Epic August 2023

This is the time of the golf season where I usually empty the drawers of the rusty golf mind and chat about the upcoming Majors season starting with the first one….the Masters….its usually when I spout about the current number 1 ranked player and the ones chasing him to get back on the throne and all that and yes there some really cool rivalries developing among the game's elite but for a change I wanted to change it up for a bit, It's about the place….not the players…..

Why do we fall for it ?????  Year after year this corny, contrived overly orchestrated event of a golf tournament …….fake bird noises, artificially bloomed flowers, old fashioned leader boards and the hushed tones of Jim Nance almost making it feeling like a religious occasion ……..it's the ultimate in a sporting event turned drama ………………and yet we love it !!! we love every minute of it … We know the holes like no other course on tour ….the postage stamp 12th, the gentle draws on 13 & 15……we know the triumphs ….first and only major for many, guys like  Sergio, A Scott, Fred Couples, Mike Weir, Trevor Immelman  and no majors since……..guys that seem to know it better…Phil, Bubba, Jose Marie, Spieth and of course Tiger among so  many others…We know that it's never over because unlike other Majors and venues, the back nine at this major can give up scores ….low scores so it's never over till it's over.

Heartbreaks …..Rory going OB on 10, Spieth dunking on 12….too many to write about ….and maybe the biggest collapse of all ; Greg Norman in 96 who had a 6 stroke lead going into Sunday and the wait would be finally over for him but the golf gods said differently and the Sultan backed Aussie fell apart on Sunday and gave the tournament gift wrapped to Sir Nick…..