By Chad Courrier
Free Press staff writer
April 18, 2008 01:46 am
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The next time a tee shot drifts to the right and rattles around in the trees, it’ll be OK.
The next time a 4-footer spins out of the cup, smile and shrug it off.
If those things can happen to Tiger Woods during the final round of the Masters, they can happen to any golfer.
A good portion of the Midwest golfing public still hasn’t pulled the clubs out of the basement, yet everyone can relate to a wild drive or missed putt, and the best weekend on the golf calendar generally exposes the best and worst of nearly every player.
The Masters represents the unofficial start to the golf season, and while the greatest four days in sports didn’t reveal great drama last weekend, there were some interesting trends.
For the second consecutive year, a longshot won the tournament, though Trevor Immelman winning his green jacket was a little more predictable than Zach Johnson’s triumph in 2007. Who knows if this will portend more major championships for the South African, or if he will fade into the morass of players who enjoyed one moment in the spotlight.
The low round of this year’s tournament was 67, shot by journeyman Steve Flesch. We all can remember when a player came from way back, shooting 64 or 65 to make the final round more exciting. However, for the 17th time on the last 18 years, the winner came from Sunday’s final group. The “Tiger-proofed” lengthened course still allows for memorable shots but few memorable scores.
The golf world may be seeing a wave of 20-somethings about to steal the headlines and purse money. Youngsters such as Immelman, Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Andres Romero and Sean O’Hair seem to be on the verge of winning big, as the window of opportunity appears to be closing on veterans such as Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Stuart Appleby, Scott Verplank and David Toms.
Woods’ scowling and mumbling is getting tiresome, especially contrasted with the fun that Brandt Snedecker seemed to draw out of nearly every shot, good or bad. Woods has accepted the pressure of being the pre-tournament favorite in every event, but he’s struggling more and more to accept when things go wrong, such as a wayward drive or lip-out putt. It would be a shame if he loses that joy that made him so popular.
Woods will likely never win the Grand Slam, no one will. It’s too demanding of an accomplishment, to be at the top of your game on four specific weeks of the summer, and there are too many pitfalls, some of which you can’t control. At the Masters, Immelman was the best player for those 72 holes. Come June at the U.S. Open, it might be another player. Same for the British Open and PGA Championship.
Regardless, it should be easier to accept an occasional mistake on the golf course. It even happens to Woods.
Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353 or e-mail at ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com.
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