The Masters – golf’s first major – is here. In DEEP ROUGH: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL, Grant – a Lutheran pastor, a former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative – is in the midst of the action on and off the course at the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and more! Kirkus Reviews says, “... when the action does hit, it's exhilarating, and Stephen proves once again he's as capable in fights as he is in quieter times of prayer and worship. A fast-paced, exuberant outing for the virtuoso clergyman and his numerous comrades.”
Grab DEEP ROUGH at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/107308843X and enjoy the following excerpt from the book…
Each hole at Augusta National was named for a flowering and/or aromatic tree or shrub. This was a tip of the hat to the fact that the course was laid out on what previously had been a plant nursery.
The 11th hole, named “White Dogwood,” stretched out to a long, 505-yard par 4. Traditionally the second most difficult hole, it marked the beginning of “Amen Corner” – a name coined by Herbert Warren Wind in a 1958 issue of Sports Illustrated – which covered the 11th, 12th and 13th holes.
Chen launched a perfectly-shaped, left-to-right drive, but then badly misplayed his approach shot to the right of the green, leaving a long, tricky pitch. The gallery erupted when Chen’s pitch shot sped toward the hole, hit the stick and dropped into the hole. Chen pumped his fist, and then high- fived Grant.
As they made the short walk over to the 12th hole, Grant asked, “Doing your Larry Mize impression?” From a similar spot, Mize had chipped in during a playoff to beat Gregg Norman.
Chen replied, “The 1987 Masters? How old are you, Stephen?”
“Wow. That didn’t seem necessary.”
The two men laughed, and stopped near the next tee. The wind tended to swirl in “Amen Corner,” but fortunately the air was calm. Grant had his hand on the head of Chen’s nine iron, waiting for Xin’s decision on what club he’d choose for the 155-yard, par-3 12th hole – or “Golden Bell.” When Chen requested the nine, Grant was pleased with himself.
The narrow green was well guarded, by Rae’s Creek and a bunker in the front, and two bunkers behind the putting surface. Chen would hit first among the threesome, and his high nine iron shot came up short, with the ball plummeting into the front bunker.
As the next two players went through their respective routines and hit their shots, Grant once again casually scanned the gallery. Two faces caught his attention. They were a few people deep from the rope line behind the tee. A man and woman stood next to each other. They were both tall, and had light brown hair. The man sported a scar above his left eye. For some reason, they struck Grant as being out of place.
