Now that the Masters – contested on a course and under conditions the powers that be at Augusta National Golf Club have desired since they began fiddling with the grounds – has been completed, the question becomes, what comes next?
Were the lords and masters happy that champion Zach Johnson’s winning score was 1-over par? Or that the phrase that came to mind over the bulk of the tournament wasn’t “genteel splendor,” but rather, “U.S. Open-like” – which may have been the most hated words uttered in the area since “Martha Burk.”
A number of players, including Retief Goosen, a two-time Open champion, expressed concern about looking silly, but Mother Nature may be to blame for that, particularly during Saturday’s third round, when high winds and cool temperatures combined to make an already difficult track borderline treacherous.
Following Sunday’s final round, however, even Goosen said the tournament had hit upon “the perfect mix.” In addition, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, whose run of three consecutive championships was halted by Johnson, agreed the overall setup was fair.
Even so, one would suspect things won’t be quite as severe next spring. Perhaps there will be rain – this year’s tournament was the first Masters since 1998 without precipitation – but even if it’s dry, look for the winning score to be somewhere in the vicinity of 6- to 8-under par.
Before then, a final look at some of the winners and losers of the 2007 Masters.
Winners
Johnson. It’s not like he was exactly Ben Curtis or Shaun Micheel, who won, respectively, the 2003 British Open and PGA Championship. Johnson had won on tour prior to Augusta and was actually one of the better performers on last fall’s Ryder Cup team. It will be interesting to see what happens now. The PGA is still Micheel’s only victory; it took another 65 starts before Curtis won again.
Justin Rose. Entering the Masters, Rose was facing two major hardships, a back injury that had kept him out of action for more than a month, and an inability to perform under final-round pressure. The Englishman acquitted himself well on both fronts last week, however. Making his first start since the World Golf Championships Match Play, where he finished fifth, Rose came up with another top five at Augusta. The co-leader after the opening round, Rose stayed in the hunt until the 71st hole; it wouldn’t be surprising to find him in contention in any of the year’s other majors.
South African golfers
Just two years ago, Ernie Els was regarded as one of golf’s “Big Five,” along with Woods, Vijay Singh, Mickelson and countryman Goosen. That the Big Easy wouldn’t even make the lead foursome in an international scramble isn’t as much a knock on him as the progress made in his nation. Goosen finished in a tie for second, as did Rory Sabbatini. Trevor Immelman didn’t fare as well, finishing 55th, but he may actually be the best of the bunch. Don’t be surprised if 22-year-old Charl Schwartzel is there next year – along with 71-year-old Gary Player, who’s expected to break Arnold Palmer’s record by playing in his 51st Masters.
Losers
Australian golfers. A blanked pick that only speaks to the frustration of the nation. The only major championship to elude the golf-crazed continent, it seems Greg Norman has put a permanent hex on things. Stuart Appleby led after three rounds but couldn’t seal the deal, while defending U.S. Open champ Geoff Ogilvy, who should have been in contention, never got there. However, the week’s Aussie booby-prize goes to …
Aaron Baddeley. It’s not Badds’ fault that an anonymous fellow pro in Sports Illustrated picked him to win, but he didn’t necessarily help his cause before the tournament by saying he understood where his mate was coming from. While he did gut out an even-par 72 to make the cut after opening with a 79, perhaps next time, Baddeley, who’s defending his first PGA Tour win this week at the Verizon Heritage, will let others do the talking for him.
Tiger Woods. OK, OK, on some level, it’s nice to see that the very best player on the planet can have a very ordinary day. But, if you are “Tiger Woods,” owner of 12 major championships and the best closer in the game, and you go into the final day of the Masters one shot off the lead – and actually go to the top of the leaderboard early in the proceedings – you have to win the tournament, don’t you? Just saying.
Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
SPOTLIGHT: BILLY PAYNE
Chairman’s first Masters a success
While there were complaints from some players and media who longed for the good old days when Augusta National was more of a risk-reward challenge, it says here the first Masters under the watch of Billy Payne was largely quite successful. Admittedly many of those good feelings came even before the first shot was struck – the decision to tinker with the qualifying and return to the days when tour winners automatically earned berths was huge, as was enticing Arnold Palmer to become the ceremonial starter. Payne has been placed in a tough spot; the first Masters chairman to not have a direct, personal relationship with tournament legends Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, he has to move the event forward while maintaining the links to the past. Payne deftly handled that last week, whether embracing the Internet via webcasts and video streaming or insisting he was just a caretaker of the work done by his predecessors.
Comfort zone
“It’s like my little blankie, I guess.”
David Toms, on why he hasn’t replaced his 5-wood with a hybrid club. Toms used the club for a third-round ace during his 2001 PGA Championship triumph.
Select company
Zach Johnson will be trying to become only the fourth player in PGA Tour history to win the Masters and then triumph again the following week.
Player Year Next tournament
Jimmy Demaret 1950 N. Fulton Open
Gary Player 1978 Tourn. Champions
Bernhard Langer 1985 Verizon Heritage
THIS WEEK:
PGA Tour
Verizon Heritage, Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, S.C.
What’s up: Despite its proximity to the Masters, this is still one of the favorite stops on tour. One reason is – despite playing at just over 6,900 yards, with only 45 bunkers on the course – Harbour Town is a shotmaker’s challenge.
LPGA Tour
Ginn Open, Reunion Resort & Club, Reunion, Fla.
What’s up: After a week off following its first major of the season, the Kraft Nabisco, the LPGA returns with another “winner event.” This week’s champion gains an automatic berth into the year-end playoffs. Mi Hyun Kim is the defending champion.
