SPRING SWINGS
In an annual rite of spring, PGA's best will descend on Augusta in quest for green jacket
His final score at Augusta National wasn’t all that set Dustin Johnson apart from other Masters champions. No one else ever won the Masters and then didn’t play another tournament the rest of the year. No other Masters champion was able to keep his green jacket at home for only five months before it was time to try to win it again. Then again, no one ever played the Masters in November.
Now it’s back to being that annual rite of spring, and so much about this Masters that starts today feels normal. Gone are the hues of autumn, majestic in a different way. Augusta National is blazing with pink, red and purple azaleas, along with the white blooms of dogwood in April. Inside the ropes — yes, there will be ropes this time — is a course that is expected to be play fast, firm and scary like always.
Johnson won by five shots at 20-under 268. It was the lowest score in tournament history, one of several records that fell in the soft conditions that were inevitable before the rye grass had taken root. Among other records that fell in November were 65 rounds in the 60s for the week, and 187 rounds at par or better.
“DJ, I think, would have won whether it was like it was in November or April,” Justin Thomas said.
“He played far and away better than anyone else.”
So emotional when it was over, so satisfied with what he had done, Johnson took his green jacket home to Florida and didn’t show up again until January. Asked if he felt shortchanged from only getting to keep it five months — only the champion can take his green jacket off property — Johnson laughed and replied, “It wouldn’t bother me if I only had it for a day. It would be OK. I’ve got one. And five months, a year, one month, one day, it doesn’t really make a difference to me.”
Even with such a short turnaround, so much has changed.
Tiger Woods was host of the Masters Club dinner for past champions. Now it’s a question if he’ll ever play again from shattering so many bones in his right leg and foot in a car crash in Los Angeles in late February. Jordan Spieth appears to have emerged from a three-year funk and was listed as among the favorites in Las Vegas. Rory Mcilroy remains stuck in neutral and announced he was adding a new coach to his stable just three weeks before he tries again to win the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam.
And so much feels normal. The Masters returns sooner than ever, and not a moment too soon.
“I think it will be back to feeling like a normal Masters,” Johnson said. “I’m definitely looking forward to that.”
THE ROARS
Another record set in November were 1,122 birdies for the week without a single roar. No spectators were allowed because of the COVID-19 restrictions. Augusta National is allowing a limited number of fans this year, although the club would not say how many weekly badges were sold. Minimal roars will be a welcome sound for the players. The Masters is as much about hearing as seeing. Fans have slowly been introduced at PGA Tour events since February. Even with a reduced number of spectators, the Masters still canceled the Par 3 Contest for the second time in a row.
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Dustin Johnson set another Masters record with his 11 consecutive rounds under par. But that’s not the record he wants. Only three players have ever won back-to-back at Augusta National, and Johnson would love nothing more than to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. He won in his second tournament of the year at the Saudi International, but the month leading into the Masters has been curious for his level of play. Johnson has finished outside the top 25 in his last three tournaments.
THE COURSE
Jon Rahm hit a 4-iron into the par-5 15th hole that landed just short of the hole and wound up 3 feet behind. Any other Masters, he figures a shot struck like that would have bounded over the green and into the water on the 16th hole. That’s one example of how different it played in November compared with April.
“I played with Sebastian Munoz on Sunday, and that was his first Masters. I pretty much told him, ‘Anything you learn today, this week, forget about it.’ Because it will never play like this again, period,” Rahm said.
It still depends on the weather. Jordan Spieth won at 18-under par in 2015. Danny Willett won at 5-under 283 the next year. Both were in April, of course.