1 – Give me ingenuity from ‘31

So Bryson DeChambeau made his own 5-iron using 3D. Whoop-De-Doo. Gene Sarazen invented the sand wedge using brain, brawn and a caddie’s intuition – in 1931. Which is a more impactful accomplishment?

2 – There is an age factor

Seeing Rory win the career Grand Slam at age 35 and play beautifully to defend his Masters title at 36 puts me in recall mode and there’s a tinge of sadness to that. To wit, Tiger Woods won his 14th major at 32, then self-destructed and was never the same . . . Seve Ballesteros won his fifth and final major at 31 . . . Tom Watson was just 33 when he won his eighth and final major . . . and Arnold Palmer was just 33 when he won his fourth Masters and sixth and final major. One never knows when the ride will end, so appreciate what McIlroy is doing.

3 – Keeping the streak alive

Twenty-seven consecutive Masters without a pimento cheese sandwich is in the books. No applause necessary.

4 – Before you are critical

And don’t come at me with a spelling error. If we’re in Spain it’s pimiento; but here in Augusta they go with pimento, so that’s that.

GOLF COURSE PHOTO – There’s nothing like bringing a level of simplicity to the landscape. This sign at Aiken GC, as quaint and lovely a course as you’ll play, says it all with two words, a carving, and a piece of wood. Yeah, it tickled my fancy and should you find one that acts similarly, please send it along to jim@powerfades.com

5 – Tone it back, just a little?

Now this is me, but if I’m slamming drives miles right and wide left all day, I might ratchet down my swing speed maybe a smidgen; you know, throttle back to 115, maybe settle for 320, so long as it’s in the fairway.

6 – I need to pay more attention

When I told her we needed to plant some pampas in the backyard flower garden, she asked why. “Because it’s my favorite hole at Augusta National,” I said. She said, “Have at it, but you know we don’t have a backyard flower garden, right?”

7 – So that’s what those are

So I wondered we couldn't plant some azaleas out front, that they'd blend in perfectly with the rhododendrons, her reaction had a hint of disdain. "Don't you watch the golf down there anymore?"

8 – It’s the era of makeup

In a game where the fashion is predominantly polos, quarter-zips, and softshell vests, it’s still wild to see the fashion show that TV golf-commentating has become. Used to be that the first question a fellow journalist would ask was, “got a pen I can borrow?” Now they carry makeup kits and ask, “Is my pocket square OK?”

9 – Ah, the good old days

Remember when we had a television landscape devoid of Shaquille O’Neal commercials?

With a crescendo of Augusta roars still reverberating, it's a good time to take a week off to re-charge the batteries. We'll be on holiday but return April 29 with another edition of "Power Fades."