The best-known caddy in the 1996 Masters Tournament can't get a tournament series badge for his family this week. Not even one.

This will be Carl Jackson's 34th straight s year caddying in the Masters and 20th for Ben Crenshaw, with whom he collaborated on two Masters victories.

Because caddies don't have the opportunity to purchase series badges for the Masters, Jackson's 8-year-old son Jason won't be able to watch his father try to help Crenshaw win another Masters title. In fact, Jason has never been to a Masters Tournament round.

``It's just him and I this week and I would like for him to be able to come to the course with me every day,'' said Jackson, a former Augustan who now lives in Union City, Ga., located near Atlanta.

Jackson said his son ``is interested in golf. He's saying `Daddy, why can't I go to the Masters?' At least my wife or my kids ought to be allowed out there.''

The Augusta National Golf Club allots series badges to the immediate family of the 93 participants - they still must pay the $100 price for each badge - but caddies have never had the opportunity to purchase badges.

Asked Wednesday if there had been any consideration to allow caddies to purchase badges, Augusta National chairman Jack Stephens said the answer was no.

``That's tough,'' Stephens said. ``We all have people for whom we can't get tickets.''

On the PGA Tour, Jackson is the regular caddy for Sean Murphy. It's no problem getting tickets for regular PGA Tour events - most of them are not sold out anyway. Jackson's son Jason spent the week with his father in early March at the Honda Classic in Coral Springs, Fla.

As Peter Jacobsen's caddy Mike ``Fluff'' Cowan, says ``On the PGA Tour, the caddy association provides some tickets. If you really need a badge, you can get it, just by asking guys (players) you know.''

Getting tickets to the major championships are tougher than regular PGA Tour stops, Cowan said, but the Masters is the toughest ticket of them all.

``Badges are so hard to come by here, I don't even try anymore,'' Cowan said.

Cowan always regretted that his late father was never able to attend the Masters.

``He introduced me to the game and he played it all his life,'' Cowan said. ``He would have loved to have seen this place.''

``The Masters is one of the greatest tournaments in the world,'' Jackson said. ``If you look at the other sports, whether it's basketball or hockey or whatever, if they go to the championship game or to the big dance in that sport, the assistants, trainers and everybody involved can get a ticket or two so their immediate family be can there.

``Between my wife and I, we have six kids. They're reading all the time about what's going on with me in golf and when it comes to the Masters. I can't even get them a ticket. We are right there next to the players. I don't want to knock the (the Augusta National Golf Club), but you've got 89 or 90 caddies there every year and we are part of the tournament.''