Masters under attack

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- OK, the headline may be a tad melodramatic.

But a wicked story whipped through Augusta and the surrounding area Friday night. According to local television folks, winds of 80 to 100 mph tore through the vicinity.

Parts of neighboring South Carolina -- which is basically next door to Augusta -- were under a tornado warning. Augusta was under a severe thunderstorm warning that was based on a severe thunderstorm.

I saw there was 90 percent chance of hail, which figures, since I have a rented car and didn't take out any insurance at the Budget counter.

Speaking of which, I felt like Jerry Seinfeld at the rental car booth at LaGuardia - must hurry to finish this, the lights just flickered -- when I got to Budget's agency at Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta. They knew how to take my reservation, but they didn't know how to hold it.

Seinfeld at the rental car agency

I waited for a vehicle Tuesday morning. And waited. Finally, they called my name. And gave me a freaking Dodge truck. I don't drive trucks. I don't drive big vehicles, period. People who drive semis or buses are gods to me, amazing mythic figures.

So I drove this blasted Dodge truck the 150 miles from Atlanta to Augusta in a heavy wind Tuesday, feeling like I was riding a wild horse that wanted to buck me every mile of the trip.

Nothing dangerous about that, I'm sure.

Trees are down and power-outages are being talked about on the TV right now.

Augusta National has approximately seven million trees. I'm sure every one will be untouched by this storm. Or else the hyper-efficient Augusta people will have any and all storm damanged cleaned up and impossible to detect by the time the spectators are allowed through the gates Saturday morning.

Good night, everybody!