Is The Masters REALLY Golf's Best Major

THE MASTERS probably provokes more debate and discussion than any other of the sport’s majors.

It is unique in that it is the only major that is played at the same course every year and it also boasts the smallest field.

But is it the best?

Here are some reasons why many people believe that it is:

It is the first men's major of the season and, for many, that signals the start of the golf season, and a time of hope and expectation.

No major is as tied up with tradition as The Masters. There is something special about watching Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player hitting the ceremonial opening drives. And this year they will be joined by Tom Watson.

The eve-of-tournamernt Par-3 Contest is fun, with players joined by wives, girlfriends and children - all of whom are encouraged to hit shots. Famously, nobody has ever won the Par-3 and The Masters in the same year. Some players go to extraordinary lengths to avoid winning the Par-3. Others simply refuse to take part.

The Champions Dinner is a unique event, open only to former winners of The Masters. The defending champion gets to choose the menu - this year that honour falls to Hideki Matsuyama. Wouldn’t you just love to be a fly on the wall at that event? I know that I would.

The course is a gem, arguably the best on the planet - and certainly the most beautiful. It bursts with colour with the azaleas and magnolias in full bloom. The greenkeepers have even been known to give nature a helping hand with a spot of paint if the colours are not quite right because of the weather.

Not only is Augusta a thing of beauty but it is a proper challenge. If you can’t putt, don’t even bother turning up. A journalist friend of mine had the huge good fortune to be able to play Augusta National the day after The Masters had concluded. This meant that he played it in tournament conditions. An 11-handicapper, he was unable to break 100, three-putting (at least) almost every green. The guys who break 70 here are SERIOUSLY good.

The patrons know how to behave. Rowdy behaviour simply won’t be tolerated at Augusta. There is a code of conduct and if you fail to adhere to it then you are out - never to return. If a patron heads off for a toilet break, he or she knows that nobody will take their spot.

Those who are allowed to sell food and drink on the property could charge anything they want - but prices are strictly monitored. It may be one of toughest tickets in town but when you get into Augusta National you are not going to be ripped off.

At some point a European is certain to be in contention, and hopefully coming down the stretch. For armchair viewers at home, is there anything better than sitting in front of the TV in the hope of cheering for a European winner? Remember Jose Maria Olazabal’s return from injury? Or Sergio Garcia’s long-awaited major victory? Or the agony and the ecstasy of Nick Faldo hunting down a haunted Greg Norman in 1996?

There will always be shots that stop you and the commentators dead in their tracks - like Jordan Spieth finding the water twice in 2016, or Larry Mize holing THAT chip, or Tiger Woods holing that impossible chip down the length of the 16th green? Have you ever in your life seen anything like that? Erm, no.

There is nothing to beat Masters Sunday, with the roar of the crowds echoing through the trees as one astonishing shot after another is produced.

And here are some reasons why just as many people believe that it isn’t the best major:

With a field of around 90 that contains so many past champions and winners of comparatively obscure amateur events, it is nowhere close to being the strongest field. You could argue that it is more difficult to win a PGA Tour event than it is to win at Augusta were it not for the fact that Fuzzy Zoeller remains the last rookie to claim the Green Jacket.

Let’s not beat about the bush here - the likes of former champions Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir have absolutely no chance of winning. And does anybody want to see the likes of Lyle struggling to break 80?

Amateurs James Piot, Austin Greaser, Laird Shepherd, Aaron Jarvis and Keita Nakajima are also likely to struggle - on the other hand, the battle for low amateur is always intriguing.

Many say that the slopes on some of the greens are unfair. Time and again we see what appear to be fabulous approach shots played to lightning fast greens, the ball appears to stop but keeps rolling, rolling, rolling, either finishing halfway down the fairway or in the water. Is it fair? The people who run The Masters will tell you that landing the ball in the right place is an essential skill. They may have a point but at times it all seems pretty brutal.

Augusta has struggled to move with the times. It is not so terribly long ago that they admitted their first woman member. 

The Masters has always held a special place in my heart. I love the course, I love the colours and I love the drama. But the best major? No way. Give me The Open every time.

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