Masters Memories and More
Masters Memories
Leading up to the Masters, we asked readers for their favourite Masters Memories. See their responses below. And if you have a favourite Masters Memory but missed out on sending it in, please use the Comments section below to add your own.
Jake Littlehales
Mike Weir winning a playoff!!!
Dennis Zukiwsky
Many many great memories but the best was actually being there in 2006 watching Phil Mickelson using two drivers to win, one for dogleg lefts and one for dogleg rights and straight. Most beautiful place on earth to have spent a week there and play many of the great courses in the area.
John Beard
In more recent times it would have to be Jordan Spieth, but Greg Norman has to top the poll. Leading after the first three rounds and a six-shot lead going into the final day. I didn’t cheer for Faldo that day, not because of what Norman failed to do, but because “Sir Nick” makes me cringe every time I hear his voice.
David Frantz
It was 1998. My son TK, who lived in Richmond, Virginia got two tickets for the Sunday round. I flew to Richmond from Toronto, and we drove down on the Saturday to play a round in Columbia SC. We showed up at Augusta early Sunday morning to walk the course before the first tee time. As we walked up 18 Matt Kuchar was teeing off on 1. We went to the food tent to grab 2 sandwiches and 2 beers. I laid down a 50 and got back 44. Every where we went, we knew exactly where Jack was because of the roar as he put together his charge. We got close to Couples on the 11th fairway to watch his 2nd shot. Our next position was between the 12th green and the 13th tee. We hung there a while before lagging back to watch Mark O’Mara walk up 18 and drain the putt to win. A personal memory with my son.
Another unforgettable moment was Bubba Watson’s second shot gap wedge on #10 to win a playoff in 2012.
Yvon Gratton
Mike Weir as a Canadian Masters champion. Jack Nicklaus’ last win in 1986. Tiger wood destroying the field in 1997. The great shots that are made make watching the master so special. For example, Bubba Watson’s hook on #10 to win a playoff. I always wanted to go see the Masters but always unlucky to find or get tickets…don’t know how the people that go year after year do it.
Gerry Powell
The 1975 Masters Tournament, not only for its exciting finish but its heartbreak for both Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf. Also, it was the first year that Lee Elder was able to play in the Masters which was so important.
The Match Play Doesn’t Need a Bronze Medal
During the lead-up to the Masters, two TV analysts were assessing Dustin Johnson’s chances. One of them referenced his tough loss in the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play semi-final to Scottie Scheffler, then went on to say that you have to discount his loss in the Consolation Match to Corey Conners because DJ probably wasn’t really trying and didn’t really need the $135,000 difference between third and fourth place. Kind of a dumb-ass comment if you ask me. Anytime these guys tee it up they want to win. However, in the larger scheme of things, do we really need to see two guys who just lost out on a chance at the title, who are dead tired from six grueling matches over five days and who couldn’t care less about another totally meaningless match, head out one more time to try for the Bronze Medal? This is just to give the TV people a fall back in case the Championship Match is a total blowout. As it turned out, you hardly saw any of the Johnson-Conners match anyway. I say cancel the Consolation and give both semi-final losers a T3 for the event and equal prize money.
Judy Rankin
Our recent Poll asked readers who is their favourite golf analyst on TV. The winner by a hefty margin was Judy Rankin, who sadly is hanging up her microphone after this season. She recently completed her last Chevron Championship (formerly Dinah Shore event) at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California. The tournament moves on to Houston next year with a new date, new sponsor, new host course and presumably a new lead analyst. With all those changes, I’m not sure it should still be a major. Nonetheless, Rankin won’t be part of it and that’s another loss for the event and golf fans everywhere. Judy was a quiet presence on the LPGA broadcasts, but no one was more respected or more knowledgeable. She said what she had to say with a minimum of fuss or hyperbole and knew when to stop talking. Would that her male counterparts on PGA Tour TV learn from her example.
More Canadian Majors?
Recently the LPGA Hall of Fame adjusted its criteria for membership, which allowed Lorena Ochoa to be inducted along with eight additional Founding Members. Whenever a Hall of Fame adds new members, people always ask, “Who’s next?” On the LPGA, Jane Blalock’s name often gets mentioned and then quickly dismissed as not being eligible. Blalock was one of the most celebrated players of her time and had 27 wins on Tour in the 70’s and 80’s, the exact number required to gain entry to the Hall of Fame. However, the missing ingredient to make her eligible is a major victory which she never achieved. Oddly though, she did win the Colgate Dinah Shore event in 1972 before it was designated a major. You might say tough cookies but there are a lot of people who feel that the LPGA should retroactively recognize winners of the event from 1972-1982 as major winners. There is some precedent for this sort of thing too as the PGA Tour didn’t recognize the Open Championship as an official Tour win until 1995 and then retroactively made the change. If this were to happen to the Chevron Championship, Blalock would qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. And Canadian Sandra Post, who won the event in 1978 and 1979, would have two more majors for a total of three. Wouldn’t that be cool?
Enjoy the Masters!