10 APRIL, 2022 - SHANK MEDIA, BY MATT HOOPER:
Sunday, the final day of a golf tournament, sure some tournaments finish on a Saturday, or even a Monday or Tuesday if the weather is bad.
Sunday is the day of roast dinners, Yorkshire puddings and apple pie with custard.
Sunday, the final day of a golf tournament, sure some tournaments finish on a Saturday, or even a Monday or Tuesday if the weather is bad.
Sunday is the day of roast dinners, Yorkshire puddings and apple pie with custard.
Sunday is the day when trophies are lifted and a champion is crowned.
Sunday is the day when Tiger wears red and Seve wore navy blue and white.
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Masters Sunday is the day history is made.
Masters Sunday is the day when the roars are louder, the shots are greater and everything is just that little bit more important.
Masters Sunday is the day when memories are made, dreams come true and golfers are created.
My first memories of Masters Sunday are of Nick Faldo holing the birdie putt on 18 in 1996 when he came from 6 back of Greg Norman to win by 5, completing an 11-shot turnaround the likes of which not seen in many years. I remember Mark O'Meara holing a similar putt to win in 1998, Tiger Woods completing the Tiger Slam in 2001, Phil Mickelson winning his first major in 2004 and Tiger holing the impossible chip at 16 in 2005.
The old saying is that The Masters doesn't start until the second nine on Sunday, this is partly because that is all that used to be shown of the tournament on television and because it is arguably the greatest second nine in world golf. Prodigious, brutal par fours like the 10th and 11th, risk-reward par fives like 13 and 15, stunningly beautiful and challenging par three's like 12 and 16 and one of the iconic finishing holes in world golf like 18.
Nicklaus shooting 30 on the second nine to win in 1986 happened when I was 2 1/2 years old, but it has been replayed so many times it feels like I actually watched it happen live.
Masters Sunday is a day which inspires children, usually watching with their family, to take up the game. Children like Nick Faldo who was in awe of Jack Nicklaus.
Masters Sunday is a day which can make a career, like Trevor Immelman, Charl Schwartzel, Adam Scott, Zach Johnson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Mike Weir. Masters Sunday is a day which can bring heartache to a player, time and time again, like Greg Norman. Masters Sunday is a day which can launch a dynasty, like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
Simply put, Masters Sunday is and will forever remain, the single greatest day in the golfing calendar. The roars of an Open Championship, the difficulty of a US Open, the beauty of Augusta National and the colours of spring. Masters Sunday is a day to cherish.
What will this Masters Sunday bring?
WORLD NUMBER ONE SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER BEGINS THE FINAL ROUND WITH A THREE-STROKE LEAD OVER CAMERON SMITH, AND A 5-STROKE ADVANTAGE OVER SUNGJAE IM IN THIRD PLACE. SCHEFFLER HAS STORMED UP THE WORLD RANKINGS IN 2022 WITH 3 HUGE WINS AT THE WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN, ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL AND WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP, AND NOW STANDS ON THE PRECIPICE OF HIS FIRST MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY. IN 2020 THE THEN WORLD NUMBER ONE DUSTIN JOHNSON BECAME THE FIRST ACTIVE WORLD NUMBER ONE GOLFER TO WIN THE MASTERS SINCE TIGER WOODS IN 2002, AND SCHEFFLER COULD FOLLOW SUIT IF HE HOLDS ON FOR HIS MAIDEN MAJOR TITLE THIS AFTERNOON.
SCHEFFLER'S NUMBERS HAVE BELIED THE FACT THIS IS SETTING UP TO BE ONE OF THE TOUGHEST TESTS SEEN IN RECENT YEARS AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL, WHERE THE LEADERBOARD LOOKS MORE LIKE A US OPEN THAN THE MASTERS. ONLY 7 PLAYERS HAVE REACHED SUNDAY UNDER PAR, AND ONLY 3 PLAYERS ARE BETTER THAN 2-UNDER-PAR FOR THE 54 HOLES PLAYED. AND IF AUGUSTA NATIONAL WAS A PAR 70 SCHEFFLER WOULD IN FACT BE THE ONLY PLAYER UNDER PAR ON THE LEADERBOARD, HIS ROUND OF 71 ON SATURDAY WAS MORE THAN 3 STROKES LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE, AND TO DO THAT WHEN LEADING IS MIGHTILY IMPRESSIVE.
IF THE 25-YEAR-OLD CONTINUES TO PLAY LIKE THIS THEN HE WILL BE WEARING THE GREEN JACKET LATER TONIGHT.
AND NOTHING SUGGESTS HE WON'T CONTINUE TO PERFORM IN THIS MANNER, ACCEPT FOR ONE THING. THIS IS MASTERS SUNDAY.
