2017 Masters First Day

Can't let the Masters go by without talking about it here on the HP.  I'm not as eloquent as GoHeath but I can give my thoughts.

Golf fans will often say that spring starts with the Masters and I can see that.  It's so much fun sitting around on Sunday after church, with a warm sun and cool breeze outside, while men play golf on television in a beautiful setting.  

When I was at Heath I was on the golf team and we always started practice starting March 1st, so to me for a while that was the start of spring.  Even living in Northern Idaho where it is too cold to really get out and play consistently, I still start to feel the itch to get out and play golf on March 1st.  

Now that I think about this I'll give you my spring starts activities. 

Up to age 15 spring started when the Daytona 500 ran.

Age 15-26 spring started March 1st.

Age 26-31 spring started with MLB opening day.

Age 32-34 spring started with our first hike of the year.

Age 35-Present spring starts when I can get out on my bike consistently.

The big news so far today at the Masters is that Dustin Johnson, the number 1 player in the world, had to withdraw after he had a bad fall yesterday at his rental house.  Very sad.  

Look to comments for more thoughts on today's round.  

Masters Day Three Wrap-Up

Well, the big showdown between Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy did not live up to expectations.  In clear but extremely windy conditions, McIlroy's game was never right all day -- he struggled to a 5-over par 77.  Spieth, on the other hand, fought the game all day with the tenacity of an old sea captain trying to make harbor in the midst of a gale.  A double-bogey on 11 dropped him to 3-under par for the tournament, but he fought back with birdies on 12, 14, and 15 to build a four-shot lead with only three holes left.  However, he then finished with a bogey on 17 and a double-bogey on 18 to give back almost all of that lead.  Still, he leads the Masters for the seventh round in a row, after a day on which he made two double-bogeys on the back nine.  I don't think that has ever happened in golf history, and I doubt if it will happen again.

Spieth will be paired with Smiley Kaufman, who grew up in Birmingham, Ala., but who played golf for LSU.  I can't help but think that Bobby Jones would be pretty pleased to see two young Southerners in the last group at his old tournament.  But right behind them are some of the best golfers in the world, including the 58-year-old Bernard Langer -- who was the defending champ with Jack Nicklaus won for the last time.  Nicklaus was born in 1940.  Spieth was born in 1993.  What a funny old world.

Here is the leaderboard:

1.  J. Spieth:   -3 (66+74+73=213)

2.  S. Kaufman:  -2 (73+72+69=214)

T3.  B. Langer (GER):  -1 (72+73+70=215)
T3.  H. Matsuyama (JPN):  -1 (71+72+72=215)

T5.  J. Day (AUS):  Even (72+73+71=216)
T5.   D. Johnson:  Even (73+71+72=216)
T5.  D. Willett (ENG):  Even (70+74+72=216)

T8.  S. Kjeldsen (DEN):  1 over (69+74+74=217)
T8.  B. Snedeker:  1 over (71+72+74=217)
T8.  L. Westwood (ENG):  1 over (71+75+71=217)

Masters Preview

The Masters starts today, and we will preview it by giving you a list of the top 10 players in the world, according to the World Golf Ranking, along with each of their odds of winning, according to the British betting markets:

1.  Jason Day (AUS):  6 to 1
2.  Jordan Spieth:  8 to 1
3.  Rory McIlroy (NIR):  7 to 1
4.  Bubba Watson:  12 to 1
5.  Rickie Fowler:  12 to 1
6.  Henrik Stenson (SWE):  20 to 1
7.  Adam Scott (AUS):  12 to 1
8.  Dustin Johnson:  20 to 1
9.  Justin Rose (ENG):  16 to 1
10.  Patrick Reed:  80 to 1

It looks like a beautiful day in Augusta.  Any further thoughts will go in the comments.

The Masters

The Masters -- Day 2 Wrap-Up

From one perspective, the big story of Day Two at the Masters was that Phil Mickelson missed the cut.  It's been a long, long time since we went into Masters weekend without Tiger or Phil being involved.  In the fourteen years from 1997 from 2010, they combined to win seven green jackets.  Their absence from the weekend really makes it feel as though we have entered a new era.

From another perspective, the big story was the potential for a showdown between Bubba Watson and Adam Scott, the last two winners of this event.  Playing in the morning, Bubba shot a spectacular 68 to open up a three-shot lead over the field.  Playing in the afternoon, Scott played the back nine in three-under par to close within four shots of Bubba.  If the Masters comes down to a duel between these two champions, it should be very entertaining.

