Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
After two rounds of The Masters in Augusta, Georgia, the golf course is handling the onslaught of the world’s best golfers just fine. Thanks to the Au-Gusty north winds which swept across the famed golf course on Friday, there are only a handful of golfers in the clubhouse with an under-par score after 36 holes.
In fact, any player making the cut after Friday’s second round at Augusta National Golf Club is easily within striking distance of the clubhouse leader after the second round of play. The field is really bunched-up heading into the weekend’s final two rounds.
The hottest golfer on the PGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler, is the only golfer to put two straight rounds in the 60’s in the books for Rounds 1 and 2. He finished Friday at 8-under par to take a imposing five shot lead into the third round Saturday. Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama is in a logjam tied for second place at 3-under par.
Heading into the weekend, there are only 15 golfers under par at the midway point of The Masters and the weekend cut came at four over par.
I am watching the coverage via the internet at Masters.com. They give you several options to follow the action. I particularly like the “Amen Corner” coverage of holes #11, 12, and 13. They also have hole-by-hole coverage of feature groups where you get a chance to see each of the 18 holes at this lovely golf course.
The golf course looks absolutely terrific, as always. The azaleas which my Mom used to watch are plentiful and in bloom – just like always. The greens are as fast as your kitchen floor (seriously). The patrons are, thus far, behaving well, too.
But the television and media coverage is pushing one particular golfer more than the other 89 on the golf course.
Tiger Woods is now 46 years old. He is coming back from a series of surgeries after his one-car auto crash in southern California a little over a year ago. He is now walking on a bionic right leg and is trying to play golf against a fabulous field but also a very hilly golf course in north Georgia.
Tiger is now the same age as the legendary Nicklaus when Jack won his own sixth Green Jacket back in 1986 with a spectacular final nine hole rally. With Woods lurking at +1 coming into the final two rounds, there is a chance that Tiger Woods may be in the mix on Sunday afternoon at The Masters, too.
The golf patrons on the course roar when Tiger Woods walks to the tee box. They roar when he approaches every green. They roar when he makes a birdie putt. They go bananas when he does just about anything this year.
The other 89 golfers in the field have a lot of talent, but, to be brutally honest, generally play without much emotion and a reason for the golf crowd to outwardly pull for them.
One of the other fan favorites in the field let down his legion of supporters again on Friday.
Jordan Spieth, bless his heart, lost a chance to win his second Masters tournament a few years ago by dumping two shots in a row into Rae’s Creek in front of the 155 yard par-3 12th hole.
During Friday’s second round, Jordan did exactly the same thing! His triple bogey 6 on the hole led to a second-round 76 and sent one of the few other fan favorites to an early exit Friday evening.
Former British Open champion Stewart Cink fashioned a nifty hole-in-one Friday at the par-3 16th hole. Though the roars were heard around the golf course, Cink’s ace wasn’t as loud as when the noise heard when Woods rolled in short three foot putt for birdie at #10 on Friday.
Never mind that Tiger Woods bogeyed four of the first five holes to start his second round on Friday. His legions of supporters could care less. They have been in his corner all this week. The galleries even lined the fairways for every hole during Tiger’s abbreviated Monday practice round to welcome their champion back to the golf course. He rallied late to post a 74 on Friday. Woods is now at one over par and trails by nine shots.
Tiger Woods is golf’s rock star of this generation in much the same way that Arnold Palmer was the people’s favorite during the 1960’s and Jack Nicklaus became in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
It’s impossible to convey how loud the crowd reacts to everything Tiger Woods does on the golf course compared to how they react to the good shots for the other golfers in the field. Jack Nicklaus knows how that sounds – especially back in 1986. That’s when the Golden Bear literally came out of nowhere to shoot a 6-under par 30 on the back nine en route to a final round 65 to somehow win The Masters for the sixth time.
The 82-year old golf legend was unable to compete for the first time in the annual Wednesday afternoon Par-3 contest held at Augusta’s short course.
Nicklaus gallantly (and very, very slowly) bent down to tee-up a ceremonial first tee shot at Augusta National Golf Club’s opening hole Thursday morning with his long-time friends Gary Player (now 86) and Tom Watson (now 72). When Jack Nicklaus said that he can no longer play golf without pain, it was very obvious when you watched him attempt to hit that one shot Thursday morning. It was also a bit sad for those of us who have become Nicklaus fans over the years.
Tiger Woods is currently tied with Jack Nicklaus for the most wins in PGA Tour history with 82 apiece. In all likelihood, Woods will eventually own that record at some point. Big Jack still holds the all-time record for wins in golf’s major championships at 18 while Tiger is in second place with 15. Jack’s record in that category will be difficult for Tiger to eclipse given Woods’ current age and with his long history of injuries.
With the August National Golf Club’s patrons pulling so hard for Tiger Woods, being his playing partner can be quite difficult. Joaquin Niemann (who stands at -1 after two rounds) was paired Thursday and Friday with Woods (+1) and scored better than him heading into the third round Saturday. He was a forgotten man feeling a bit invisible when sharing the stage with Tiger Woods. Fortunately for Niemann, he will have a new playing partner for Saturday’s third round.
The weekend weather for Augusta, Georgia looks terrific. Clear skies and 70-degree weather will make for ideal course conditions with the ever-present swirling winds at Augusta National Golf Club around to get under the golfers’ skin.
The national media and the galleries on the premises will be stacked in favor of one Tiger Woods. Though he currently trails by nine shots, Tiger needs to move within striking range on Saturday so that he may try to replicate the 1986 final round rally of Jack Nicklaus. You can bet that the 82-year old Nicklaus will be watching via television at his home, too.
Word has it that Jack Nicklaus and his lovely wife Barbara have a celebratory toast every time that Tiger Woods fails to win another major and move closer to challenging his career record of 18 major championships.
On the other hand, CBS Sports (who pays handsomely for the broadcast rights) would love nothing better than to see Tiger Woods mount a final round rally Sunday to win his sixth green jacket at The Masters at the same age (46) as Nicklaus when Jack won his final major.
It’s Tiger vs. the Field this weekend at The Masters. The odds are not in his favor, but golf fans think they can ignite a rally for the ages. Let’s see what happens…at The Masters!