Nothing tops this Masters
|
Taken as a whole -- from Monday to Sunday and all parts in between -- the 2010 Masters Tournament stands out as the best there ever was.
It didn't carry the social impact of 1997.
It didn't have the historical value of 2001.
It didn't offer the tragedy of 1996.
It didn't provide the shocking drama of 1986.
But in many ways this Masters offered so much more. It was a script too rich and complex to seem true. It really provided something for all tastes and memories to take away from each and every day -- all under a refreshing canopy of nearly perfect conditions from beginning to end (assuming your sinuses could handle the pollen).
Like the classics? Tom Watson and Fred Couples were swinging to the oldies.
Like new wave? Anthony Kim and Italian teenager Matteo Manassero provided riffs of greatness to come.
Like an international beat? England's Lee Westwood and South Korea's K.J. Choi were immense figures on the stage.
Like noise? Roars were shaking the pines for four days like never before.
The 2010 Masters, however, will ultimately be remembered for its two most prominent protagonists -- Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. One ended the week as a popular champion who tugged at the emotional heart-strings. The other began the week trying the rebrand his image and even in defeat proved that his skill hasn't been diminished.
Mickelson's third green jacket propelled him past the gaggle of peers into the rarefied air of the four-major club. But it also provided the emotional release that had built up since his wife and mother were diagnosed with breast cancer last summer. Few will forget the scene behind the 18th green when Amy, surrounded by the rest of the family, greeted the champion with an embrace that brought tears to the eyes of anyone with a heart.
But before then it was Mickelson's brilliant play that will resonate. On a course that was yielding unbelievable shots and spine-tingling roars at every turn, Mickelson provided the most -- and not just on Sunday.
Can you name one shot that Jack Nicklaus hit on Saturday in 1986? Didn't think so. Will you remember the eagle-eagle-near eagle spree that Mickelson threw down on 13, 14 and 15 Saturday? No doubt.
But Mickelson still provided the signature Sunday moment that any "great" championship needs. Living up to his lifelong reputation and eschewing the safe route, Mickelson executed a shot from behind two trees on the 13th hole that still seems incomprehensible days later.
Playing partner Lee Westwood could only tip his cap in amazement.
"It's one of the few shots, really, that only Phil could pull off," said Westwood. "I think most people would have just chipped that one out. But, you know, that's what great players do."
The shot -- a 6-iron that threaded between the trees, cleared the creek and settled 4 feet below the cup -- also yielded perhaps the quintessential Mickelson quote.
"A great shot is when you pull it off," he said. "A smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it."
He wasn't talking about the guts you get taking the kids through the drive-thru at Krispy Kreme while wearing a green jacket (another classic Mickelson moment).
Speaking of guts, there was Tiger Woods. He re-emerged from his soap opera saga of a personal life and very nearly stole the show fresh off of his scandal-imposed exile.
From his first practice round and news conference Monday, his public reprimand by Masters and Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne on Wednesday and his first tournament appearance adorned with aerial taunts on Thursday, all eyes were on Woods at the start of Masters Week.
Whatever you think of his reported exploits, he deserves props for efforts to rehab his public persona. He was more engaging than he's ever been with fans, signed autographs for kids, lingered for an hour at a golf writers banquet he normally hits-and-runs and tried (sometimes in vain) to temper the emotion that has characterized him his entire life.
With an opening 68 welcomed by supportive crowds, Woods signaled his competitiveness isn't gone. After a second-round 70, a sense of normalcy returned when he was asked nothing but 18 consecutive golf questions in the interview room. In a large sense, the siege was over.
The rust of five months on the shelf showed on the weekend. He was mostly playing with his "D" game, missing fairways and greens and short putts and even leaving a shot in the bunker. But as bad as he looked at times, Woods hung in there with moments of brilliance that illustrated just how much better he is than your average marquee golfer.
That he shot four rounds under par and finished tied for fourth in spite of everything bodes well for his future whenever he chooses to resume his normal routine.
"Not what I wanted," said Woods, whose expectations remain unchanged. "I wanted to win this tournament."
So what did this Masters give us other than a spectacular show?
It gave us the new reigning "greatest player never to have won a major" in Westwood, who inherits the mantle having nearly won each of the majors since June 2008 with three thirds and a second completing his own futility slam.
It gave us a glimpse of a new Tiger that seems no worse for wear as the No. 1 golfer in the world and whose second act might just prove greater than the first.
And it gave us the most deserving champion in the end who lifted everyone to their feet with his feats and touched their hearts with his heart.
What more can you can ask for in a major to deem it great?
The answer is nothing.
Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.