But from a third perspective, the big story may have been the continuing rise of Jordan Spieth, the 20-year-old who got the lion's share of attention in the late afternoon TV coverage.  Spieth didn't dominate the course like Tiger Woods back in 1997, and it's far too early to draw any conclusions about his future career.  But, like most golfing greats throughout history, you could see that Spieth is not just happy to be there -- he is playing to win.  That attitude is vital to success at golf's highest level, and I can't think of another recent young American who has shown so much confidence.

Of course, if the tournament is won by John Senden, Jonas Blixt, or Thomas Bjorn, then we'll look at this whole day from a different perspective.

Here's the leaderboard:

1.  B. Watson:  -7 (69+68=137)

2.  J. Senden (AUS):  -4 (72+68=140)

T3.  T. Bjorn (DEN):  -3 (73+68=141)

T3.  J. Blixt (SWE):  -3 (70+71=141)

T3.  A. Scott (AUS):  -3 (69+72=141)

T3.  J. Spieth:  -3 (71+70=141)

T7.  F. Couples:  -2 (71+71=142)

T7.  J. Walker:  -2 (70+72=142)

T7.  J. Furyk:  -2 (74+68=142)

T10.  K. Streelman:  -1 (72+71=143)

T10.  S. Gallacher (SCO):  -1 (71+72=143)

T10.  R. Henley:  -1 (73+70=143)

T10.  K. Stadler:  -1 (70+73=143)

T10.  J. Donaldson (WAL):  -1 (73+70=143)

Masters Day 4 Wrap Up

So, in the end, we had yet another first-time major winner -- as we've had in almost every major since Phil Mickelson won the Masters in 2010.  Adam Scott is a fine golfer -- before winning the Masters, he had won seven PGA events, seven events on the European Tour, and one of the World Golf Classic events.  And he played great on Sunday -- after bogeying the first hole, he put up five birdies and no bogeys on the next 19 holes.  But viewed at through the long history of golf, he is likely to be remembered as another Webb Simpson or Graeme McDowell -- just another of the folks who won major tournaments during the transition between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Of course, everything would have been different if Tiger had won this tournament -- and I think he would have done so if not for an incredible piece of bad luck at the 15th hole on Friday.  For me, that will be the most memorable image of this Masters -- that almost-perfect shot, hit on one of the easiest holes on the course, bounding off the flag and into a pond.  Still, this was the first time in a long time that Tiger really looked like himself during a major.  He should be worth watching for the rest of the year.

As for McIlroy, he is still working through something, but I think he's closer to winning than most people realize.  Here were his rounds at the Masters:  72+70+79+69=290.  In other words, he had one terrible round on Saturday, but was 5 under in the other three rounds.  We've seen something like this before -- in 2011, McIlroy played three and one-half great rounds at the Masters, but fell apart on Sunday afternoon.  A few months later, he dominated the U.S. Open.  Last year, McIlroy tied for 40th at the Masters, missed the cut at the U.S. Open, and tied for 60th at the British Open -- then ran away with the PGA and also won the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship.  He will be heard from before the year is out.

We will also note that this was another very poor showing from American golfers not named Tiger Woods.  Since Tiger won the 2008 U.S. Open, there have been 19 major tournaments.  Of those, only six have been won by Americans.  I'm afraid we are simply looking at a lost generation of American golf -- that the next great American golfer after Tiger Woods, whoever he may be, is not currently on tour.

Finally, a tip of the cap to Bobby Jones, whose remarkable tournament, and beautiful golf course, continue to enthrall fans worldwide.  Once Tiger was penalized on Saturday morning, my rooting interest in the Masters almost disappeared.  But I thoroughly enjoyed this whole tournament.

Final Leaderboard:

1.  A. Scott (AUS):  -9 (69+72+69+69=279) (shot 4+3= 7 in playoff)

2.  A. Cabrera (ARG):  -9 (71+69+69+70=279) (4+4=8 in playoff)

3.  J. Day (AUS):  -7 (70+68+73+70=281)

T4.  T. Woods:  -5 (70+73+70+70=283)
T4.  M. Leishman (AUS):  -5 (66+73+72+72=283

T6.  T. Olesen (DEN):  -4 (78+70+68+68=284)
T6.  B. Snedeker:  -4 (70+70+69+75=284)

T8.  S. Garcia (ESP):  -3 (66+76+73+70=285)
T8.  L. Westwood (ENG):  -3 (70+71+73+71=285)
T8.  M. Kuchar:  -3 (68+75+69+73=285)

The Masters (Sunday)

I'm for Sneds, Cabrera, Leishman, Kooch, Tiger, Fowler, Furyk (also 2-under), Freddy (even), Bubba (2-over) or Larry Mize. Mostly Sneds, Tiger or Furyk. Tiger, most of all. Go, Tiger!

