Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made her first trip to the Masters last week. And she penned this pretty captivating piece for the Daily Beast. Apparently, our former secretary of state knows her golf.

I know Tiger from our Stanford connection. I once sat with him at a Stanford-Duke basketball game. Stanford won on a buzzer-beater, and we stormed the court together. With that kind of bonding, whom else would I pull for? I had decided that if Tiger did not win, I would champion the cause of Phil Mickelson (met him at the White House and he’s a really nice guy); Stewart Cink (met him in Atlanta and he’s a really nice guy); or Anthony Kim (haven’t met him but I like his swagger).

Rice has been to a lot of elite sporting events: Super Bowls, Final Fours, U.S. Open tennis. But she says nothing matched her anticipation of the Masters.

And there’s more! Apparently, Ms. Rice, a long-time educator at Stanford, is also playing quite a bit of golf these days. (You’re welcome for not making a joke about her driving the ball to the right.)

Doesn’t matter which side of the ticket you voted for, Condo would be a pretty good choice to play in your Sunday foursome.

All that fun the Masters has been missing the last few years? Well, it returned in force on Thursday at Augusta National.

The birdies and eagles were pouring in from everywhere in Augusta, as 19 players broke 70,  38 of the 96 players in the field broke par, and some of that long lost excitement was restored to the Masters. For now, at least.

But the signs are good for an exciting tournament. Sure the course will get tougher. But the back nine was birdieable, the par fives were reachable, and the Masters felt like the Masters again. The green jackets got it right, and it’s hard to imagine they’re not going to continue getting it right through the weekend.

Chad Campbell had a record day. And left some history between the pines of Augusta, as well. Campbell started the tournament with five straight birdies, surpassing Ken Venturi’s record of four straight set in the 1950′s.

He was nine-under after 15 holes, and had a very legitimate shot of becoming the first player ever to shoot a 62 in a major. But he missed a short birdie on 16 and bogeyed 17 and 18 to shoot 65. Look, it was a great day for Campbell, and he leads the tournament by one, but the way he struggled down the stretch with history on the line does not bode well for his chances.

Also, it was 1987 all over again. Greg Norman shot a great round of 2-under, and of course, Larry Mize was right there to upstage him. Mize shot a remarkable 5-under 67, matching Jack Nicklaus’ record of the best round for a player over 50.

Tiger Woods got into the action, too. He struggled early, and struggled late. But put together a 2-under par 70 to get in the top 20 — he’s never broken 70 in the first round of the Masters. Had Woods putter cooperated even a little, he could have shot in the low 60′s.  He’s driving the ball beautifully, and making few mistakes with his long irons. Don’t be surprised to see a scary good round on Friday or Saturday out of Woods.

Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan, Sean O’Hair are all in contention. Phil Mickelson is not. It’s disappointing, because less than three years ago, Mickelson was on the verge of becoming the best golfer in the world. He’s never recovered from that 18th hole at the 2006 U.S. Open. And if he doesn’t watch out, at +1 he’s going to be in serious danger of missing the cut on Friday if he doesn’t play well.

Mickelson has the skill to be the best golfer in the world. But he doesn’t have the trust in himself. Rather than stick with one style of play and get better and better at it, he’s Jeckyll and Hyde. One day he wants to be a control play strategic golf. The next day he goes by instinct and grip’s it and rips it.

All the while, he can’t get out of his own way and take advantage of the best scoring conditions at Augusta in the last decade. He was never close to making a charge.

As for the anti-Phil, Tiger Woods: sure, it was a frustrating day. But he’s right where he needs to be. He could have/should have been at four-under par — instead a cruel lip-out at 17 for led to par, and a bad bogey at 18 has him steaming for Friday’s second round.

Unlike Phil, Tiger was in a position to score. He just couldn’t get the putter to match the rest of his game.

But while Tiger may not be happy, he’s in perfect position. There’s only 19 players between him and the lead. And besides, he always starts slow at the Masters, and all it’s done is help him win four green jackets.

He’s right where he needs to be. His fashion, however, is another matter entirely.

I don’t know what Tiger Woods was thinking with this shirt.

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

It looks like someone dipped his sleeves into the Blue Man Group’s bucket of makeup. Not a good look. I’d describe it as Charles Barkley-golf-swing-bad.  And the best part? You can have your very own for only $90.

It means that after eight long months of waiting, major championship golf has returned. It means I get to hear the familiar theme music on the CBS broadcast, and watch the true, beautiful beginning of spring on my television screen.

But most importantly, it means we’re one day closer to Sunday at the Masters. And this Sunday is due to be a good one at Augusta National. And God knows the Masters needs it.

We haven’t had a classic at Augusta since 2004, when Phil Mickelson shot a 31 on the back nine to edge Ernie Els. That back nine had it all: K.J. Choi’s eagle, two hole’s-in-one in a 15 minute span on the 16th (Padraig Harrington and Kirk Triplett) and Phil’s tournament-clinching birdie putt at 18.

2oo5 was dramatic, with Tiger’s chip in and playoff with Chris DiMarco, but was otherwise pretty pedestrian. And since, the Masters has been a bit anticlimatic  during the final round .

