Patrons scramble for Sunday seat at 18th green

Millions of sports fans from around the world will tune in to see today’s Masters Tournament winner take that iconic stroll up to the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club.

Seeing that moment in person isn’t as easy as simply getting a ticket.

Though a Masters badge is one of the toughest tickets to get in all of sports, it doesn’t guarantee a seat or even designated spot on the golf course.

A Masters badge is good only for admission onto the course. The rest is a first-come, first-serve basis. Get there first, and that perfect view of Amen Corner on the 12th tee is all yours. The same goes for that seat along the pond at 16, where you can also see the 15th green and the big leaderboard.

Of course, the 18th green is the prime spot.

Patrons gathered at the gate even before dawn this morning hoping to plant their folding chair somewhere near the hallowed ground around the 18th green. Per club rules, each patron is allowed to bring one chair (no arm rests allowed) and though saving seats is technically prohibited, once your seat is set up, that spot is generally reserved for you.

Not even the club’s prestigious members are exempt from the first-come, first-serve rule, though they do get their priveledges. Club members (and, mostly, their guests) line up near the cabins on the side opposite the 18th green from the patrons’ entrance to the course. A little before 7 a.m., the member line was opened and those front-row seats were quickly taken.

Another line, presumably made up of sponsors and their guests, opened shortly after.

Around 7:20, members of the media - almost all of them photographers - got their clearance to head to 18.

Finally, the patrons were allowed onto the course. As highly desired as these spots are, the entire process is carried out in an extraordinarily orderly fashion. Still, If you weren’t among the early birds, you won’t have an unobstructed view of the 18th green

Our Augusta Chronicle photographers tell me they got there in time for a second-row seat. Other news photographers had to settle for third or fourth row. No doubt, they’ll spent a good amount of the morning trying to wiggle their way into getting a clear view. As a token of appreciation for a front-row patrons’ cooperation, some photographers will offer framed photos of the champion’s 18th-green celebration.

As for the patrons who were still in bed when the gates opened, they could still get a view but only when they stand behind the 30 or so rows of seats that are set up around the 18th green. Though the green itself rises up from the fairway, it’s lower than the surrounding spectator area, which rises slightly and allows thousands to view the final putt.