And so after the two days of heavy rains that battered Augusta have settled down, and after the sun have shone brightly on Sunday afternoon for a new king to be crowned, only one golfer stood alone after a magnificent back nine run. Viva John Rahm.
No doubt, Rahm’s win proved only one thing. He is the best golfer in the world.
Meanwhile, Brooks, Phil and Patrick’s strong showing also proved that they are not a bunch of has-beens as labeled them to be, but still are in the peak of their game. They erased the idea, the myth that LIV players, because of their different format and limited schedule and smaller field couldn’t handle a major like the Masters. They did. The trio finished among the top four and twelve among the 18 from their tribe made the cut.
In the same sense The Masters also proved that even the top golfers in the world are not spared from the punishing conditions at the Augusta. Nobody is guaranteed of making the cut even though you are ranked among the top ten in the world just like what happened to Justin Thomas and Rory, the poster boys of the PGA.
Freddie Couples surviving the cut is a proof that age is not a hindrance in making it to the weekend in a major while Tiger’s withdrawal is a testament that mind, will and skill are not enough to finish the race but health is a major factor in his case.
This year’s Master’s edition proved once again the dreaded unwritten code. The final round doesn’t start until the back Nine. The myth and now becoming a tradition cum superstition among the golfers lives on. Nobody is assured of green jacket after leading at the 54th hole mark. Ironically, Greg Norman’s monumental collapse of 1996 Master’s was refreshed once again after Brooks meltdown on the first 9 hole of the final round.
Do the best golfers in the world able to participate in the 2023 Masters? Yes, they did.
This becomes possible since the Masters format in their invitation is different from the other majors where much weight is given to OWR (Official World Golf Ranking). Here in the Masters, the best players from the LIV were able to compete with the top guns of the PGA.
The Masters is unique in the sense that even unranked players were invited though they lack points in the OWR just like some of the LIV golfers who are mostly past Green Jacket winners and are ranked in the top four in the other three majors of previous year.
Can the other majors followed suit? They cannot. Even though they are independent in the sense from the PGA , the other majors have put so much emphasis on the OWR and the ranking of the golfers and that’s a big blow to the LIV golfers.
What makes past Green Jacket sentimental?
By tradition, the Masters is the perfect place for past Masters champions to savor their past glories and to reconnect with their old chums and with new champs, a fraternity of past champions. They feel emotional with the wild cheers and adulation engulfing the 18th green as they approached until after finishing their last putt.
This year’s edition put some lump on my throat seeing Larry Mize and Sandy Lyle making their final march on the 18th green ,waving their cap teary eyed for the last time to their adoring fans. Retiring from competitive golf after years of competitive golf highlighted by their green jackets in 1987 and 1988 respectively.
QUESTION : Do the fans enjoyed the undeclared war among the PGA and LIV players in Augusta?
The splintered factions of professional golfers who convened in Augusta, Georgia this year have brought with them so much storylines bursting from every angle. If only the professional golf is like a movie, then everybody would have loved its storylines, the drama and the pivotal moments, but golfing fans deserve more than that. They want to see the best golfers competing against each other sans of politics. They love to see golf played in each its purest form.
They deserve only the best.
