At Golf World, our Front 9 Punchline Contest submissions continue to crack us up. Every Sunday, we invite readers to contribute a snappy comment for one item in the Front 9 feature each week. GW feeds the straight set-up line on our Golf World Facebook page; readers contribute the punchline, which we publish.

We narrowed our list of more than 45 entrants to five finalists who had the most witty punchlines!

This was the set-up line we supplied this week:

"Bubba Watson is selling his North Carolina lake house for $1.499 million."

The winning punchline, supplied by Kevin Allen of Whiteford, Md., appears in this week's (April 23) issue:

"You should see his new house. It'll make you green with envy."

Other punchline finalists:

Our increasingly-popular contest, allowing you to help us write Golf World's weekly "Front 9" magazine feature, is back. Your name could appear in the game's No. 1 newsweekly.

Inspired by The New Yorker's cartoon-caption writing contest, Golf World is featuring the "Front 9 Punchline Contest" in every issue. Here's how it works: Every Sunday morning, Golf World's editors will post a Front 9 setup line to our magazine's Facebook page. We'll give you until 3 p.m. on Monday to enter your best punchline to that setup.

(An example from a recent Front 9: Louis Oosthuizen makes the fourth double eagle in Masters history.")

Punchline: He should have kept the ball, seeing how he missed the green jacket.)

Golf World editors will then select the winning entry, which will appear (along with the writer's name and hometown) in that week's issue of Golf World. In addition to having their entry published in the magazine, winners will receive some Golf World gear, too!

Hey, even if you don't have the best one, your creativity won't go unnoticed. We'll give you a shout out on our Editors' Blog: We've gotten too many quality responses to not acknowledge some of the best.

Our last winner was Michael Cooney of Seattle, whose winning entry appeared in the April 16 issue of the magazine:

The set-up line: Tiger Woods apologizes to those offended by his meltdowns during the Masters."

The winning punchline: "Officials rescinded any fine when forensic audio analysis determined he was yelling 'Oosthuizen!' "

At Golf World, we continue to be blown away by the creativity of our reader submissions in our Front 9 Punchline Contest. Every Sunday, we invite readers to contribute a snappy comment for one item in the Front 9 feature each week. GW feeds the straight set-up line on our Golf World Facebook page; readers contribute the punchline, which we publish.

But we've narrowed our list of finalists down to the five most witty entries!

This was the set-up line we supplied this week:

"Tiger Woods offers apology to those offended by his meltdowns during the second round of the Masters."

The winning punchline, supplied by Michael Cooney of Seattle, appears in this week's (April 16) issue:

"Officials rescinded any fine when forensic audio analysis determined he was yelling 'Oosthuizen!"

Other punchline finalists:

At the first Masters after Seve Ballesteros's passing, the tournament is won by the one player who best epitomizes the departed Spaniard's get-out-of-trouble creative genius. Coincidence? I think not. Seve's magic isn't gone--it lives on in the person of Bubba Watson.

J. Michael Veron, Lake Charles, LA

What a pleasure watching golf on the most beautiful course in the world.The Masters is unbelievable in all respects. Watching a spitting, cussing, frowning, club-kicking golfer is no model for our younger generation to look up to. I hope the PGA has some help and hopefully a remedy for such actions. I enjoy your magazine.

Palmer Hanson, Ft. Pierre, SD

Love 'em, dislike 'em, or don't have an opinion about 'em, but a pretty good case could be made that Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus made golf what it is today: popular and extremely lucrative. I dont care how many Bobby Jones, Ben Hogans, or Sam Sneads there were. Without Arnold, Gary, and Jack, golf today would be the equivalent of indoor soccer. Every player in the Masters should have showed up to see those three guys officially start this years tournament. At the very least, every former Masters winner should have showed up. Instead only Phil Mickelson took the time and made the effort to attend even though it was seven hours before his tee time. Loveem, dislikeem, or dont have an opinion aboutem, but Phil has class and character rare qualities among todays highly compensated athletes. Thats why Im pulling for Phil each time he tees it up.

Jerry Slaske, Milwaukee, WI

Now that the Masters officials have succesfully "Tiger-proofed " their course, Tiger has no wins since 2005, will they make additional changes to "Bubba-proofe " their course next year?

Gene Martineau, Roseville, CA

Considering Tiger's appalling actions today on the golf course, I strongly recommend you close your "Tiger" site. He is turning into "John Daly II" and should not have a site of any kind after his actions today. I feel bad for any young "Tiger" fans that witnessed his actions - he should not be "promoted" anymore until he gets his "s***" today. Disgraceful.