OF COURSE MANY WILL BRING UP THE THING ABOUT WINNERS COMING FROM THE FINAL PAIRING, AND THAT IS VERY VALID, BUT YOU HAVE TO FEEL SOMEONE WILL MAKE A RUN AT THE LEADERS TODAY, AND THAT THE FINAL ROUND WILL NOT BE A CASE OF HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE. SO FAR THE LOWEST SCORE OF THE WEEK HAS BEEN 67, RECORDED BY BOTH SCHEFFLER AND FIRST ROUND LEADER IM, SO IF WE ASSUME THAT IS THE LOWEST SCORE POSSIBLE TODAY, WHO IS IN CONTENTION?
LOGIC WOULD SAY THAT MEANS ONLY 3 MEN CAN WIN THE MASTERS. SCHEFFLER, SMITH AND IM. BUT WHAT IF SCHEFFLER AND SMITH SHOOT 74? ROUNDS WHICH BOTH SMITH AND IM HAVE SHOT THIS WEEK. THAT WOULD MEAN SHANE LOWRY, CHARL SCHWARTZEL, JUSTIN THOMAS AND COREY CONNERS ARE ALL IN THE MIX ON THE SECOND NINE. SCHEFFLER HAS PLAYED REMARKABLY WELL THIS WEEK, BOUNCING BACK FROM HIS FEW MISTAKES, BUT HE HAS MADE MISTAKES. ON THE BACK NINE ON SATURDAY HE MADE FOUR BOGEYS, AND HE COULD EASILY HAVE MADE A DOUBLE BOGEY OR WORSE AT THE 18TH IN HIS THIRD ROUND.
SO COULD DANNY WILLETT, JASON KOKRAK, RORY MCILROY, COLLIN MORIKAWA, DUSTIN JOHNSON AND TOMMY FLEETWOOD ALSO BE IN CONTENTION? IT IS A LONG SHOT, BUT REMEMBER THIS, GARY PLAYER ONCE CAME FROM 7 SHOTS BEHIND IN THE FINAL ROUND TO WIN THE 1978 MASTERS, AND PAUL LAWRIE BEGAN THE FINAL ROUND OF THE 1999 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP A FULL 10 STROKES BACK OF LEADER JEAN VAN DE VELDE. NOW SCHEFFLER IS NO VAN DE VELDE, AND AUGUSTA, FOR ALL ITS HAZARDS, IS NOT CARNOUSTIE, BUT THIS MASTERS SURELY CANNOT REMAIN IN A HOLDING PATTERN, SOMEONE HAS TO EMERGE WITH A CHALLENGE AND PUT THE PRESSURE ON THE NEWEST OF ALL WORLD NUMBER ONES.
WHATEVER HAPPENS, IT WILL BE INTERESTING VIEWING.
KEY TEE-TIMES:
3.50PM JON RAHM, TIGER WOODS
4.10PM ROBERT MACINTYRE, HAROLD VARNER III
5.10PM TONY FINAU, SERGIO GARCIA
6.10PM HIDEKI MATSUYAMA, VIKTOR HOVLAND
6.40PM DUSTIN JOHNSON, CAMERON CHAMP
6.50PM RORY MCILROY, COLLIN MORIKAWA
7PM TOMMY FLEETWOOD, JASON KOKRAK
7.10PM DANNY WILLETT, COREY CONNERS
7.20PM CHARL SCHWARTZEL, JUSTIN THOMAS
7.30PM SUNJAE IM, SHANE LOWRY
7.40PM SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, CAMERON SMITH
SKY SPORTS LIVE COVERAGE OF MASTERS SUNDAY BEGINS AT 3.30PM BST, WITH A VARIETY OF VIEWING OPTIONS ACROSS YOUTUBE INCLUDING FEATURED HOLES 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 AND 16.
WORLD NUMBER ONE SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER BEGINS THE FINAL ROUND WITH A THREE-STROKE LEAD OVER CAMERON SMITH, AND A 5-STROKE ADVANTAGE OVER SUNGJAE IM IN THIRD PLACE. SCHEFFLER HAS STORMED UP THE WORLD RANKINGS IN 2022 WITH 3 HUGE WINS AT THE WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN, ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL AND WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP, AND NOW STANDS ON THE PRECIPICE OF HIS FIRST MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY. IN 2020 THE THEN WORLD NUMBER ONE DUSTIN JOHNSON BECAME THE FIRST ACTIVE WORLD NUMBER ONE GOLFER TO WIN THE MASTERS SINCE TIGER WOODS IN 2002, AND SCHEFFLER COULD FOLLOW SUIT IF HE HOLDS ON FOR HIS MAIDEN MAJOR TITLE THIS AFTERNOON.
