The field for the 81st Masters contains 94 players. But only one ponytail. So picking out Curtis Luck shouldn’t be a problem for anyone inclined to follow the 20-year-old West Australian.
The mystique, the undulations, Rae’s Creek, the azaleas – all the subtle nuances of Augusta National provide something no other course can. And it takes remarkable vision to ‘see’ certain shots; shots you truly only witness at the Masters. Shots like this.
A who’s who of golfers paraded through Augusta National’s new media centre on Masters Tuesday. There were laughs. There were interesting takes. There were great stories. And there were tears. OK, maybe not the last one.
Disregard the knee-jerk response to see when Tiger Woods is playing and there’s still much to digest with the release of the groupings the first two days at Augusta National.
The disappointment of last year’s back-nine collapse follows Jordan Spieth at this year’s Masters. But it doesn’t keep him from being a favourite – if not the player to beat.
The Masters, in all its flower-loving, cheese-worshipping glory, is upon us, and with it comes the ultimate question: Who do you want to take home the green jacket?
What is a Major championship without a television viewer and the Rules of Golf seizing the story line and evoking responses similar to that of the tournament leader Lexi Thompson?
Russell Henley played in the Masters three consecutive years starting from 2013. He missed out last year and appeared destined to spend the second week of April on the sidelines once again – until he caught lightning in a bottle at the Shell Houston Open.
Tiger Woods, who hasn’t played a competitive round since early February, announced overnight that he won’t compete in the 2017 Masters. Woods, who’s won the green jacket four times, made the announcement on his website.
The carnage of Jordan Spieth’s collapse and the fortitude Danny Willett showed on the back nine of the Masters last April made for scintillating viewing, although for a moment of sheer golf madness – in a good, although freakish way – nothing topped Louis Oosthuizen’s ace at the 16th hole.
The archive of Phil Mickelson short-game stunts is vast, like that warehouse at the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. To Lefty, the phenomenal has become standard; in his mind, it’s an aberration when the magic doesn’t happen.
Tiger Woods has yet to commit to next week’s Masters, which isn’t necessarily a surprise: he waited until 8 PM on the Friday before last year’s tournament to withdraw, which is saying something given he missed the entire season.
Tonight marks one week until the 2017 Masters tees off and the turning of the calendar each year from March to April generates a heightened level of excitement in every golfer.
All Australian golf club members will check their handicap information and scoring history at www.golf.org.au – the Golf Australia home page – from next week.
He’s drifted out to No.184 in the world ranking but 2015 Australian Open champion Matt Jones still owns one of the best moments in Shell Houston Open history courtesy of his finish to the 2014 tournament.
Australian Golf Digest
