Golf aficionados rejoice at the return of the majors beginning with the Masters as Thursday’s first round teed off from the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
This year’s rendition promises a full load of high expectations. Tiger Woods enters the tournament having recently won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. The March 25 victory was the first for Woods in more than two years.
At 13 under par, Woods was dominant, off the tee and putting exceptionally. While the occasional spraying of the ball from the tee has unfortunately stuck with
Woods’ game — it happens less frequently than past years and if he continues to hit those stingers and has a few things go his way this week, a fifth green jacket isn’t out of the question.
Still, the days of betting for Tiger against the field are over because the rest of the top 10 is stacked with talent from Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose. But you can’t always fall in love with the guys at the top. Last year’s winner, Charl Schwartzel, proved that anyone in the field has a chance to take home the prize.
As much as the Master’s is about who is there — this year it is also about who isn’t. “The Big Easy” Ernie Els will not attend the Masters this year for the first time since 1993.
After failing to capture a tournament or break into the top 50, Els was not invited to partake in the tournament and when asked if he would accept a late invitation to the tournament Els refused.
Els once stood atop the golf world and at 42 years old, he is a long way from retirement. In fact, perhaps the worst part of this fiasco is that Els has been playing well as of yet, and while he didn’t take home any big checks, he has been competitive and who is to say he wouldn’t have made a run for it this weekend?
Regardless of the lifetime invitation he had, if Palmer can attend the Masters into his 70s and not even make the cut after his 50s — how is it that Els will find himself like the rest of us: Watching the Masters from the couch.
At least he’ll witness a great tournament as the best in the world, excluding himself, traverse Augusta’s fairways for a chance to make history.
Will a familiar face don the green jacket Sunday or will another first timer join the club? Will Woods get back on track and catch Jack Nicklaus to distance himself from the mistakes of the past few years? Whoever does win, it won’t be because Els wasn’t there. But still, don’t you want the best in the world representing your tournament, whether they sit in the top 50 or not?
Jacob Dyer
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