Anxiety at Augusta

The Masters: a tradition unlike any other. The pinnacle of the golf world. Every year, the best golfers in the world compete in four majors, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, the British Open, and, of course, the Masters. Widely considered the most prestigious tournament of the year, the Masters captivates all audiences even remotely interested in golf. In a year in which big sporting events have under-delivered, the Masters provided high-quality competition and drama that sports fans love. The Super Bowl was an undramatic blowout, and March Madness lacked a Cinderella story, but the Masters delivered perhaps its best tournament since Tiger's dramatic victory in 2019. This year, thanks to his spectacular play on Friday and Saturday, Rory McIlroy claimed the green jacket despite many missteps throughout the tournament. This victory was the final piece he needed to complete the career grand slam, meaning he won every major in golf; a feat that had only been accomplished 5 times before and only once since Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon.

Why does this particular tournament have such a hold on the sporting world? Part of it may be due to the allure and mystique of Augusta National Golf Club, where the tournament is held. Augusta National is a private golf club with only around 300 members. The club itself is famously exclusive, with a long process of being nominated and approved to become a member. By far, Augusta is the world's most legendary golf course thanks to the privacy and, of course, the tournament itself. Not only is it legendary, but it’s quirky too. Augusta’s mission is to create the ultimate golf experience for the fans, or as they refer to them, the patrons. The Masters is known for things like banning cell phones at the tournament, refusing to raise concession prices by keeping them dirt cheap. They also give away broadcasting rights for free to major TV networks, and in return, they get full control of broadcasts, limiting commercial breaks and focusing purely on the golf. They also keep the Masters merchandise exclusive. All official merchandise must be purchased on site at Augusta, which is just another quirk that adds to the aura of the tournament.

This year, another chapter was written in Augusta’s history books. On Thursday, Justin Rose got off to a hot start and held the solo lead while Rory McIlroy fell behind after double bogeys on both holes 15 and 17. Friday was much of the same with Rose still holding the lead, but McIlroy was able to keep the big numbers off of his scorecard, and he delivered a very strong six under for the day, propelling him into contention going into the weekend. Then on Saturday, Rose faltered, shooting three over par, which propelled McIlroy to the lead after his second straight six-under round. Going into Sunday, McIlroy held the lead by two strokes at 12 under, but not far behind was controversial golf personality Bryson DeChambeau at 10 under.

 The hype going into Sunday was Bryson versus Rory, LIV versus PGA, America versus Europe; however, early in the fourth round, it was clear that Dechambeau was not playing well, and for a second, it appeared as if McIlroy would run away with the win. However, Rose bounced back from his poor performance the day before, delivering a very strong 6 under. This, combined with Rory slipping on the second nine, led to a painfully tight tournament. McIlroy made a crucial mistake on the par-5 13th hole when an easy wedge shot ended up in the water. However, he managed to bounce back on the par-5 15th hole when he shaped a beautiful, looping, hook shot around a tree from over 200 yards out, ending up within 10 feet of the flag with a putt for eagle. Ultimately, it came down to Milroy’s final hole, the par-4 18th. He held the lead above Rose by one and just needed a par to win the tournament. He got off the tee very safely, but his approach shot ended up in a greenside bunker. After a chip onto the green, he was left with a four-foot putt for the win. The drama all led to this as he stood over his ball with a graphic on the screen that read Putt for Career Grand Slam and as he hit the putt, in devastating fashion, the ball just missed on the low side of the cup, sending him into a sudden-death playoff with Justin Rose. 

In the playoff, the competitors replayed the 18th hole. Both players got off the tee safely, and Rose was first to hit his approach shot. He hit a great shot just 12 feet from the pin. This should’ve taken whatever wind was left in the sails out of Rory McIlroy, but instead, he responded by throwing a dart, sticking his ball just 3 feet from the hole. Rose missed his birdie putt and tapped in for par, leaving McIlroy with a very familiar situation. Would he finally get his long-awaited win at Augusta, or would he choke in the Masters as he had done so many times before in his career? As he stands over the ball, the graphic appeared back on the screen, Putt for the Career Grand Slam, only this time he drilled it, and finally, after 11 long years, he had achieved the career grand slam at Augusta National. This dramatic finish created a memorable moment and is sure to be a tournament golf fans will remember forever.