Why do TV golf announcers whisper? So they don’t wake up the guy sleeping on the couch!

I won’t be sleeping this afternoon. I will be riveted in front of the TV to watch coverage of the final round of the Masters on Channel 7.

Sunday afternoons at Augusta have provided some of the best sports drama, but it is a story that unfolds best on TV, not in person. A patron’s badge at the Masters is one of the toughest tickets in sports, and every golf fan that gets the opportunity to go should jump at the chance. I had the good fortune to attend a Wednesday practice round in 2001. Upon arriving, I went directly to Amen Corner, to see Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Trevino striding up the 11th fairway.

I watched Phil Mickelson play “skip it” on 16, purposely skulling an iron off the tee to skip the ball off the water and onto the green. After walking the rest of the course I found a perch alongside a green for the par 3 tournament watching Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh in a relaxed atmosphere, interacting with the gallery.

Practice rounds are a great way to get the feel of a golf course and to follow favorite players, as are the early rounds of a tournament to a certain degree.

However, when it comes to Sunday, the best view of the duels that unfold is not outside the ropes, but inside your man-cave.

My Flyer basketball broadcast partner Bucky Bockhorn goes so far as to sequester himself at a remote location away from friends and family.

I’ll stay home, but no one dare disturb me. Jim Nance can say “a tradition like no other” as loud as he wants. I won’t be sleeping.