Monday, April 13, 2009

Sunday Drama at the Masters

Wow! What a Sunday evening at the Masters. There were a number of players in contention throughout their rounds on Sunday and many didn't even know it. When the last group tee'd off Kenny Perry was gobbling up Pars and hanging on to his -11 lead. Meanwhile you have Phil Mickelson who posted a record setting 30 on the front nine, then decides to find the lake on 12 and missed and Eagle on 15 to put him out of the running. Phil was playing with Tiger, who we were all waiting for him to turn it up but he could never seem to make it over that hump. Just when you thought he was gaining momentum Tiger missed his long eagle putt on 15 then became a shank golfer bogeying 17. Tiger enjoyed Augusta so much on the 18th hole that he wanted to make it last so he spent some time in the pine straw, then he remembered how much he loved the 10th hole at Augusta so he hit his approach off a tree back into the 10th fairway. Mickelson finished a -9, Tiger at -8 not enough to create Sunday magic.

But the choking was not done yet folks. Angel Cabrera looked like the wheels were falling off playing early with Kenny Perry, Perry was holding steady at -11 while Cabrera bogeyed 10 to go +2 on the day, but eventually battled back. Chad Campbell bogeyed 9 and 10 but then rallied on the back nine to finish -3 on the day putting some pressure on Cabrera and Perry. Heading into the last holes of the course it was Kenny Perry's tournament. Teeing off on 17 Perry had a two shot lead on Cabrera and Campbell and was taking his victory lap to the green jacket. But then the choking continued at Augusta. Perry bogeyed both 17 and 18 to set up a three way playoff.

On the tee both Perry and Campbell were sitting pretty in the fairway and Cabrera found the trees in the pine straw in what looked like was an impossible lie. But Cabrera some how managed to drive the ball off the last tree and back into the fairway then hit a clutch shot six feet from the cup. Meanwhile those pretty fairway drives from Perry and Campbell ended up looking bad. Campbell found the sand and Perry was short and right of the green. Perry then hit a remarkable chip shot that almost found the hole, and Campbell did the same. They both had five footers to send it to the second playoff. Perry hits but Campbell chokes so its Perry and Cabrerra.

Back to the 10th Perry and Cabrera both drive the same spot on the fairway but Perry cannot find the green on the approach. Cabrerra puts his second shot about 15 feet away. Perry chips a horrendous shot and has a 20 footer that he has to sink, which he doesn't. Cabrera then two puts his way to a green jacket. It was a day where we saw ups and downs of composure and unraveling. They all choked at some point in the day, but Cabrera choked less winning his first green jacket.

T-1 Angel Cabrera
T-1 Kenny Perry
T-1 Chad Campbell
4 Shingo Katayama
5 Phil Mickelson
T-6 Steve Flesch
T-6 John Merrick
T-6 Steve Stricker
T-6 Tiger Woods

1 comment:

John said...

I'm not a fan of golf but I am a huge fan of Argentina. I was really happy to see him getting another major title (after the 2007 US Open). He really deserve this moment for all the hardwork and patient that he has put into his game.

Oh yes! I would love to hear your thoughts/opinion about this years Masters and tell us a little bit more about those intense finale.

http://mundoalbiceleste.blogspot.com/2009/04/green-jacket-goes-to-cabrera.html