Monday, April 11, 2016

The Agony of Defeat at the Masters

It was another history making Masters Sunday.  While the Golf Channel was already writing everyone off except Jordan Spieth after day one, it took 72 holes to decide the winner, in one of the biggest meltdowns in Masters history by the world's number two player.

Jordan experienced what all of us golfers go through, only us amateurs do it more frequently, which is why we aren't playing on the weekends on the PGA Tour.

This will be talked about for years and it will be interesting to see how if affects the young Texan.  T.C. Chen was never the same after his double hit chip in the '85 US Open.  Greg Norman never really recovered either after his meltdown at the Masters, eventually falling to Nick Faldo after building a huge lead after day 3.  Doug Sanders earned unfortunate notoriety for taking four shots from just 74 yards on the final hole of the 1970 British Open at St. Andrews, when he missed a 3 foot putt to win--he lost by a single shot the next day in a playoff with Jack Nicklaus.

Enter Danny Willett.  A virtual unknown to many in the golfing world--but those of us that know golf know he had a rhythm going on Sunday and you could feel that he was on his way to something special after Spieth's collapse on 12.

Sunday's final round was a true testament to the game of golf and how hard it can be under pressure. 

It also proves how cruel the sport can be, even to the best players in the world.