Previous dispatches:

-- Thursday's doings and Go Heath's first-round wrapup

-- Friday's doings and Go Heath's second-round wrapup

-- Saturday's doings and Go Heath's third-round wrapup

Masters -- Day 3 Wrap-Up

In the first place, I want to apologize to Eric for making him put up with an anti-media screed this afternoon.  To Eric's credit, he was quite patient about hearing me out, and I now feel much better.  Venting is often good for the soul.

In the second place, I want to give credit to Vandy alumnus Brandt Snedeker, who has played better than I expected, and who strikes me as the only American with a realistic chance of victory tomorrow.

They say that the Masters begins when the leaders get to the back nine on Sunday, but this Masters has already been chock-full of drama.  So I can only imagine what we will see tomorrow.

One final note:  Tiger should have had a birdie-4 at the fifteenth hole on Friday.  Instead, with the two-stroke penalty, he ended up with a triple-bogey 8.  Those four strokes are the difference between him and the leaders.

Here is the current leaderboard:

T1.  B. Snedeker:  -7 (70+70+69=209)
T1.  A. Cabrera (ARG):  -7 (71+69+69=209)

3.  A. Scott (AUS):  -6 (69+72+69=210)

T4.  M. Leishman (AUS):  -5 (66+73+72=211)
T4.  J. Day (AUS):  -5 (70+68+73=211)

6.  M. Kuchar:  -4 (68+75+69=212)

T7.  T. Clark (RSA):  -3 (70+76+67=213)
T7.  T. Woods:  -3 (70+73+70=213)

T9.  R. Fowler:  -2 (68+76+70=214)
T9.  S. Stricker:  -2 (73+70+71=214)
T9.  B. Langer (GER):  -2 (71+71+72=214)
T9.  L. Westwood (ENG): -2 (70+71+73=214)
T9.  J. Furyk:  -2 (69+71+74=214)

The Masters (Saturday)

The headline on The Sydney Morning Herald's story today is, "Another Day, another Australian leads the US Masters."

Previous dispatches:

-- Thursday's doings and Go Heath's first-round wrapup

-- Friday's doings

Masters Day 2 Wrap-Up

Well, the press was denied its pound of flesh after Guan Tianlang made the cut yesterday.  It was a frustrating day for the media, which was prepared to explode with rage against Augusta National for an officials' decision to penalize Guan for slow play.  But the official turned out to be the most respected of the European officials, and Guan made the cut anyway -- so the media (which hesitates to criticize any European, and which could not prove that Guan's life had been significantly affected by the event) was forced to merely huff and puff in fury.

But now the press are excited again, because Tiger Woods may have made an illegal drop on the 15th hole. At least one middle-aged reporter is already howling for blood:

Dave Kindred:  "The kid handled it well.  My column.  Next, will Tiger to the right thing and DQ himself?"

Ah, the columns just write themselves:  "Rules are rules."  "Fair treatment for everyone."  "No special privileges."  But it all comes back to the same thing:  the press likes Guan (who is a great story) and they don't like Tiger (who refuses to talk to them).

Of course, there was a time when Tiger was young, and a great story, and he spoke openly to reporters.  But that led to an infamous story in which Charles Pierce of Esquire published a bunch of dirty jokes he heard a 21-year-old Tiger telling while at a photoshoot, and we've never heard Tiger speak in his own voice since.  According to how the media keeps score, however, the blame for this falls on Tiger, not Charles Pierce, and so much of the press will dance with glee if the world's most popular golfer is disqualified.

UPDATE (9:47 A.M.):  Tiger was penalized two shots, but was NOT disqualified.  As I expected, the press is furious:

Dave Kindred:  "A man signs an an incorrect scorecard and is not DQ'd?  Somewhere, Bobby Jones sighs at what's become of his child."

Dave Kindred:  "Rule 26.1 a) amended by Masters to include the phrase, "...except in cases involving competitors important to television ratings."

Dan Jenkins:  "No DQ for Tiger but a two-stroke penalty?  Roberto de Vicenzo, show up at the Butler Cabin and fetch your green jacket."


