Yips, dips and Sergio: Winners and losers of the week at Augusta
Danny Willett will remembered as the winner. Jordan Spieth will never foget what happened to him on No. 12. And Dustin Johnson will remember coming close again.
But here are some other winners and losers from the 80th Masters:
WINNERS
Ernie Els: He six-putted the first hole, made a nine and went on to shoot 80 on Thursday. He three-putted the first hole on Friday and was soon headed out of town after missing the cut. But before he did, he faced up to the “Y” word. “Yips,” he said, “can cause snakes in your head.” Give him credit for giving honest answers and in a courteous manner. He’ll all class.
Big Three: Jack, Arnie and Gary were together again as the honorary starters on Thursday, only this time just Nicklaus and Player hit drives. Jack and Gary put aside their long-standing rivalry on who hits the longest drive and showed genuine concern about the health of their friend, Palmer. There’s not a better tradition in sports that watching the threesome together.
Bryson DeChambeau: You’ve got to like the cocky, 22-year-old from California. He got as high as second before making a triple bogey on the 18th hole on Friday. Asked if he was nervous playinng the hole, he said, “No. It’s just a golf shot.” He’ll turn pro this week at the RBC Heritage.
Jim Herman: The 38-year-old got in the Masters for the first time by winning at Houston the previous week. He missed the cut, shooting 75-78, but the journeyman pro who used to be an assistant pro at one of Donald Trump’s golf courses was one of the best feel-good stories of the week.
Tom Watson: Leaving behind an egg-salad sandwich on a bench at the 13th tee in honor of his late caddie, who died from cancer, was classic Watson. He loves the Masters and all of its traditions. Here’s hoping he’ll join Nicklaus and Player as honorary starters should Palmer be unable to continue.
Bernhard Langer: It’s incredible that Nicklaus won the 1986 Masters at the age of 46. But what Langer did at the age of 58 might be even more remarkable. Augusta National is far longer now, and the windy conditions for most of the week made it much harder. But there was Langer at 1-under after three rounds, one of only four players under par. He faded on Sunday, but the guy’s still amazing.
Peach ice-cream sandwiches: For a mere $2, you can get some delicious peach ice cream stacked high between two sugar cookies. Heavenly.
LOSERS
Phil Mickelson: He had been playing well coming into the Masters, and many thought he might have another geen jacket in him at the age of 45. But Phil shot a 79 on Friday – his highest round ever at Augusta – and missed the cut. “That’s the worst I managed myself around this golf course,” he said. “It’s disappointing.”
Rickie Fowler: For a guy trying to make the new Big Three (Spieth, Day and McIlroy) a Big Four, Fowler is going in the wrong direction. He shot an 80 on Thursday, before rallying for a 73 on Friday with birdies on 17 and 18. But it was too little, too late.
Bubba Watson: The two-time Masters champ looked uninterested – even on Thursday when he was on leaderboards at 3-under. But he quickly faded and was at 6-over after two days. He thought he had missed the cut, but a late Spieth bogey kept him around for the weekend . He was the first pro out on Saturday and had to play with a marker.
Sergio Garcia: He’s the best player never to win a major in perpetuity. Garcia continues to baffle. He shot a 69 on Thursday and looked like he might contend this year. Instead, he shot an 81 on Saturday – a round that included a double bogey and eight bogeys.
Hole No. 2: This 575-yard par 5 took a beating. Through three rounds, it had given up more eagles (5), more birdies (91) and fewer bogeys (17) than any other hole. Now that old Berckman’s Road is closed, maybe they ought to consider moving the tee back yet again.
Azaleas and dogwoods: The pinks and whites that usually adorn the course were mostly long gone this year. They bloomed early during a warm winter, and what few blossoms that were left were blown off by heavy winds during the week.
This story was originally published April 10, 2016 at 9:21 PM with the headline "Yips, dips and Sergio: Winners and losers of the week at Augusta."