Randy Rutz, Drumheller, CA

Despite the fact that the Masters is elitist, sexist and one time racist, they do have one redeeming factor. No one has a higher regard for the game of golf and its longstanding tradition as a gentleman’s game. So why do they tolerate Tiger Wood’s boorish behavior, the foul language and the throwing and kicking of clubs? The money driven PGA doesn’t have the fortitude to discipline him. But the shrine of golf in America should. It is time for the Masters to take a stand.

Chris Jackson, Walpole, MA

I was totally disgusted by Tiger Woods cursing and antics on the back nine yesterday. Tim Dahlberg of the AP put it into very good perspective in an article that appeared in my local newspaper the Spartanburg Herald Journal this morning. I wish everyone in golf media would look at and consider the negatives for the game posed by this situation before they ignore or excuse this behavior in their future correspondence . Simply put, what he did was an embarrassment to the Masters and the game, and the media should no longer tolerate it simply because he is a great player. I sincerely hope your publication will speak to this issue and chastise Woods publicly. Thank you for your consideration, and for your usual splendid coverage of the golf scene.

Tagg Bowman, Tryon, NC

When will you, the media, start holding Tiger accountable for his horrible behavior on the Tour? My father would have grabbed me by the neck and drug me off the course if I acted like that! And you, the media, worship him, don't say a word. Question: Do you let your kids throw temper tantrums...stomp...and say horrible swearing words? I actually have to mute the TV when he is hitting. I ask you: Is that good for the game of golf...to have an ambassador of the game that we are afraid to let our kids watch and listen to? You, the media are the only ones who can pressure the PGA and Tiger into changing this despicable behavior Do you have the journalistic integrity?

Dave Riffey Sr. Shell Lake, WI

At Golf World, we've been blown away, week after week, by your creativity in our Front 9 Punchline Contest. Every Sunday, we invite readers to contribute a snappy comment for one item in the Front 9 feature each week. GW feeds the straight line on our Golf World Facebook page; readers contribute the punchline, which we publish.

Related: Golf World's Facebook page perfect for any golf fan

You guys let it rip on this week's set-up line . . . again there were great choices for our editors.

We narrowed our list of finalists down to our three most witty entries!

"British bookies list Tiger Woods as the Masters favorite."

The winning punchline, supplied by Peter Lee of San Ramon, Calif., appears in this week's (April 9) issue:

"There's a good chance he'll finish with The Big Make."

Other punchline finalists:

Mike Zimmerman, Glendale, Wisc.:

"Masters patrons, however, still list the pimento cheese sandwiches."

Alan Goldstein, Glenbrook, Ill. (past winner):

"And he's even money to finish uninjured."

Michael Cooney, Seattle, Wash. (past winner):

"Sure hope this works out better than the 'Rory is a lock for the PGA' bet we had last year," said Greece's finance minister."

Todd Anderson, Browns Mills, N.J. (past winner):

"Well, after disappointing his Mom, His Wife and his kids at least he is somebody's favorite."

Check back for our next contest on our Golf World Facebook wall on Sunday for your next shot at getting published!

--Stephen Hennessey

The annual Golf Writers Association of America awards dinner on the Wednesday evening of Masters week is often a perfectly uncomfortable reality show. Awkward, tedious, with assorted moments of rudeness and humiliation, always verging on catastrophe. At it’s worst, it’s a kind of high school production of the Emmys or Oscars, with writers and a few players doing their best Billy Crystals or Harrison Fords to an audience that’s doing what it makes its living doing: criticizing. (Remember the New Yorker essayist who soberly “reviewed” his child’s grade school Christmas pageant? Table conversations go like that.) 

But at its best, it’s like last night, amusing and inspiring. Which is why we all go. The highlights, pretty much higher than ever: 

--Watching an elegant Sophie Gustafson, who stutters, accept the Ben Hogan Award for overcoming adversity. Gustafson taped her acceptance and watched with us a minutes-long video—it took her hours to produce--punctuated by pauses and prolonged, determined efforts to get words out that left the audience awestruck. “I hope we can all agree that this is the best way of doing this if we’re going to get out of this room by the first tee time tomorrow,” she said, to huge laughter. “I thought if I can use my golf as a platform about stuttering and let one kid feel better about themselves, then it’s worth it.” 

--Laughing as Luke Donald, player of the year, chided the media on ignoring him. “You who?! Here I am!” This is always the first award, as the POY escapes pre-entrée like a POW. Before he left Donald had us smiling. “It’s curious to see a room full media in suits, almost as unusual as seeing them out on the course,” he said. 

