The Masters 2011
Ashley Tocknell - University of Bristol
This Thursday golf returns to Augusta National for the first major of the year. The Masters, and the famous green jackets awarded to winners is traditionally the hardest tournament to win in golf, and has been the site of some of the sport’s greatest moments. Gene Sarazen’s Albatross, ‘the shot heard around the world’ in 1935, Nicklaus’s miracle comeback in 86, Sandy Lyle’s bunker shot in 88, the Tiger Woods chip shot at the 70th hole in 05 (click here to view), and the respective meltdowns of Tom Weiskopf (1980) and Lee Trevino (1970). Even for those who do not follow golf, it is the tournament to watch, if not to for the spectacle of the world’s best golfers, but to watch them play the world’s most beautiful course.
Phil Mickelson will go into the tournament as favourite, having just recorded a superb victory at the Shell Houston Open which saw him reach top form, equalling the course record of 63 in the penultimate round and coming home with six birdies in eight holes on the back nine of the final round. The two times, and reigning Masters Champion will be carrying American hopes since Tiger Woods continues to desperately revive his career to no avail. Woods arrives at Augusta having not won a golf tournament for 17 months and not one a major championship for nearly three years.
He was once amongst the most respected sportsman on the planet, he was without a doubt the world’s most marketable athlete (the first and only billion dollar sportsman), a true professional, at the pinnacle of his sport by a mile. Today however he struggles to command anywhere near the same respect, for the first time in his life, he finds himself unable to win golf tournaments, Lawrence Donegan, a leading golf writer recently said the world number 5’s swing resembled a ‘half finished Meccano set’. He can find little respite off the course, he can only watch whilst his public image, endorsements and fans diminish.
However it is easy (as most outside the golf community do) to focus on Woods as the post-modern media curiosity and forget the Woods who is arguably the greatest golfer who ever lived. Woods loves the Masters, he has worn the coveted green jacket four times, but it was his first, back in 1997 which is the one we must remember. At this tournament he became the youngest ever major champion, scoring a record 18 under par (12 shots clear), in fact that weekend he broke 20 records and tied 6 others. Even though he is still four major championships behind Jack Nicklaus’s 18, and he remains third in the list of PGA Tour wins, he is still only 35 years old. Nicklaus won his 18th major and sixth Masters championship when he was 46 years old at the now famous 1986 Masters where Nicklaus chased down the leader Seve Ballesteros with a six under par back nine on the final day.
Golf has missed Woods and is not ready to lose him, despite the new generation of young players such as Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler; he would leave a void which no player could possibly fill. Woods, just like Nicklaus, is a born winner, and it is simply a case of repairing his clearly fractured mentality, and possibly tweaking his swing which has always relied on power, athleticism and rhythm. The resurgence is a matter of when, not if.
Golf is one of those sports where heroes and icons are celebrated, however never before has there been stiffer competition and a longer list of potential winners. In addition golf has seen a Trans Atlantic power shift over the last year, with Europe currently sitting on the throne of world golf. The top ten is now dominated by the European Ryder Cup squad, Martin Kaymer is now world number one, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Paul Casey and McIlroy follow just behind. Westwood could beat anyone when he hits top form, though he is surprisingly still yet to win a major, and came very close to winning the Masters last year in what was his 11th attempt. McDowell is the current US Open champion, Kaymer is consistently strong, McIlroy always plays best at the big tournaments, Paul Casey’s game is perfectly suited to Augusta, and one can never rule out the likes of Poulter, Justin Rose, Padraig Harrington, Ross Fisher, in fact the list could go on and on.
I am predicting an enthralling four days of golf, and if you need another reason to watch, Sky is offering it live in 3D.