Ask any of the competitors at this year’s Masters event, a good bet would be they would say green. The coveted jacket is to golfers what the Lombardi trophy is to NFL players or the Stanley cup is to NHL players. It is one of the biggest draws in the golf world. All of this week is dedicated to this event. The beautiful Augusta National Golf Club is as challenging as it scenic. Let’s take a look at some of the big draws of the week.
PRE-TOURNAMENT PLAY
Much like spring training in baseball, the days leading up to the actual Masters tournament are almost as much of a draw. It is a chance to see some of your favorite golfers practice their skills. Players use the time to learn or be reacquainted with the amazing course. As they practice, they also have fun, such as on Monday showing they can not only hit the ball. They also can skip it across water hazards like a stone, making it to the green in great form. Now if they are daring enough to try this while the score is being kept is rather doubtful. But it is still great fun to watch and see what these men can do.
THE FIELD OF PLAYERS
The Masters is exactly what it sounds like, you need to earn your way here. There are no golfers in this tournament who are not grade A players. The criteria to be invited to this match is high, such as winning in the past, winning a different major within the last five years, being the winner of the last British Open and so forth. Golf is also a game of luck as well as skill. It has frustration as well as focus. The player that can control and maintain all of these the longest will come out the winner.
WILL A FAVORITE WEAR THE JACKET?
Last year, fan favorite Sergio Garcia received the Masters green jacket. Can he repeat this year? He has the experience, but if it is experience that will let you win. Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Vijay Singh have been down this road many times. However again, not everyone in the field has won a green jacket. Most in this field know what the pressure of a final push to win on Sunday feels like.
Jordan Speith is a relatively newer player comparatively and he can do amazing things on the course. He also holds a record with Tiger Woods at the Masters with a 72 hole record of 270, which was amazingly his first major win. Tiger has been pushing this year since he is healthy and is showing he has regained his skills. His long drought of not winning a major could well end this weekend.
DON’T FORGET THE WEATHER
A huge factor in any golf game is the weather and the Masters is surely no exception. While Monday was right around seventy and was great golfing weather. The rest of the week isn’t looking perfect. There is a possibility of thunder storms Wednesday and that can limit practice. It can also change the conditions of the greens with too much rain. There is also a chance of rain in the weekend. Of course, there will be wind which can easily effect the drives off the tee as well as recovery shots. Though truly, being able to adjust to the weather is part of what makes a champion special.
Get your golf clap ready and be ready bright and early Thursday morning for the first shot off the tee.