--Listening to a determined Yani Tseng, who won the female POY award, report that “I’ve worked on my English because I want you to know me not only as a golfer but as a person” and tell the media not to be afraid to approach Asian players. “Don’t hesitate to talk to us,” she said. She brought down the house with her reference to The Big Miss. “But to my coach, I hope you don’t do a book about me in five years!” 

--Cheering Major Dan Rooney, the golf professional and fighter pilot who failed in his dream to be a tour player, but formed the Folds of Honor Foundation to raise millions of dollars for the families of killed and wounded soldiers, saying: “Thank God for unanswered prayers.” A message also delivered by Notah Begay, whose frustrating injuries game him time to launch a foundation dedicated to reducing childhood obesity and Type 2 Diabetes among native Americans. 

--Nodding in agreement as Golf Digest Editor Jerry Tarde introduced Hall of Fame inductee Dan Jenkins, as our Hogan and Snead… and hearing Jenkins say he was most proud to be the third Fort Worth resident to enter the hall, after Hogan and Nelson. 

--Roaring as Tom Lehman recalled the disappointment of his near-miss in the Open at Olympic and the brief interview his wife Melissa did with Rick Reilly: Asked how she thought Tom would handle the pain of losing: “You know, we’re going to go home and have great sex. How’s that, Rick” The quote, added Lehman, appeared the next week in Sports Illustrated. 

--Being moved by Golf World’s Jaime Diaz’s dedication of his Lifetime Achievement Award to his father, “the first Jaime,” a great athlete who inspired his less athletic son to write sports “from a loser’s perspective”, and the videotaped praise of former USGA President Sandy Tatum, who called Diaz “a peer of Bernard Darwin.” Jack Nicklaus, on tape, reminded the audience that the 1986 Masters was Jaime’s first. “I knew he needed a story,” deadpanned Nicklaus. We silently protested Jaime’s self-evaluation: “I think I’ve just gone from over-rated to way over-rated. I’m looking at all those men on this list (of winners) and I just don’t feel I belong.” 

It was a night to feel grateful--for the game, for the Masters, for the talent that brings it all together. As Tom Lehman said: “Some people write, some people talk, some people play and some people make it all happen.”  Last night we said thanks for them all, and got ready for a new story.

Dear Golf World:

I really enjoyed Geoff Shackelford's article, "The Augusta Syndrome Revisited."  I'm a golf course superintendent who has worked equally in private and public golf for the last 25 years.  I remember the days of looking so forward to spring and The Masters Tournament, enjoying it all weekend and living the highs and lows with my favorite golfers on TV.  Then I dedicated myself to the golf maintenance business.  

This is how the Augusta Syndrome worked in the early days.  You arrive at work on that "special" Monday morning in April with the answering machine flashing.  Typically it displays a double digit number from a number of different members but usually at least 3 messages from "that one concerned member."  Unbelievably, every call has an "original" idea for our golf course!  After taking the time to personally call all these people back and thank them for these revelations you finally get to the job on the golf course.  You ride around and realize it will be a long week of "suggestions."  Then you get the call that there will be a greens committee meeting on Tuesday night.  After 2 hours of comparing our course to Augusta National, you're told that you need faster green speeds, the bunker is too shallow on 18 and the rough is too long. Volunteer committees are set up for bunker edging and flower planting.  

This is kind of a funny look at it all but I swear to God at on time or another every one of these things has happened to me.  My hat is off to Augusta National for subtly educating golfers about turf maintenance and not trumpeting their superiority over everyone else. We all strive to give our golfers the best conditions we can afford and take tremendous pride in our work.  I'll probably never see Augusta National, but will tune in every spring to watch the golf and get ideas that I can adapt to my course.

Thad Thompson 

Superintendent 

Terry Hills Golf Course 

Batavia, NY<

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Dear Golf World: 

After watching the Final round at Bay Hill,Tiger looks like he picked up were he left off some two years ago. Players folding like a house of cards while Tiger strolls to a finale round 70 to win his first PGA Tournament in over two years. Graeme McDowell who was within a shot of Tiger seemed to lose his focus, like so many player that day. Graeme was quoted after his round, that he really enjoyed watching Tiger play today. Watching 60 minutes that night, they interviewed Novak Djokovic on his rise to No. 1 in the tennis world. Djokovic said he always had the talent but struggled especially when he played Nadal and Federer, it wasn't til he realized that he was giving them too much respect. Once his thought process changed he beat them handily. Anyone listening out there in the PGA? 

Mark Reinthaler, San Ramon, CA