Loran Smith: Tommy Aaron and Roberto deVicenzo

Loran SmithWith every official, competitor, and patron maintaining a hopeful eye on the weather while basking in the golden rays of sunshine, it was fun taking in the Par 3 tournament Wednesday, which allowed for flashing back a half-century in the past.

In 1973, nobody gave Georgian Tommy Aaron much chance of winning the Masters and many, not understanding the rules of golf, blamed him for the scoring error that caused Roberto De Vicenzo to miss out on an opportunity to enter into a playoff with Bob Goalby in 1968.

Lately, Aaron, who is from Gainesville, has not been playing much golf. He was emotionally burdened with the loss of his wife, Jimmye, last year and the effects of neuropathy…