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Dog eats tickets to Masters tournament; tickets recovered

Arnold Palmer will be there, too.
The Associated Press
Arnold Palmer will be there, too.

Russ Berkman's dream came true when he won a lottery for four passes to Wednesday's practice round at the Masters golf tournament. But the Seattle-area resident's stomach turned when he found his dog, Sierra, had eaten them.

Berkman told KJR radio on Tuesday he was still determined to go. His girlfriend told him he had to make his dog puke.

He induced vomiting and recovered a gooey glob. Then he went to work trying to put about 20 vomit-covered pieces back together.

He says he recovered about 70 percent of the tickets. He took photos and explained the situation to the Augusta National Golf Club as "my dog ate my Masters tickets!"

They reprinted Berkman's tickets and had them waiting for him in Georgia.

From a great's website:

Arnold Palmer's string of consecutive playing appearances in the Masters Tournament ended at 50 when he competed for a final time in the 2004 championship, but Arnold Palmer flew into Augusta, Georgia, again Tuesday, a stop he has made every year since 1955.

As he did last year, Palmer attended the Champions Dinner Tuesday in the historic Augusta National clubhouse. Charl Schwartzel, the defending champion, hosted the dinner, at which virtually all of the living former winners of the classic event, playing or non-playing, gathered.

Palmer serves as an Honorary Starter today with his long-time rivals and friends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, each hitting tee shots at 7:40 a.m. ET on the first tee to launch the 2012 Masters.

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