Masters pairings and tee times..and a few who shouldn't be here..

2016 Masters pairings and tee times http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/masters-tournament/leaderboard.html

The pairings and tee times like most everything else at Augusta have been announced right on time and while there are some mouth watering pairings, looking through the field really does underline the fact that as was the concept of Bobby Jones way back when, this is an "invitational", in fact there are only 89 players this year and although a lot of the old guys have finally stopped embarrassing themselves by playing ( Fuzzy, Gary, Craig (the Walrus), Ben, Sir Nick off the top of my head, lets have a look at the few this year who didn't get the memo...

Steven Bowditch by the way can't break 80 these days, but he is on tour and did earn the right to be here this week and they are sending him out first so he can get off the course before they turn on the TV cameras,  but what about these guys..

* Sandy Lyle won in 1985 with the great fairway bunker shot at the 72nd hole, but he's closer to being  buried in a bunker than winning the Masters again..

* Mike Weir. Ok I can't bring myself to be critical, let's just say he's making his debut as an analyst, and he did give us all our most memorable Masters.

* Ian Woosnam has just returned to playing a little senior tour golf on the European Tour, and has announced he's going to have a shot with the old guys on the Champions Tour..good for him but what the heck is he doing in the field, paired with Ben (Byeong-Hun) An and Troy Merritt who aren't as old as him combined ?

* Darren Clarke has lost a lot of weight, got the great grey hair and beard look going, and is about to captain the European Ryder Cup team to another sensational win over the USA this fall. When you get that appointment it means your playing days are done..

* Davis Love III. See above... without the grey hair and beard bit.

* Mark O'Meara, come on. He's only still around to play practice rounds with his buddy Tiger, kinda like a sparring partner for a boxer.

* Larry Mize chipped in to steal another Masters from Greg Norman and Seve away back in 1987 and hasn't been heard from since. At the dinner on Tuesday night his hair is so white he looked like a mummy, and he's old enough to be one..

* Tom Watson can still shoot under his age, and we are celebrating his last year here, so he is getting my mulligan

Now before you get your poisoned pens out, I love all the above, but wouldn't it be better if before the tournament, say on Tuesday before the dinner, they let all the old guys who are coming to eat and smooze (and snooze) anyways, all draw for a partner and go out there and play a scramble format, or 9 select holes with prizes to be awarded at the meal later... Heck they could even invite some of the current players to caddie for them.

Now that would be worth watching, and would get them out of the real draw which gets under way tomorrow !

Bryan Angus