Players say the increased length at Augusta National — now nearly 7,500 yards — has taken the drama out of the tournament. Augusta National chairman Billy Pain blames bad weather over the last three years for the less than stellar finishes.

With the weather forecast good for the weekend in Augusta, it seems we’re about to find out who’s right.

All the pundits at Augusta this week seem to agree with Jaime Diaz’s assesment in the most recent Golf Digest: make it reasonable to go for the Par Five 13th and 15th in two, and the drama on the back nine is bound to return.

Under the leadership of Payne, Augusta National seems a lot more open to making reasonable changes to the golf course — the club seems to finally realize once again that you can be progressive and retain tradition simultaneously. Payne knows that the drama has been lacking on Sunday, and wants it to return more than anyone. You have to believe, that this year’s set up will be conducive to scoring on the weekend.

With that, here are my predictions.

Tap in’s

• Tiger Woods: You know he’s going to be a factor. He’s starting to hit more fairways, and if his putter gets hot, you know how this is going to end.
• Phil Mickelson: He’s says he’s playing his best golf in years. I sure hope so. The prospect of Phil and Tiger playing well at the Masters simultaneously is almost too good to believe. Chalk up Phil’s struggles at the Shell to him getting ready for Augusta. He hasn’t been in the mix since 2006. He knows this course too well to have another off year.
  
• Padraig Harrington: After a dismal start to the season, Harrington got into the mix at Bay Hill and last week at the Shell. Hmm … that sounds familiar. Harrington has proven that he knows how to get his game peaking at the right time, by winning the last two majors. He will be in the mix.

On the fringe…

• Jeev Milkha Singh: This guy’s swing is not pretty. But he can golf his ball. His 4th place finish at the CA Championship was impressive. He’s got a ton of international experience, and if he gets into contention, he won’t go away. And if he putts well, watch out.
• Fred Couples: Yep, I’m a sucker for sentimentality. How can you not root for Fred Couples? He got into contention last week in Houston, and you could just see how bad he wanted it. The guy has oodles of good karma at Augusta, and still has the game to contend. I really think he’ll get in contention. His performance on putts inside of six feet will decide if he stays there.
  
• Greg Norman: He doesn’t have to win for this week to be a success, but merely wind up on the leaderboard on Sunday. And, folks, Greg Norman can handle that. Augusta has been cruel to the 54-year-old. But he’s fit and still driving the ball as straight as ever. If the rain stays away, Norman should be able to get the ball in the right spots. And he will be playing under virtually no pressure. It’s hard to picture him not doing well.
• Geoff Ogilvy: He hits it high, and hits it a mile. He’s also leading the PGA Tour in putting average. Ogilvy has the game, and the experience to challenge for a Green Jacket. The only reason he’s not a prohibitive favorite: in three starts, he hasn’t finished higher than a tie for 16th in 2006.

Fuhgeddaboudit…

• Sergio Garcia: He has proven that he doesn’t perform well under pressure, especially with the putter. A balky putter is nightmarish at Augusta. While I think he’s getting better, and will get a major soon, it’s not going to be here (maybe at the U.S. Open, where his excellent driving of the ball is better rewarded, but I digress) . He’s missed the last two cuts here, and had a disappointing start to the season. Yep, I don’t think Golfsmith has anything to worry about.
• Camilo Villegas: It’s tough to pick against Villegas, who is tops on the PGA Tour so far in greens in regulation. But Augusta National doesn’t seem to fit his eye. After missing the cut badly (21-over-par in 2007, seven-over in 2008) in his first two Masters’ appearances, he must prove himself here first to build confidence.
• Adam Scott: He hasn’t been hitting fairways, or greens, or putting the ball well. No wonder he’s already missed two cuts this season, and has only two finishes in the Top 25. Not a good combo coming into the Masters.

And the winner is…

• Tiger Woods: I know, it’s not the most bold pick. But the guy is that amazing. The drama will return to the Masters, as the two best players in golf, Woods and … Harrington, battle it out on the back nine on Sunday. Tiger wins at -11, Harrington at -10. Mickelson gets close enough to threaten on Sunday, but finishes a distant third.

It’s hard to say goodbye. And for golf fans, that lesson has been hammered home far too many times this decade at the Masters.

First it was Arnold Palmer, then it was Jack Nicklaus. Today, Gary Player announced that he would be playing in his 52nd, and final Masters.

Standing about five-feet-seven, he was never the biggest player or the most talented. But, goodness, the man was efficient. What made Player so good was that he knew exactly how to get every inch out of what he had.

Player, 73, won the Masters in 1961, ’74 and ’78. He won nine career majors, and along with Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, is one of only five players to win the career grand slam (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship).

His passion and love for golf is practically oozing out of his pores. And he changed the game.

Nearly forty years before Tiger Woods emerged on the scene, Player uncovered the relationship between good fitness and good golf. And he continues to amaze. He hasn’t made the cut at Augusta since 1998. But he can still break 80 at Augusta National — last year he shot a 78 in the second round at Augusta, Camilo Villegas shot a 77 that same day.

Player won’t make the cut at Augusta this week. But his mark on the Masters, and on the history of golf, will continue to be felt for decades to come.

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)