Golf: Kiwi pockets prized ball at US Masters

A New Zealander has pocketed one of the most prized balls in golf, then decided to part with it the same day. Wayne Mitchell is a 59-year-old ex-pat and former Rotorua Boys' High School student, who lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He is also the man every golf fan envied yesterday when he was thrown Louis Oosthuizen's ball after the South African had made an incredible albatross (a double eagle) during the final round of the US Masters at Augusta. Mr Mitchell is vice president and general manager of Air Products' electronic business. According to the ESPN website, the golf ball sat at the bottom of the left pocket of Mr Mitchell's green cargo shorts. "I've got a zip on it,'' Mitchell said of the zipper pulled It landed in the hands of Mitchell, who was making his fifth trip to the tournament. "Actually, the biggest fear I had was that I was going to drop it,'' Mr Mitchell said before eventually giving the ball to Augusta National officials later in the afternoon. Club officials declined to divulge whatever arrangement was made for the ball. The double eagle was the Masters' first-ever on the 575-yard hole and only the fourth overall. Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, landed a 4-iron shot on the front part of the green and then watched as it rolled all the way toward and into the hole, travelling a total of 228m. The ball, with a red No. 4 and the letters ``L N J S'' emblazoned on it, could have become even more historic _ and valuable _ if Oosthuizen had won the Masters. But the South Africa native lost in a two-hole playoff to Bubba Watson. According to ESPN, a pair of green-jacketed Augusta National members were waiting for Mr Mitchell as he and his wife Jocelyn gathered their things after the final pairing of the day played through. "Welcome to Augusta,'' said one of the members to Mr Mitchell. "Happy Easter.'' They asked Mr Mitchell where he was from, introduced themselves to Mrs Mitchell and brought Mr Mitchell a bottle of water. "Well, we're so glad you're here,'' said the other member. At first, one of the members tried to shoo away a handful of reporters who had walked out to the second green but Mr Mitchell took the time to stop and chat about his new possession. It turned out Mr Mitchell, a once-a-month golfer, had been sitting in a front-row chair since 10.30am on Sunday (US time). The other couple he was with had left a little bit earlier. "I've sat there before,'' he said. "It's a great place to watch because you can see a lot of golf coming in there.'' "I came here anonymous today and I don't feel as though I'm anonymous anymore,'' he said. His parents Graham and Beryl Mitchell still live in Rotorua but they could not be reached for comment today.