Fans stake out seats at 18th

THEIR SPOT: The last time Hutton Sel­lers and his father, Scott, got a seat on the 18th green for the final round of the Masters was 2004, when Phil Mickelson converted an 18-foot birdie putt to win his first green jacket.

Usually Hutton, whose father has missed the final round only once since 1972, stands beneath the TV tower at the bottom of the green along the fairway, but on Sunday he said he woke up at 5 a.m. and got through the gates by 7:45 to get a seat near No. 18.

“Nothing beats Masters Sun­day,” said Sellers, who is studying sports medicine at Georgia Sou­thern University. “It comes before Christmas on my list.”

SWEET SPOT: Matt Ellsworth, of Char­lotte, N.C., said this was his second straight year at the Masters. He got through the gates at 8 a.m. Sunday to secure another spot beside the 18th green.

“It was filling up fast,” said Ellsworth, who attended with friend Scott Meise. “Had we waited another 10 minutes, we wouldn’t have gotten a spot. Timing was crucial.”

Ellsworth said they discussed grabbing a seat at either the 16th or 18th and selected the latter because so many players were near the top of the leaderboard.

“I am a fan of all sports, but the magic of Masters Sun­day at Augusta National is probably the most significant spectacle there is,” Ellsworth said. “The entire back nine is one large pressure-cooker playoff.”

LONG WAIT: Larry Marchese, 71, said it will be three more years before he can enjoy the Masters in person.

He said he and his wife, Mary Jo, get badges for the four tournament rounds every third year from a relative who is an Augusta National member.

Marchese said he always gets a spot near the 18th green the last day. On Sunday, he got through gates at 7:45 a.m. to snag a seat while his wife browsed the golf shop.

The last time Marchese sat beside the 18th green, South African Charl Schwartzel capped a record-setting birdie run on the final four holes to win the Masters in 2011.

SOUVENIRS: Cindy Benway and Chuck Hilborn, of Jupiter, Fla., found just about anything with a Masters logo to take home as a souvenir, including two bags of peanuts from the concession stands.

“It’s such a special thing to get to be here,” Benway said. “Anything to take home is great.”