Augusta National member Geoff Knox had the honour of playing in the third round of the Masters as a non-competing card marker.

With 47 players making the cut, the first man out would have no playing partner. They can choose whether to play on their own or to have company on the tee.

Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez is a sociable character so it was no surprise that he opted for a playing partner.

But he might have been regretting that decision after the first tee shot, as Knox outdrove the Ryder Cup star. “I said, ‘You can’t do that anymore’, and he didn’t do it any more,” Jimenez revealed.

It was no surprise that Knox was chosen to perform the card-marking duties. The 45-year-old businessman holds the course record from the member’s tees, an 11-under-par 61 shot in 2003.

Knox picked up on the par-five second when he got into trouble. If you gave him a double-bogey seven for that hole he would have been round in 77.

“He played very well, he’s a nice player,” Jimenez said. “I don’t mind having a guy that plays like him.”

Knox didn’t give any formal reaction to his round because Augusta members aren’t allowed to make public comment.

Breaking and entering

Our golf editor is getting his first Masters experience en route to Ryder Cup meetings in Valhalla next week.

He arrived on third round afternoon while his colleagues were providing commentary on 5 Live.

Hungry, and finding the house we are renting locked, he decided to get a Chinese takeaway, enjoy the late afternoon heat and refuel alfresco on the patio.

It was only after completing his meal, disposing of the empty containers in the outside rubbish and having a quick check of all the doors to see if he could get in that he realised he had returned to the wrong house. He had, in fact, been using the facilities of our next door neighbour.

“I just got out of there, I didn't want to be shot” said the somewhat shaken man who goes by the initials GRD. “I know some Americans don’t take too kindly to uninvited guests.”

He also later revealed he had tried to drive the wrong hire car out of Charlotte airport. His trip is going well……

Max factor

On the celebrity watch, Hotel Babylon’s Max Beesley was spotted emerging from the Augusta shop laden with souvenirs.

The actor is here as a guest of New Zealand’s Michael Campbell. No one has spotted Robbie Williams who was reputed to be here as a guest of the former US Open Champion.


Boo beard

Now the latest word from Boo Weekley’s Augusta Chronicle column. The colourful American emerged for the third round without his trademark goatee.

Weekley revealed: “My wife kind of told me it was starting to look hideous. She’s like, 'it’s time to trim it or take it off’. I didn’t have trimmers with me, so I went ahead and took it off.”

Finally, our 5 Live house table tennis tournament has been building to a climax. Modesty forbids...
(PS: The editor was looking for the table next door!)