AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Mother Nature's timing was impeccable. While overcast skies and spits of rain could be seen ever since the gates opened at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, it wasn't until after Miguel Angel Jimenez hit the opening tee shot of the third round that a steady drizzle started coming down.

Suffice it to say, players will have to cope with the elements during Saturday's play. In addition to intermittent showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms, winds have picked up, gusting 20 to 25 miles per hour.

AUGUSTA, Ga.--Officially, the Masters ended for Alabama senior Michael Thompson and Virginia Tech junior Drew Weaver Friday afternoon when the amateurs missed the cut with scores of seven-over 151 and 12-over 156, respectively. Unofficially, though, the two are looking to take in a little more of the experience this weekend. Both stayed in the Crow's Nest another night Friday and were out on the practice putting green outside the clubhouse Saturday morning.

"I've got the ACC Championship coming up next week. I can't think of a better place to get in a little practice," Weaver said.

A day earlier, an emotionally exhausted Weaver walked off the course teary-eyed, noting how much time had gone into getting ready for this week and how suddenly it had all come to an end. Thompson concurred: "You anticipate this week for so long and you put in all this preparation. Then it gets here and seems to go by in the blink of an eye."

The challenge now for both is to return to a "normal" routine after living a dream for the past week. "I'm pretty behind in my school work," joked Weaver, who also will be dealing with the emotions that are sure to come Wednesday with the one-year anniversary of the shootings on the Virginia Tech campus.

Thompson also returns to college golf next weekend as the top-ranked Crimson Tide men's team looks to take the title at the SEC Championship.

"I think my game's in pretty good shape for it," Thompson said. "Hard to think that playing in the Masters isn't pretty good preparation."

-- Ryan Herrington

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Having ended his first round on a disappointing note--a chunked approach shot to the 18th green leading to a bogey and a four-over 76--Virginia Tech junior Drew Weaver talked afterward how he had to get off to a quick start if he wanted to achieve his ultimate goal: becoming the first amateur to make the cut at the Masters since Ryan Moore in 2005.

Unfortunately for the 21-year-old who lived through the shootings on the Blacksburg, Va., campus a year ago before going on to become the first American in almost 30 years to win British Amateur title, he did just the opposite this morning, making bogeys on the first and second holes en route to a front-nine 39. Standing 10 over par through 15 holes, it appears he won’t be playing this weekend. (Update 2:40 p.m.: A tearful Weaver finished with a second-round 80.)

The cause isn't going much better for another of the three amateurs in the field at Augusta. U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Trip Kuehne is two over through seven holes on Friday but thanks to a 78 Thursday--which included bogeys on the three final holes--he needs to rally.

Kuehne, the anachronistic 35-year-old career amateur, said going into the event this would be the final tournament of national significance, as he intends to spend more time with his family and focus more on his investment management firm, Double Eagle Capital, outside Dallas.

So it is that any hope of having a low amateur collect his award next to the Masters champion Sunday ride on Alabama senior Michael Thompson, whose game appeared to be in the best shape coming into the tournament and who posted the low amateur round Thursday with a 73. "I know if I play to my capability," Thompson said Wednesday, "I can make the cut here."

The soon-to-be 22-year-old from Tucson has his own tale of being forced to grow up more quickly than he wanted, having been a student at Tulane when Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans in 2005.

--Ryan Herrington

At the USGA Annual Meeting on Feb. 9, incoming president Jim Vernon, executive director David Fay and the rest of the governing body's brass will have some good news to share on the financial front. Golf World got an early look at a copy of the 2007 annual report that will be released in Houston while working on a story for this week's issue on the USGA's outlook for the coming year. The report shows that the USGA and USGA Foundation had a net income of $1.21 million on revenues of nearly $137 million for the year ending Nov. 30, 2007. Net assets at year's end were $253.3 million.

The 2007 figure is modest compared to the USGA's reported net income $8.4 million in 2002, $4.4 million in 2004 and $2.3 million in 2005. However, a year ago, the governing body had a deficit of $6.12 million on revenue of $126.6 million, so things are moving in a positive direction.

An interesting note: For the first time in USGA history, revenues from the association's championships and team matches, including broadcast rights, broke the $100 million mark.

--Ryan Herrington

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca -- So what would you do if you were in Colt Knost's shoes?

The 22-year-old Dallas native has finished up his four years at SMU. He's playing well enough of late to believe he has a realistic shot at earning a PGA Tour card at Q school this fall. Still, having won the U.S. Amateur Public Links title in July and now having reached the finals of the 107th U.S. Amateur Championship (after winning his semifinal match versus Jhonattan Vegas, 4 and 3), he has secured spots in next year's Masters and U.S. Open ... provided he remains an amateur.

So what's the call? Do you turn pro and skip the majors or stay amateur and put the start of your career on hold until next June?