(Actually, a two-stroke penalty would have been sufficient to deny Roberto de Vicenzo the 1968 Masters title.  De Vicenzo didn't have a victory taken away from him for failing to sign an incorrect scorecard; he was denied the chance for an 18-hole playoff with Bob Goalby, because if De Vicenzo's scorecard had been accurate, he and Goalby would have tied.  So a two-stroke penalty would have given the title to Goalby.)

Here is the leaderboard now that Tiger has effectively been eliminated from competition.  The media will be thrilled, as the evil Americans now have almost no chance of victory:

1.  J. Day (AUS):  -6 (70+68=138)

T2.  F. Couples:  -5 (68+71=139)
T2.  M. Leishman (AUS):  -5 (66+73=139)

T4.  A. Cabera (ARG):  -4 (71+69=140)
T4.  J. Furyk:  -4 (69+71=140)
T4.  B. Snedeker:  -4 (70+70=140)

T7.  A. Scott (AUS):  -3 (69+72=141)
T7.  J. Dufner:  -3 (72+69=141)
T7.  D. Lynn (ENG):  -3 (68+73=141)
T7.  L. Westwood (ENG):  -3 (70+71=141)
T7.  J. Rose (ENG):  -3 (70+71=141)
T7.  K.J. Choi (KOR):  -3 (70+71=141)

The Masters (Friday)

Thorbjørn Olesen, my main man from Furesø, Denmark, as well as D.A. Points of Pekin, Ill., and John Merrick of Long Beach, Calif., are teeing off the second round right about now. 

And here's Thursday's fun.

Comments flow!

Masters Day 1 Wrap-Up

Great job by Eric and Matthew on yesterday's coverage.

The old course at Augusta National played easier than usual on Thursday, and as a result we saw one of the most entertaining first rounds I can remember.  There was something for everyone -- the 53-year-old Fred Couples shot a four-under par 68, while 14-year-old Tianlang Guan shot a brilliant 73.  Some popular guys who have never won a major -- Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Ricky Fowler and Matt Kuchar -- were at or near the top of the leaderboard, but heavy hitters like Tiger Woods (-2), Phil Mickelson (-1), and Rory McIlroy (Even) were still in contention.  Bubba Watson (+3), whose game may never recover from his victory in this tournament last year, was one of the few stars who really ruined his chances on Day One.

Rains and wind were supposed to sweep through Augusta last night, so the course may play differently today.  But for now, the first major of the year appears to be wide open:

T1.  M. Leishman (AUS):  -6 (66)
T1.  S. Garcia (ESP):  -6 (66)

3.  D. Johnson:  -5 (67)

T4.  D. Lynn (ENG):  -4 (68)
T4.  R. Fowler:  -4 (68)
T4.  G. Fernandez-Castano (ESP):  -4 (68)
T4.  T. Immelman (RSA):  -4 (68)
T4.  F. Couples:  -4 (68)
T4.  M. Kuchar:  -4 (68)

T10.  J. Furyk:  -3 (69)
T10.  Z. Johnson:  -3 (69)
T10.  A. Scott (AUS):  -3 (69)

The Masters (Thursday)

Larry Mize!

Augusta's own Larry Fifty-Freaking-Four-Year-Old Mize!

The First Round of the Masters Is One Month From Tomorrow

It's all over Doral - Tiger Woods finished bogey-par-bogey but still won by two from Steve Stricker: es.pn/14KXnBF
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) March 10, 2013

The Masters -- Day 4 Recap

Bubba Watson was born in 1978, and I'm pretty sure that I spent most of that summer hitting plastic golf balls around my yard with my dad's old left-handed clubs. If I could have been granted any wish back then, I would have a Green Jacket today. I spent hours and hours hitting plastic golf balls all over the yard -- but I never got to be very good.

So as a Southerner and a left-hander, I am happy that Bubba Watson, a self-taught left-hander from Bagdad, Florida, won the Masters. I have to admit that I did not think this would happen. I don't trust left-handed Southerners -- I always fear that they will lack the discipline and systematic thinking necessary for success at the highest levels of any endeavor. The last time Bubba Watson was in contention for a big title, for example, he lost the 2010 PGA after he hit a poor drive and then tried a recovery shot that even Zeus would have found challenging. It failed, and he lost.

All through the fourth round, therefore, I kept waiting for disaster to befall Watson. But Watson did play for the University of Georgia, and good things tend to happen to players from Georgia at the Masters. First, Louis Oosthuizen made a phenomenal double eagle to take the lead -- and take all of the attention off of Bubba. Second, after Watson (playing without pressure) birdied 13, 14, 15, and 16 to catch Oosthuizen at 10 under, and then hit a terrible drive on 17, Oosthuizen followed with a poor drive of his own. Third, while Watson missed two putts on 18 -- when playing the 72d hole and the first playoff hole -- that would have won the tournament, Oosthuizen also failed to make birdie each time. (And I thought his birdie putt in the playoff was going in.)

