Fox Sports will show a repeat of Adam Scott’s 2013 Masters triumph from 7am today – splendid watching for all Aussie golf fans.
It’s a minor consolation for Australian legend Rodger Davis, who was looking forward to being in Augusta this week to see the Queenslander secure a second green jacket.
Just hours after golf’s governing bodies announced a proposed schedule of events for later in the year in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown, Davis backed the move of The Masters to mid-November.
Provided tournament golf can resume, that is when Scott will take a shot at a second victory at Augusta National Golf Club alongside Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and US Mid-Amateur champion Lukas Michel.
Twice a participant at The Masters in 1988 and 1992, Davis watched Scott’s pulsating 2013 playoff win over Angel Cabrera from his Gold Coast home and, seven years on, believed that the 39-year-old was in position to repeat the feat.
“That year was being replicated this year,” said Davis, the current Chairman of the PGA of Australia.
“He won the Aussie Masters out here in the summer and then the next year he played well at Riviera (T10 at the Northern Trust Open) and had another good result in Florida (T3 at WGC-Cadillac Championship).
“Riviera in particular is a great warm-up for The Masters and tee-to-green wise he was playing so well. I was thinking, Here we go again, he could knock over a second Masters this year.
“And I was supposed to be there this year so I was really looking forward to it.”
Prior to Scott’s breakthrough, Augusta National had developed into a picturesque place of heartache for Aussie golfers.
Dating back to Jim Ferrier’s runner-up in finish in 1950, Aussies had come tantalisingly close to a green jacket for more than 60 years without success until Scott produced two of the greatest putts of his life at the 72nd hole and first hole of the playoff to enter Australian sporting immortality.
Dismissive of any notion of an Aussie curse at Augusta – “I don’t believe in it, I’m not really that sort of person” – Davis praised Scott for the way he shared his history-making accomplishment with the Australian public.
“What he did for Australian golf that year was just unbelievable,” said Davis, Scott returning that summer and winning the Australian PGA Championship, Australian Masters and finishing second at the Australian Open.
“He did everything that was asked of him in terms of promotions and what have you and in fact, in some ways, I thought he most probably did too much.
“He was at every function he could be at and did a great job as an ambassador for Australian golf and as an ambassador for The Masters.”
Starting at 7am on Thursday morning, Fox Sports will be replaying each of the four rounds of the 2013 Masters on Fox Sports 503 followed each day by replays of last year’s victory by Tiger Woods.
2013 Round 1: Thursday 7-11am
2013 Round 2: Friday 7-11am
2013 Round 3: Saturday 7-11am
2013 Round 4: Sunday 7-11am
