day of the championship following advance verification of their military status. Available on a first-come, first-served basis, a total of 14,000 complimentary military tickets will be available: 5,000 for each of the practice rounds on Sept. 2-3 and 1,000 each day of the tournament rounds Sept.  4-7. The tickets may be ordered online at birdiesforthebrave.sheerid.com. The military tickets are complimentary, but a $1 verification fee does apply. 

There are many who share Dustin’s casual attitude toward these “petty details” and others who think such details are what separate the champion from the also-ran. Where do you fit on this continuum? Perhaps this question will help: A golfer admitting to not reading a Notice to Competitors is like: (a) An NFL quarterback not watching game film on the defense of an upcoming opponent; (b) An accountant not checking the IRS code before filing a return for a client; or (c) An airline passenger tuning out the flight attendant’s safety speech. If you answered, “a” you believe the Rules are important and that knowing what local rules are in play are a critical part of a golfer’s “game day” preparation. If you answered “b” you believe that ignoring the Notice to Competitors is just plain reckless. If you answered “c” you are probably sitting next to Dustin Johnson reading “Sky Mall” Magazine!

In my experience the overwhelming majority of golfers fall into camp “c” and share Dustin Johnson’s view. If nothing else I give Dustin credit for being honest. Being an advocate for and a proponent of the Rules of Golf, I will attempt to make a case for camp “b”. Knowing the Rules of Golf is absolutely essential to playing the game. Dustin Johnson claims he knows the Rules and therefore needn’t be bothered by any last minute “addendum” that clutters his back pocket. First of all, based on his comments I doubt that he knows the Rules very well, because anyone who does know the Rules also knows that there are many Rules that are only in effect if, and only if, the committee has chosen to adopt them. Is the one-ball Rule in effect? Has the committee allowed Distance Measuring Devices? Are there any restrictions on automotive transportation? Do I get relief from a sprinkler head that is on my line of play? Can I move stones in bunkers? By “not reading” the Notice to Competitors you are ignoring all of these questions. And guess what, failure to comply with some of these rules (Distance Measuring Devices for example) leads to golf’s “death penalty” of disqualification.

Well, I suspect I am preaching to the choir here if you read this far! For those that have, keep up the good work–you will be rewarded. For those that quit reading after the first sentence, could you order me some of those alarm clock slippers?