Knost said he won't make his final decision until after playing in the Walker Cup in two weeks. Sticking around to play Augusta National remains possible, but waiting until after competing at Torrey Pines seems doubtful.

"Still need to be an amateur [to get the exemption]?" Knost said. "I don't think I'll be at the U.S. Open unless I qualify then. Honestly, I'm going to have to think about it. But I don't think I can put off turning pro any longer than April."

Of course, if he were to defeat Michael Thompson in tomorrow's 36-hole final at Olympic Club, he also would earn a spot into next July's British Open, leading him to another dilemma.

If only all our decisions were so "difficult." 

--Ryan Herrington

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca-- Think golfers aren't athletes? Take a peak at Jhonattan Vegas, one of the semifinalists at the 107th U.S. Amateur Championship. The 23-year-old from Venezuela who just finished his senior season at Texas stands 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds. When Longhorns football coach Mack Brown first saw Vegas on the golf course back at Austin a few years ago, he approached him and asked if he had ever played on the gridiron before.

"He really thought I was a football player," Vegas said. "He was like, 'You really look like a tight end. Do you really play golf or are you joking with me?' "

Vegas certain does play golf, as evidenced by his 3-and-1 victory over Cheng Tsung Pan Friday in the quarterfinals at Olympic Club. Vegas faces reigning U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Colt Knost in one semifinal match Saturday. Michael Thompson and Casey Clendenon square off in the other.

--Ryan Herrington

SAN FRANCISCO—We're down to eight at the 107th U.S. Amateur, but only one of the quarterfinalists is a current U.S. Walker Cup team member: Colt Knost. The 22-year-old from Dallas won the U.S. Amateur Public Links title in July and is the most recognizable player remaining here at Olympic Club, having first made headlines when he shot a 64 at the PGA Tour's Byron Nelson Championship in April.

No doubt the USGA brass is a little disappointed that only one of the eight players already named to Buddy Marucci's squad that competes in two weeks at Ireland's Royal County Down is still standing. "I'm surprised. I thought there would be some more of us," Knost said. "But it's all right. Hopefully we're all saving our games for over there."

--Ryan Herrington

(Photo: Dino Vournas/Getty Images)

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- It wasn't nearly as impressive as his opening-round 68, but a second-round 76 from 18-year-old Rory McIlroy assures the British Open of something that hasn't happened at a major championship in 2007: an amateur making the cut.

The native of Holywood, Northern Ireland, was the fancy of many spectators at Carnoustie after posting the only bogey-free round Thursday and ending the day tied for third, three shots back of Sergio Garcia. McIlroy, whose baby-face looks would make you swear he isn't a day out of grade school, said that nerves weren't the cause of the eight-shot difference in his performance despite more benign conditions Friday.

"A 76 really wasn't reflective of the way I hit it today," McIlroy said. "I hit some good ones but just couldn't get any putts to drop. I had more adrenaline than anything today. I hit a 2-iron almost 290 yards [off the first tee]."

McIlroy finished secondary school in Northern Ireland two years ago and considered going to college in the U.S. Once away from the textbooks, however, he decided he didn't want to turn back. He remained an amateur in hopes of playing on this year's Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, a spot being fairly certain after this week's performance.

Locals have long been eyeing McIlroy as a star in waiting ever since he became the youngest player to win both the West of Ireland and the Irish Close Amateur titles in 2005. He followed it a year later by winning the European Amateur and earlier this month helping Ireland win the European Amateur Team championship.

Unless one of the two amateurs still playing this afternoon can post a sub-par round, McIlroy likely will be the only pay-for-pride player left for the weekend, assuring him the silver medal for low amateur. If that is the case, he said that he will be gunning for a top-10 finish as a target.

"I'm just excited to be playing in the Open, and I'm having fun out there," McIlroy said. "That's my No. 1 goal. I'm trying not to think about anything else."

-- Ryan Herrington

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- Raw.

It's the best way to describe conditions in the morning of the first round of the British Open here at Carnoustie. The persistent rain that greeted the morning threesomes has subsided -- who knows for how long -- but the winds are strong and the temperatures are only in the 60s. It was cold enough that when Tiger Woods' eagle putt on the par-5 sixth fell in the hole for him to take a share of the lead, you could see his breath as he picked the ball out of the hole.

Needless to say, the competitors and the spectators are taking to the tough conditions rather well. As of noon local time, more than a dozen players are under par -- first time anyone has written that sentence from a major this year. Meanwhile, fans, who are allowed to bring food and drink in with them, have packed accordingly. In the grandstands beside the sixth tee, a husband and wife from nearby Aberdeen following Paul Lawrie were drinking coffee from a thermos in their backpack.

Unfortunately, we're all likely going to have to get used to feeling like we're walking around inside a refrigerator. The forecast calls for three more days of similarly dreary weather.

-- Ryan Herrington