Fan notes

Great Gift: Griffin Latimer, a 10-year-old from Canton, Ga., came to the course Tuesday sporting a neon-colored cast covering his broken left thumb, which he injured while playing goalkeeper for his soccer team.

Griffin was sitting near the autograph area close to the practice facility when Chris Wood walked by and asked what happened to him. After Griffin told him about his thumb, Wood asked: “Do you want this?” The boy quickly said yes. The Englishman gave the child his Mizuno 3-hybrid club.

Griffin said Wood is now his second favorite golfer – behind Matt Kuchar.

men’s trip: Eight brothers and 10 sons and nephews, all named Walsh, converged on Augusta from across the country this week to fulfill a bucket list item for their brother Steve, who became ill last year, said Kevin Walsh, of Boston.

The trip celebrates that “we have eight brothers that are still alive,” Walsh said. “We came here without the women. Our two sisters were not invited.”

A highlight Monday was when several from the group visited Berckmans Place. They met Pro Football Hall of Fame member Lynn Swann, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left a receiving line to greet Steve, who is using a wheelchair, said brother Tom.

“It was a wonderful gesture on her part,” he said.

Super 70: Her 70th year has been a good one for Mary Virginia Horne. The club pro from Memphis, Tenn., scored two holes-in-one – and on Tuesday she made a first visit to Augusta National Golf Club with her son, T.J., to watch practice rounds.

“It’s all people have said it was,” Horne said. “I can’t believe how green it is. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”

“TV doesn’t give you the undulations,” she said of the course. “To look at it, and know I can’t play.”

Why did it take the golf pro, who returns to work today at Colonial Country Club, so long to get to Augusta?

“I was always working,” she said.

For The King: Benson Smith drove from Tampa, Fla., to attend Tuesday’s practice round. He also came to pay tribute to Arnold Palmer.

Donning a pink Bay Hill shirt, Smith attached an umbrella pin – Palmer’s logo – to his collar and wore an “Arnie’s Army” button on his chest.

“Arnie deserves a lot of credit for transforming golf into what it’s become today,” Smith said. “There’s no question he’ll forever be the King here in Augusta.”

Numerous Callaway golfers are honoring Palmer by using pink head covers this week. On each cover is Palmer’s umbrella logo as well as the years he won the Masters: 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964.

One of the golfers using the head covers is former Augusta State standout Patrick Reed.

“It means a lot to know these guys want to honor what Arnie has accomplished,” said Ellie Taylor, of Chicago. “No one should ever forget that Mr. Palmer paved the way for many of these golfers. Arnie was one of a kind – there’s no doubt about that.”

Early Risers: As the sun rose over Augusta National, hundreds of patrons had already lined chairs near the 16th green. Charleston native Tim Hermann hoped the early arrival would pay dividends during Tuesday’s practice round.

“It’s tough to beat this spot on 16,” he said. “I’ve been coming for years and there’s no better place – especially for practice rounds.”

Hermann arrived around 7:15 a.m., before patrons were allowed on the course. This is his 14th year in a row at the Masters Tournament.

“If I didn’t come ahead of time, there’s no chance I’d be this close,” he said.