Anyone doubting that The Masters is the class of all the majors in professional golf need only to look back on Saturday’s televised round, which had enough twists and turns to keep even the most casual fan riveted to the television screen.

It isn’t just how photogenic Augusta National looks on television – with its green sculpted fairways and greens, and the woods lined with azaleas and dogwoods in all their spring splendor, that in itself would make for an enjoyable afternoon in front of the tube. But the back nine of Augusta is really what makes the tournament what it is – lots of risk/reward shots and the mental discipline required to block out of one’s mind a bad shot or poor choice in strategy inevitably is what separates the ultimate champ from the chumps.

Case in point Phil Mickelson. You could almost see the wind taken out of him when a lovely shot on 9 hit the flagstick and bounced back almost off thre green. Up until that point he had been making a modest charge; after that he struggled mightily.

If Trevor Immelmann goes on to win this year’s Masters, his shot on 15 that for some strange reason did not roll all the way back and down into Rae’s Creek will be talked about for years – muck like Fred Couples’ shot back in 1992 that led to his win that year.

And to watch The Masters in HD is pretty freakin’ cool.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox and the Yankees have renewed their rivalry this year. Is it any surprise that, while Manny Ramirez was the thunder behind the Sox attack in their 4-3 win yesterday, having Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia back in the 1-2 slot as tablesetters was the real difference? Terry Francona isn’t fooling anyone – he knows the Sox are a more explosive team with Jacoby/Pedroia in that 1-2 slot but he has to prove to both GM Theo Epstein and Coco Crisp that the Sox are simply going to have to swallow hard and have Crisp a very expensive fourth outfielder on this team if the Sox want to go far this year.

The Bruins are in the playoffs? Heck, I didn’t even know the NHL season was underway. There’s a rumor around here that Phoenix has a NHL franchise that didn’t make the playoffs. No offense to Columbus, OH but can you take any professional sports league seriously that has a team in Columbus, OH? Or one that practically every time makes the playoffs?