Can I get an, ‘Amen’?
Everything is right with Masters back
No Tiger Woods? No problem.
The next “Amen” in sports’ tortuous return to normalcy is just around the corner. The Masters returns to its traditional April time slot today after a year in autumnal purgatory due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Legal sportsbooks expect record handles this weekend even with Woods convalescing. Eyeballs aplenty will be following on TV and online. A poll by Boston-based Draft-Kings says 58% of golf fans surveyed don’t expect their interest in the Masters to be affected by Tiger’s absence, while 23% will be less interested in watching and 19% will be more interested.
A limited number of patrons have returned to Augusta National. There are no “fans” at the Masters. Nor is there a “back nine.” Meanwhile, corporate activism should be taking the weekend off, as well.
Even the most insomniac woke combatants in this ongoing culture war know that an all-out fight at Augusta National would be their Stalingrad.
The powers that be who rule those pristine greens, hallowed fairways and pesky second cuts (there is no “rough” at Augusta National) down the road from that Hooters with John Daly in its parking lot don’t give a damn about any of your hashtags.
Want to join Augusta National and bring change from within? Well, you could get on a waiting list if there was such a thing. Membership is by invitation only.
If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s Fred Ridley.
CBS and ESPN are on oneyear TV contracts when it comes to broadcast/cable rights. And Augusta National controls video content generated on its grounds. If ESPN or CBS wants to use their Masters broadcasts as a political platform in 2021, look for the Masters to air elsewhere in 2022.
Sure, the usual suspects launched into their predictable screeds about the oppressive nature of “The Masters” and the woes that could befall those who choose to illegally vote in Georgia. But no one outside of Major League Baseball was listening. And no one demanding the PGA Tour move the Masters — as if it had a say in that — or the Tour Championship from East Lake in Atlanta dared to mention the Augusta Women’s National Tournament when calling for a Peach State boycott.
Funny how that works, huh?
Baseball All-Star Game tickets are plentiful. Augusta National memberships or Sunday badges are prized heirlooms. No one is about to sacrifice either in the name of social justice or anything else. Many a CEO or tycoon has likely forfeited the beach house to keep one or both during their first divorce.
The next four days at Augusta National will be all golf, thank goodness.
Jim Nantz will see to that. Tiger is still licking his selfinflicted wounds after that scary February car crash, shockingly caused because he was driving at least 84 MPH in a 45 MPH zone.
Even without Woods, American Golf Is Great Again. No matter how many shots former President Trump gives himself at Mara-Lago. Eight of the top-10 ranked golfers in the world and eight of the top-10 betting favorites to win the Masters are nephews of Uncle Sam.
Dustin Johnson lulled the opposition into acquiescence while earning his first green jacket in November. DJ won by five shots and was never really threatened Sunday. He’s No. 1 in the world and No. 1 on the board at +950, while the long-hitting Bryson DeChambeau (+1000) is the second choice, followed by Justin Thomas (+1100), Jon Rahm (+1200) and Jordan Spieth (+1200).
Plenty of intriguing storylines lurk beneath the waterline at No. 12. Here are five quick ones: Can DJ repeat?
Yes.
Will Spieth finally exorcise his 2016 demons?
Spieth’s PGA Tour resurrection occurred on Easter Sunday, when he captured his first win since the 2017 British Open at the Texas Open. Spieth was +5000 when 2021 Masters odds were first posted. He was poised to repeat at Augusta five years ago before a historic Sunday collapse. Winning two weeks in a row after having not won in four years? If someone can do that not named Tiger Woods — it’s the very likable Spieth. How good is Thomas? Really good. A first green jacket would make him No. 1 in the world and solidify his spot as America’s Official National Golfer Not Named After A Feline. Thomas had a rough February personally but bounced back with a win at The Players. The average first-time Masters winner gets his first green jacket on the sixth try. This is Thomas’ sixth Masters and he’s gotten better each time, peaking with a solo fourth-place finish at -12 in November.
Can DeChambeau keep it straight?
The defending U.S. Open champion, DeChambeau sits atop the FedEx Cup standings. He’s been launching bombs all week on the driving range. The par-4, 350-yard third hole is drivable and DeChambeau likely will have a bull’s-eye on the pin if he needs to make a move late in the tournament. DeChambeau has plenty of personality and is just irritating enough to keep us watching. He’s only a few more fairways away from winning his second major in just seven months.
What are we missing? Plenty. Brooks Koepka has won four majors and finished T2 in the 2019 Masters, one shot behind Woods. He’s playing with an injured right knee. Patrick Reed won here three years ago but is still mostly hated. Spaniard Rahm is ranked third in the world. He became a dad for the first time this past weekend. Up next, his first major? Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy has fallen off Max Kellerman’s cliff, having not won since 2019. McIlroy again seeks the final trophy of the career Grand Slam this weekend. He has a new swing coach. But will he end up with the same old excuses?
So grab a pimento cheese sandwich, sit back and enjoy.
On second thought, make mine a cheeseburger.