SCHEFFLER'S NUMBERS HAVE BELIED THE FACT THIS IS SETTING UP TO BE ONE OF THE TOUGHEST TESTS SEEN IN RECENT YEARS AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL, WHERE THE LEADERBOARD LOOKS MORE LIKE A US OPEN THAN THE MASTERS. ONLY 7 PLAYERS HAVE REACHED SUNDAY UNDER PAR, AND ONLY 3 PLAYERS ARE BETTER THAN 2-UNDER-PAR FOR THE 54 HOLES PLAYED. AND IF AUGUSTA NATIONAL WAS A PAR 70 SCHEFFLER WOULD IN FACT BE THE ONLY PLAYER UNDER PAR ON THE LEADERBOARD, HIS ROUND OF 71 ON SATURDAY WAS MORE THAN 3 STROKES LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE, AND TO DO THAT WHEN LEADING IS MIGHTILY IMPRESSIVE.
IF THE 25-YEAR-OLD CONTINUES TO PLAY LIKE THIS THEN HE WILL BE WEARING THE GREEN JACKET LATER TONIGHT.
AND NOTHING SUGGESTS HE WON'T CONTINUE TO PERFORM IN THIS MANNER, ACCEPT FOR ONE THING. THIS IS MASTERS SUNDAY.
OF COURSE MANY WILL BRING UP THE THING ABOUT WINNERS COMING FROM THE FINAL PAIRING, AND THAT IS VERY VALID, BUT YOU HAVE TO FEEL SOMEONE WILL MAKE A RUN AT THE LEADERS TODAY, AND THAT THE FINAL ROUND WILL NOT BE A CASE OF HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE. SO FAR THE LOWEST SCORE OF THE WEEK HAS BEEN 67, RECORDED BY BOTH SCHEFFLER AND FIRST ROUND LEADER IM, SO IF WE ASSUME THAT IS THE LOWEST SCORE POSSIBLE TODAY, WHO IS IN CONTENTION?
LOGIC WOULD SAY THAT MEANS ONLY 3 MEN CAN WIN THE MASTERS. SCHEFFLER, SMITH AND IM. BUT WHAT IF SCHEFFLER AND SMITH SHOOT 74? ROUNDS WHICH BOTH SMITH AND IM HAVE SHOT THIS WEEK. THAT WOULD MEAN SHANE LOWRY, CHARL SCHWARTZEL, JUSTIN THOMAS AND COREY CONNERS ARE ALL IN THE MIX ON THE SECOND NINE. SCHEFFLER HAS PLAYED REMARKABLY WELL THIS WEEK, BOUNCING BACK FROM HIS FEW MISTAKES, BUT HE HAS MADE MISTAKES. ON THE BACK NINE ON SATURDAY HE MADE FOUR BOGEYS, AND HE COULD EASILY HAVE MADE A DOUBLE BOGEY OR WORSE AT THE 18TH IN HIS THIRD ROUND.
SO COULD DANNY WILLETT, JASON KOKRAK, RORY MCILROY, COLLIN MORIKAWA, DUSTIN JOHNSON AND TOMMY FLEETWOOD ALSO BE IN CONTENTION? IT IS A LONG SHOT, BUT REMEMBER THIS, GARY PLAYER ONCE CAME FROM 7 SHOTS BEHIND IN THE FINAL ROUND TO WIN THE 1978 MASTERS, AND PAUL LAWRIE BEGAN THE FINAL ROUND OF THE 1999 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP A FULL 10 STROKES BACK OF LEADER JEAN VAN DE VELDE. NOW SCHEFFLER IS NO VAN DE VELDE, AND AUGUSTA, FOR ALL ITS HAZARDS, IS NOT CARNOUSTIE, BUT THIS MASTERS SURELY CANNOT REMAIN IN A HOLDING PATTERN, SOMEONE HAS TO EMERGE WITH A CHALLENGE AND PUT THE PRESSURE ON THE NEWEST OF ALL WORLD NUMBER ONES.
WHATEVER HAPPENS, IT WILL BE INTERESTING VIEWING.
KEY TEE-TIMES:
3.50PM JON RAHM, TIGER WOODS
4.10PM ROBERT MACINTYRE, HAROLD VARNER III
5.10PM TONY FINAU, SERGIO GARCIA
6.10PM HIDEKI MATSUYAMA, VIKTOR HOVLAND
6.40PM DUSTIN JOHNSON, CAMERON CHAMP
6.50PM RORY MCILROY, COLLIN MORIKAWA
7PM TOMMY FLEETWOOD, JASON KOKRAK
7.10PM DANNY WILLETT, COREY CONNERS
7.20PM CHARL SCHWARTZEL, JUSTIN THOMAS
7.30PM SUNJAE IM, SHANE LOWRY
7.40PM SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, CAMERON SMITH
SKY SPORTS LIVE COVERAGE OF MASTERS SUNDAY BEGINS AT 3.30PM BST, WITH A VARIETY OF VIEWING OPTIONS ACROSS YOUTUBE INCLUDING FEATURED HOLES 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 AND 16.
