There is nothing quite like The Masters

Post by Golf Writer, Kieran Clark - @KieranClarkGolf

There is one event that awakens us from the slumber of winter. It's a sporting spectacle that has consistently offered excitement, drama and beauty throughout its lifetime. We all know the history; the events that have helped shape a sport over 80 years. We have witnessed many of those iconic moments - lived through them - and know the setting of Augusta National like the back of our hands. Magnolia Lane, Amen Corner, Hogan's Bridge, Rae's Creek are terms that have become part of sporting legend. One week each year, our winter weary eyes gaze down upon Augusta, Georgia, for the most special of spring occasions. It's the Masters.

This week, the invited field of 98 players will take that legendary drive down Magnolia Lane with the promise of memories to be forged and the achievement of greatness a tantalising possibility. For some, it will be their first visit to the epochal course, while for others reacquainting with the National has become something akin to an annual pilgrimage.

In many respects, we (the viewer) participate in similar emotions. The images of the golf course and landmarks have become ingrained in our mind. We have stored up our own extensive library of moments and memories. There is a comforting sense of familiarity to the Masters and Augusta National, but, crucially, with the prospect of witnessing something new always seeming like a strong possibility.

There is something transcendent to the Masters. It is an experience. And yes, while some of the superlatives attached to the tournament may border on excessive, it is hard to completely dismiss the sentiment. There is a magic to it.

For the more spiritually inclined, that stems from Bobby Jones, whose vision gave birth to an event that has - at its best - exuded the impression of something operatic. We felt ecstasy when Jack Nicklaus holed a 40-footer on the 16th in 1975 to edge ahead of Weiskopf and Miller. Just as we did, more than a decade later, when the weary Golden Bear charged down the field to win the coveted Green Jacket for a sixth time.

Since 1949, that iconic Jacket has become a symbolic emblem of greatness within the sport. Sarazen, Demaret, Nelson, Hogan, Snead were the first to truly cement their names in Masters lore, before the 'Big Three' of Palmer, Player and Nicklaus helped to elevate the event to its present status as one of the defining sporting occasions on the calendar. Their time may have passed, but their presence still hangs over every undulation and each blade of grass found on this majestic layout.

The historic moments that made these players into legends are easily recalled. Some of us had the good fortune of witnessing them at the time, and recollect with significant fondness as each Masters Tournament approaches. Everyone, from each generation, has their favourite and individual memories, and that is testament to the personal affiliation that the Masters annually provides.

There was the dominance of the 'Big Three' in the 1960s, the rise of Europe in the 1980s and '90s, and the extraordinary performances of Tiger Woods. All eras that have defined the Masters. In 1997, the Californian took the sporting world by storm in 1997 with a 12-shot triumph that ushered in a blockbuster era for golf.

18 years on, and a decade removed from his fourth Masters victory, the career of Tiger bears hallmarks to a Shakespearean Tragedy. There hasn’t been another writer like Shakespeare, and no one has ever played golf like Tiger Woods. And as the 14-time major champion makes his return to the venue that signalled his greatness, it may prove to be the stage for his most crushing ordeal.

With the spectre of injury and mental scarring having taken its toll, Tiger – once the most assured of competitors – has looked like a broken man on the golf course. Who knows what to expect from the 39-year-old this week, and those questions have followed the former world number one for some time now. In 1997, Tiger shattered Augusta National. In 2015, it may return the favour.
However, the voyeuristic nature to Woods’ coverage will only benefit his natural successor, Rory McIlroy, who will welcome the opportunity for a less intense preview to his attempt to complete the career Grand Slam.

Victory in the Masters – where he endured the harsh cruelty of major championship golf four years ago – would see the Northern Irishman achieve the quadrilateral of triumphs matched only by Woods, Nicklaus, Player, Hogan and Sarazen.
It would be an immense feat, and one that would cement the 25-year-old’s place as arguably the greatest sportsman to have ever emerged from the United Kingdom. It would be hard to refute.

While the Ulsterman clearly represents the dominant force of this generation, there is a burgeoning group of players who are looking to threaten the four-time major champion. Headlined by last year’s runner-up, Jordan Spieth, McIlroy’s main challengers are potentially all younger than him.

The 21-year-old from Dallas, Spieth will be hoping to usher in a new era in the Masters for his state, just as another ends. Ben Crenshaw, the two-time champion, who will make his 44th and final appearance in the Tournament this week, was the last of the great Texans to win at Augusta.

That is unquestionably one of the poetic subplots entering the 79th Masters. There are many others.

Bubba Watson’s recent dominance, at a venue so perfectly suited to his imaginative and powerful style of play, cannot be overlooked as he looks to become just the fourth player to successfully defend in Georgia. Nor can the chances of Bubba’s compatriot, Dustin Johnson, who, despite being recently mired in controversy, has resurfaced in brilliant fashion this year. 

The likes of perennial major contender; Jason Day and Henrik Stenson may add themselves to the internationally diverse group of men who gather for the Champion’s Dinner each year in the clubhouse of Augusta National. We may even be due a surprise champion, who will forever etch himself into the fabric of the Masters Tournament.

It’s been a strong and colourful fabric. And as we prepare to witness more history being made and memories banked, with so many plots and stories threading together at just the right time, this Masters has the potential to achieve something truly great. To become magical.