Masters thoughts

[sandwedge]

Gotta say it was an exciting Masters again this year.

Louis was so cool and had an incredible final round of putting.

Bubba was intense and motivated - exciting to watch.

Kuchar and Mickelson hung around enough to make it very interesting.

The shot by Watson in the playoff was not as good as I've seen Seve hit recovery shots before but hey, it was fitting that at a Masters where we miss Seve that someone pulls off something that creative from the pinestraw.

And finally, an American (yeah I know but I do love it when Luke Donald wins too!) came away with the hardware at the end. The only disappointing thing was that Bubba could not make the birdie at 10 in the playoff - but I don't think anyone minded one bit.

Who misses Tiger??? Anybody??? Golf is as good as it has ever been and both Tiger and Rory were nowhere to be found at the close. Flat out exciting!

EDIT: OOPS, I POSTED THIS IN THE WRONG SECTION - SORRY CAN YOU PUT IT UNDER THE RIGHT ONE FOR ME - THANKS!

[SteveHorn]

I agree 100% with everything you said. Now if only I could get an albatross like Louis did.

[Indy Anna Jones]

As I watched the final round unfold through the f9, I thought "this is really boring this year. After Oost's double eagle and Phil's triple bogey, it seemed that for a couple of hours nothing moved. Oost kept his lead, no one really made a move. But Augusta's reputation has always been that the tourney doesn't begin until the back 9 on Sunday, and this year it did indeed live up to its reputation. Phil was always in the hunt. Kuchar ties it before his heartbreaking bogey on 16 while the leaders both birdie. A few others are always just out one good shot away from being in the hunt. So many putts just inches away from going in (how many thousands of these have I seen in the 25-30 years I've watched the Masters?) Then the bookend (along with the double eagle which I've never seen before) of Bubba's "banana hook" from the woods to 15' of the pin... those are what have and will always make the Masters the best tournament in golf.

Did I miss Tiger? Only because he ducked when I pulled the trigger. Rory is the media's "wanna be next superstar"; he hasn't earned the accolades he gets AFAIC. Not saying he won't some day, just not yet.

[sandwedge]

Interesting take on things - it certainly did look different on the front 9, although Louis did not have a comfortable lead even then. Agree about Rory - he's kind of where Sergio was a few years ago I guess, but he's got some hardware at least. Golf definitely draws more onlookers during Masters week so this weekend had to be good for the game.

[Indy Anna Jones]

"Interesting take on things - it certainly did look different on the front 9, although Louis did not have a comfortable lead even then."

No, he never had more than a 2 stroke lead IIRC, but that's pretty much the way it stayed until 13 when he and Bubba par-birdied (hope I'm remembering that right.) He played good steady golf all the way, which is how Tiger won so many of his tourneys... good steady golf while the others pressed and fell by the wayside. Just a couple more birds on the f9, open a 3-4 stroke lead and it would have been all his. Louis himself said that it took him 5 holes to get over the excitement of his albatross. The difference last year was that after Charle hit that incredible eagle on 2 he "bookended" his own round with those 4 closing birdies; Louis just didn't do that and Bubba played well enough to gain and keep the regulation tie.