And then, after Watson hit a terrible drive on number 10 -- the second playoff hole -- he found the ball lying in just the right place for him to hit a crazy hook (the ball had to curve something like 40 yards in the air) to land it on the green. And it just so happened that this is something he taught himself how to do. And it also turned out that for a kid who played at UGA, making difficult recovery shots at Augusta National is a lot easier than trying to make them at a PGA Championship in Wisconsin.

So Bubba made his miracle shot, and joins Tommy Aaron and Larry Mize as surprise Georgia Masters. And I must say, that when Bubba walked off the green, and a lot of young American golfers (like Rickie Fowler and Ben Crane) were there to greet him, I was happy for them all -- American golfers have taken a lot of criticism (especially from me), and for this tournament, at least, they proved their doubters wrong.

And one final observation. I didn't know, until Sunday, that Bubba had just adopted his first child. If anything can persuade a left-handed Southerner to concentrate on his work, it's the responsibility of fatherhood. We hope that Bubba Watson keeps working.

Final Leaderboard:

1. B. Watson: -10 (69+71+70+68=278) (won on second playoff hole)

2. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -10 (68+72+69+69=278)

T3. L. Westwood (ENG): -8 (67+73+72+68=280)

T3. M. Kuchar: -8 (71+70+70+69=280)

T3. P. Hanson (SWE): -8 (68+74+65+73=280)

T3. P. Mickelson: -8 (74+68+66+72=280)

7. I. Poulter (ENG): -5 (72+72+70+69=283)

T8. A. Scott (AUS): -4 (75+70+73+66=284)

T8. J. Rose (ENG): -4 (72+72+72+68=284)

T8. P. Harrington (IRE): -4 (71+73+68+72=284)

Masters -- Day 4 (4:45 p.m. Eastern)

Ken Pomeroy ‏ @kenpomeroy
Oostie thru 9. Oostie: 54%, Bubba: 15%, Hanson: 14%, Phil: 6%, Poults: 3%, Kuchar: 3%, Paddy: 3%, Mahan 1%, Westwood 1%.
3:44 PM - 8 Apr 12

Masters -- Day 4 (11:15 a.m. Eastern)

He Is Risen -- Now What?

It's worth remembering that the first reaction to the resurrection was one of terror. The Gospel is "good news," but even on a beautiful day like this one, it's a lot more complicated than that phrase normally implies:

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

And they said among themselves, "Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?"

And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great.

And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man witting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

And he saith unto them,

"Be not affrighted:
Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified:
he is risen;
he is not here:
behold the place where they laid him.
But go your way,
tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee:
there shall ye see him,
as he said unto you."

And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre;
for they trembled and were amazed:
neither said they anything to any man;
for they were afraid.

-- Mark 16:1-8 (KJV)

The Masters -- Day 3 Recap

It was a very odd Saturday at the Masters. Tiger never got anything going and remains mired in the back of the field. Then pretty much all the big names near the top of the leaderboard yesterday went out and played poorly. But in between two guys -- Phil Mickelson and Peter Hanson -- shot the lights out. It was as if those two were playing a different course from everyone else.

Along with most other middle-aged men in America, I will be pulling for Phil tomorrow. I'm too old to keep having to learn the names of new winners. And if Phil wins, he will match Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win four Green Jackets.

1. P. Hanson (SWE): -9 (68+74+65=207)

2. P. Mickelson: -8 (74+68+66=208)

3. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -7 (68+72+69=209)

4. B. Watson: -6 (69+71+70=210)

5. M. Kuchar: -5 (71+70+70=211)

T6. L. Westwood (ENG): -4 (67+73+72=212)

T6. P. Harrington (IRE): -4 (71+73+68=212)

T6. H. Stenson (SWE): -4 (71+71+70=212)

T6. H. Mahan: -4 (72+72+68=212)

10. P. Lawrie (SCO): -3 (69+72+72=213)

Masters -- Day 3 (9 a.m. Eastern)

All by his lonesome, Kelly Kraft--a 20-year-old from Denton, Texas, and senior at Southern Methodist University--is scheduled to tee off the third round of the Masters in 15 minutes. It's time to get all Dan Jenkins up in here.