My favourite golf major
For the golf lover, there is nothing quite like the build up to the first major championship of the year. All of a sudden the par 3 competition is upon you on the Wednesday night as players let their wives, kids and others hit some shots around the short 9 hole par 3 course at Augusta. Of course because of Covid-19, that was not possible in 2021.
Usually though, the par 3 contest is the calm before the storm and no one really wants to win it as it is believed to be a curse. No player has ever gone on to win the green jacket on Sunday after winning the Wednesday curtain opener since the Masters first began in March 1934. Golf is already a mental minefield, so the last thing any of the top players need is another thought bouncing around their head. So, with the exception of maybe Padraic Harrington who has won this 3 times, you don't often see the top players looking to win it, it is just a formality and a bit of fun before the real deal begins.
The wait is over
Thursday comes with all the excitement of Christmas morning in a houseful of children. Who will we see slipping the green jacket on come Sunday evening? Will anyone melt down on the back 9? Will we see a late surge through Amen corner? Will a form player prevail or is a shock on the cards? Questions abound as we lap up the kaleidoscope of colours we've grown accustomed to around Augusta National. The pink and white of the azaleas are a feast for the eyes, as the lush fairways wait anxiously for the worlds best players to toil tirelessly for the biggest prize in golf.
Even those who have no interest in golf will be familiar with the scene that is Augusta National Golf course sitting 144 miles away from Atlanta in the US state of Georgia. This pristine golf course is what Wimbledon is to tennis; what Wembley is to footballers.
A nod to the past
One of the nicest things about the Masters is their appreciation of history and of the golfing greats of yesteryear. Not only do they allow previous winners of a green jacket to return to this golfing amphitheater each year, but they also include three of the greatest golfers ever to play the game to drive in the competition each year. I am of course talking about the three amigos Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.
With the passing of Arnold Palmer in 2016, there are only two of the great three left standing, but they are still very much part of the build up to the Masters, and will again drive off the competition this year. They will be joined this year by legendary player Lee Elder, who became the first black man to play at the Masters in 1975. He inspired future golfing stars like Tiger Woods to pursue their golfing dreams.
Well done Lee - I hope its a memorable day for you and your family. Many a ding dong battle they all had around the Augusta course throughout the 1960s and 1970s. I wonder how they would fair against today's top players if they had the same equipment and conditioning as the modern players enjoy? I have a funny feeling they'd do just fine. In fact, I think there's a good chance that they would dominate many of today's best players. These guys had edge, attitude and tonnes of ability.
Who's going to win?
Will it be Dustin Johnson again? The tall texan who looks more chilled out than Bob Marley picked this golf course apart last November to become the 2020 Masters champion. He ate Amen corner up averaging 6 under through that stretch of three tough holes which decides the Masters most years. The field averaged even parbon those same 3 holes. Can he do it again in 2021 to join an elite club of two in a row Masters champions? Jack did in 1965 and 1966, Nick Faldo in 1989 and 1990 and Tiger in 2001 and 2002. Maybe its due?? I don't think so though, top ten yes win, no.
Dusty is not the only one chasing a record. Rory can enter the panteon of golfing immortality if he can finally add the green jacket to the other 3 golfing majors he has won to complete the career grand slam. Very few golfers have acheived this dream, with Tiger being the most recent to join Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Gary Player. He has another chance this week to join that famous 5. However Rory has not won a major since 2014. That's around 26 attempts and no cigar. Can this finally be his year? I hope so as I have a few quid on my fellow Irishman
Others who may feature
I think the following players will all make the cut and some may feature when things hot up on the back 9 on Sunday evening:
Paul Casey
Xander Schauffele
Daniel Berger
Tony Finau
Hideki Matsuyama
Thanks for reading.
The images used throughout were not my own and were sourced from the following sites:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/golf.com/news/features/100-facts-masters-augusta-national/amp/
https://amp.tmz.com/2020/03/13/2020-masters-golf-tournament-postponed-over-coronavirus/
https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/rory-mcilroy-end-major-drought-2020/
