Sunday's final round at Augusta National provided all of the greatness and trainwrecks one could hope for. Greatness came in the form of Charl Schwartzel, who emerged from the pack on the back nine to earn his first Masters green jacket; the trainwreck came in the form of three-round leader Rory McIlroy, who receded into the pack with a National Geographic Explorer triple bogey on the 10th. He followed that with a bogey on 11 and double-bogey on 12. For all intents and purposes, there was a fork in him: he was done. Unlike Tiger Woods, McIlroy was not rude in a 19th hole interview.
McIlroy's final round 80 put him in good company with Sam Snead and Ken Venturi--other third round leaders who fell from the top on a Sunday at Augusta National. Both went on to win the Masters later in their careers. The lesson? McIlroy will be back. Then again, Greg Norman's Fosbury Flop of '96 led to zero green jackets.
It is easy to disparage McIlroy's Sunday performance, which was the worst of the 49 playing, but at least he led or co-led the tournament for 63 holes. Who laid the real eggs over the weekend at Augusta? Who were the turkeys of the 2011 Masters?
Colombia's Camilo Villegas finished dead last of those who made the cut, with a 76 on Sunday and six-over 294 total. South Africa's Ernie Els and Australia's Aaron Baddeley finished tied for 47th, with five-over par totals of 293. Three Americans contended for the dubious moniker of worst of the weekend: Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, and Bubba Watson. Watson's 78 was the second worst score of the day.
Who can take away several positives from the 2011 Masters? Start with the winner Schwartzel (66-274) and proceed to Adam Scott, Jason Day, Luke Donald, Geoff Ogilvy, Angel Cabrera, Bo Van Pelt, K. J. Choi, Ryan Palmer, Lee Westwood, ultra-veteran Fred Couples, and low amateur Hideki Matsuyama. Even Rory McIlroy should walk away with many lessons learned. First and foremost: avoid hitting bad shots!
Drama? Immediately after McIlroy's self-destructive act on the 10th, Tiger had a chance for an eagle on the 15th due to a sensational second shot. However, he missed the routine putt and settled for a birdie. Meanwhile, other players were making great shots of their own. Adam Scott and Jason Day scratched and clawed to the end, while Bo Van Pelt and Luke Donald had some great holes. Angel Cabrera's comeback story was halted in its tracks. Perhaps he was thinking of dinner. Geoff Ogilvy's run, like Tiger's, came up short.
Thus, it was Schwartzel's day. After shooting 34 on the front nine, the 26-year-old Charl scored an amazing 32 on the back nine. Sure, McIlroy lost it. More importantly for the excitement of the game, Schwartzel went out and won it. Apart from one bogey on the 4th, he played perfect golf on Sunday.
South Africa, with Louis Oosthuizen, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman, Schwartzel, godfather Ernie Els, and grandfather Gary Player, can now claim to be the third most powerful golfing nation. Australia, led by Adam Scott, Jason Day, and Geoff Ogilvy, isn't far behind. Nor is Spain, with Masters vanishing act Alvaro Quiros, serial disappointment Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal, and Miguel Jimenez.
A big positive in Butler Cabin occurred when amateur Matsuyama of Japan won the low amateur trophy. The young golfer said all the right things: returning to school, volunteering time to the earthquake/tsunami relief effort, and only later turning pro. How refreshing! Then again, perhaps his English translator was making up all of the politically correct answers as he went, while Matsuyama was actually talking about spending the next six weeks in Las Vegas on a bender with Anthony Kim.
Additionally in the cabin, Mickelson was an enthusiastic valet for Schwartzel, and Schwartzel was a gracious, modest family-oriented champion.
The back nine excitement was helped immeasurably by the excellent television direction and expert commentary. This combined with the great play by many down the stretch and a tight bunching at the top made the 2011 Masters a benchmark in showcasing golf's dynamics. At the end, Australians, South Africans, Americans, and Englishmen dominated the leaderboard.
K. J. Choi and Angel Cabrera had a few mishits to fall off the pace. Meanwhile, Geoff Ogilvy, Bo Van Pelt, and Jason Day enjoyed hot streaks at the right time to become legitimate contenders. Tiger kept flirting with more birdies, but his putter proved disappointing again.
It was Schwartzel who had the hot hand at the right time: all round long. Not only did he open with a birdie-par-eagle, but he finished with four consecutive birdies to win.
Does anybody understand why Tiger Woods received a standing ovation after parring the 18th and finishing at the time one behind the leader, Adam Scott? Is he really an underdog? Is he really a victim of circumstance? This is a man who not only fired his wife and severed his family, but also fired his swing coach. This is a man who claims he has changed on the course, but as John Feinstein pointed out, he really hasn't improved relations with fans and colleagues. He really hasn't improved his personality, but he has improved his golf game. Tiger is almost all the way back. More majors should come his way.
On the opposite end of the spectrum of public relations, Gary Player remains a true ambassador of the game. Class and enthusiasm ooze from his pores. Fortunately, most young golfers follow the Player model, not the Woods model.
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