Son leaves empty chair for late dad in his favorite spot at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - There are so many traditions that come with a visit to Augusta National.

Some are things you experience on the golf course, and others are ones you experience with someone you love.

We found a man with an emotional tradition.

“One of the great traditions here at Augusta National is when players skip the ball on the pond at 16,” said Robert Luzenski.

It’s an emotional experience for Luzenski as he watches those skips for the first time without his father.

He first saw it in 2002 when he made his first trip from Michigan to Augusta National with his dad.

“It was a practice round was like a Monday. And we’re here and all this yelling and I’m like, my dad’s like, ‘Well, what the heck is going on? It’s not a tournament time, he said.’ I said, ‘Oh, well, we’ll just follow the sounds’”

Those sounds led him to the 16th green.

And his dad was hooked.

“He looked at my brother-in-law and I and said, ‘Put my chair right here. This is where I’m going to sit.’ And he just loved it,” Luzenski said

It became tradition for the Luzenskis.

But this year, there’s an empty chair where Robert’s father used to sit.

“Last year at 95 he said I’d really love to go to the Masters one more time. … Unfortunately, he ed away in January,” Luzenski said.

Being on the course feels different this year.

“We shed a few tears on the walk down here just looking at some of the trees that he had to stop at because it was such a long walk,” Luzenski said.

But being back in his father’s favorite spot, seeing his father’s favorite tradition, brings back the memory of his favorite person.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “If I tell you, I get choked up.”

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