The Masters - 2017 (HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? (LOL RIVERMAN))
04-02-2017
, 11:50 AM
Sports fans and golf fans alike, it's that time of year again -- early April. Spring is springing. The azaleas are in full bloom. And golf takes center stage as the first of four majors takes place.
Last year's edition saw wonderkid Jordan Spieth wash away his chances at history on #12. As a result, we had a bland bloke from the UK donning the green jacket. Let's hope for a more appropriate finish this year.
We have a new wonderkid on the golf scene. His name is Jon Rahm. A Spaniard whose future looks very very bright. Crazy fact: Phil Mickelson's brother is Rahm's agent.
It was 18 years ago when another Spanish wonderkid dazzled us with a runner-up performance at the PGA Championship. Sergio Garica was the next best thing from across the Pond. Welp, we're still waiting for El Nino to claim his first major.
Let's take a look at the betting odds and discuss the favorites:
Dustin Johnson reached World Number One and then promptly ripped off three straight wins. Can DJ make it four in a row and get halfway to the grand slam?
See above. Will be coming off his first MC in 21 starts.
Former World Number One, Rory McIlroy, is rounding into shape nicely. Two wins and five T-5s in his last nine starts. His sex life seems to be settled and Rory performs well when he has a stable female situation (see Tiger Woods).
There are concerns about Jason Day and whether or not he'll even tee off on Thursday. He had to WD from the Dell Match Play two weeks ago (as defending champion no less) because of his mother's health issues. Let's wish the best for Day and his family, as golf is just a sport and we all have just one mother.
Jon Rahm. See above.
Phil Mickelson is now 46-years-old, but don't count him out this week. A fourth green jacket is very much in reach. Lefty is in good form.
Hideki Matsuyama is a star. Wait until this Japanese sensation bags his first major. This could be the week.
What a 2016 for Henrik Stenson. He turned 40. He bagged his first major. And he even got some Olympic bling. Could a green jacket be next?
Don't let the slick Puma marketing blind you. Rickie Fowler is one of four Americans in the OWGR top 9. The kid can play and will be battling it out today for a title in Houston (which would be his second victory of this PGA Tour season).
LOL Canada
KEY HOLES
#1 - Tea Olive
A player's Masters round begins with a difficult uphill par 4. Last year, Tea Olive ranked the second most difficult hole on the course.
From masters.com:
The first is a slight dogleg right that plays uphill. Drives to the left may catch the trees. The hole requires a precise second shot to an undulating green. A poorly struck approach may result in a difficult two-putt.
In 1935, the hole featured a left fairway bunker that was later removed. A greenside bunker, front and left, was added in 1951.
Osmanthus fragrans, native to southern Asia, is an evergreen shrub or small tree belonging to the Olive Family. Its intermittent displays of small white flowers from December to March are delightfully fragrant. The Tea Olive attains a height of 16 to 20 feet.
#5 - Magnolia
From masters.com:
An uphill, dogleg left to a sloping green. The fairway bunkers are deep and positioned to demand accuracy off the tee. To clear them requires a carry of 315 yards. The green slopes back to the front, and a rear bunker catches balls hit too long.
This hole was inspired by the legendary Road Hole at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Bobby Jones initially disapproved of the fairway bunkers.
The magnolia is one of the most prominent native trees at Augusta National. The botanical name Magnolia grandiflora is descriptive of the massive evergreen tree with large, fragrant white flowers that bloom in May and June. Deciduous imported varieties are also present.
#13 - Azalea
The drive here is critical. A good drive sets up the golfer for an eagle opportunity. A bad one can have a player scrambling to make par.
From masters.com:
An accurate tee shot to the center of the fairway on this sweeping dogleg left allows a player to go for the green in two. A tributary to Rae's Creek winds in front of the raised green, and four bunkers threaten behind. The Byron Nelson Bridge is located just off the tee.
More discovered than designed, this hole was originally an open field. Virtually all that Alister MacKenzie had to do was to build a green on the far side of the stream.
This hole bears the name of the plant for which Augusta National is most noted. This Rhododendron specie may be seen in many forms on the course, with over 30 varieties present. Native species and many of the rare older plants are also present. The flowering period ranges from March through mid-April. From tee to green, this hole is flanked on its south side by approximately 1,600 azaleas, including many different species and cultivars.
#18 - Holly
Many a Masters has come down to this famous hole. Could it happen again next Sunday?
From masters.com:
One of the most famous finishing holes in golf, this uphill dogleg right is protected by two bunkers at the left elbow of the fairway. A drive hit down the center will often require a middle iron for a second shot to a deep, narrow green guarded by one bunker short-left and another hard right.
Even in its original form, the 18th green had two distinct tiers. The surrounds have been contoured to improve sight lines for spectators.
Ilex opaca, American Holly, is a medium-sized native evergreen tree. The tree bears inconspicuous flowers, with only the female tree able to produce berries. The fruit begins to turn red in the fall and persists into the winter. It is widely used for Christmas decorations. There are several varieties of holly on the 18th hole.
Spoiler:
Last edited by ligastar; 04-02-2017 at 12:04 PM.
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, 03:31 PM
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