AUGUSTA, Ga. -
Sammy Schmitz has been practicing at Augusta National since Thursday, and he played another practice round on Tuesday as his gallery continued to grow.
St. John's golf coach Bob Alpers and swing coach Joe Greupner of Braemar were in attendance, as well as his wife, Natalie, and a bunch of college friends and work colleagues. Alpers and Greupner said the gallery will grow by tomorrow, when Schmitz plans to practice, perhaps play nine more holes and then play in the Par 3 Tournament.
Schmitz said he's had a great time but has spent so much time playing and practicing he needed to rest on Tuesday night. One underrated aspect of Augusta National is the elevation changes. Practice rounds can take a lot out of a golfer, because of the hills and the time spent hitting extra shots, putts and chips.
Schmitz, the amateur from Farmington, seemed to be striking the ball well for the most part, and on No. 7, one of the sneaky-tough holes on the course, he sprayed his tee shot to the right, well into the trees. He hit a beautiful recovery shot through a tight window, landing the ball within birdie range on the green.
He has practiced with some big names, including Ricky Fowler, Henrik Stenson and Louis Oosthuizen. Greupner said he has hit some of his best shots in front of the largest galleries, and has even played to the crowd, alleviating any concerns Greupner had about nerves.
``The whole thing has been tremendous," Schmitz said.
I'll have much more on Sammy in the paper this week, including a more in-depth look at his week in the Thursday paper. I'll also be walking with him during the tournament, as well as writing about whatever else happens in the tooonamint, as they call it down here.
