Sergio Garcia wins ding-ding battle of the titans
Here's a business lesson in retailing from the Masters that will never find its way into the Harvard Business Review or the MIT Sloan Management Review.
On the Sunday, patrons like to come late to the course because all the likely victors only tee off after 2:00 pm. However, they come early enough to do their final bit of shopping at the most extraordinary store in the universe. This store opens for only about two weeks in a year and sells categories such as T- and polo-shirts for men, women and children, belts, golf balls, ties, socks, golf towels, men's underwear, golf caps and hats, beverage mugs and glasses, bags and merchandise that hundreds of other stores like Macy's and others also retail.
But there the similarity ends. Here, every item has to have the iconic Masters logo (the map of the USA in yellow with a cheerful red flagged pin planted in the heart of Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia) on it; no other branded products are allowed and even the mighty Coca-Cola, which has its world headquarters in neighbouring Atlanta, must only be sold in Masters branded cups and have no marquee presence on these hallowed grounds; they have to make do with a pathetic hospitality tent on one of the side roads. Patrons may buy as much of this merchandise that they wish to (people buy dozens of caps, shirts, golf balls... Titleist, but only in Masters external packaging etc) for personal use, gifts and fulfilling orders from neighbours, friends and relatives, and have them immediately shipped to any part of the world. This merchandise is between 30 and 70 per cent more expensive than similar material elsewhere and, of course, Masters branded items are not available anywhere in the world other than at the Masters main shop at Augusta National, and in the small satellite kiosks around the course. One has to be here to buy these uniquely branded products. Not only is giant Amazon not able to carry these much desired products, but also Augusta National itself does not sell them online.
Is there any competition out there at all?
With about 50,000-60,000 overall visitors in these two weeks buying upwards of average $1000 each, think about $75 million in sales with over 50 per cent net margins. Dozens of the most helpful, patient, knowledgeable and cheerful youngsters in my experience in selling, quickly ring up sales; they are essentially compensated with the privilege of being at Augusta National, their branded uniforms and all the onsite food and non-alcoholic beverages they can consume.
Now, doesn't all this break the mould of any retailing practice ever?
The Masters Genius Loci is alive and well and things are actually getting better, as the recently retired huge press facility of yesteryear is reportedly being converted to make the onsite shopping experience even more cheerful and exhilarating, one where you can part with even more dollars and still not feel any pain.
So now, after having just blown the children's university fund, young men saunter onto the course arguing as to who will win, laughing with their buddies and families and dragging expansively on cigars (passing aromas indicate that some are Havanas now), and survey the sun-drenched fairways and plains of this battle zone. After all, they don't have to contend with the innocent looking, olive green and pale yellow mottled and contoured geometry of these most dreaded of putting surfaces.
Mickelson was by far the biggest disappointment as he again double bogeyed the easy par 4 third. That hole is going to prey on his mind for at least a couple of years. The final pairings moved pretty well in tandem through the first half, leaving fewer holes in which the inevitable drama had to unfold. While wonderful to witness the charge by (Martin) Kaymer, (Charl) Schwartzel, (Matt) Kuchar (he aced the 16th to tie for fourth, right behind Schwartzel who crept in, well under the radar, to be alone in third place) they came to naught because they were just too far back to make any difference to the final outcome. Rory (McIlroy) could not get started on the 61 he needed to win and (Jordan) Spieth, having started out with a bogey, could not steady himself until the final four holes, but, alas, all too late. For my good friends Jesper, Lars and Peter, it was sad to see Soren Kjeldsen, who could have come up the leader board really nicely in this perfect golfing weather, fade away. (Rickie) Fowler, with whom Jordan was paired, simply failed to rise to his reasonable potential. Unlike Rosey and Sergio (Garcia), who seemed to feed off each other and gather strength, these two played against each other rather than the field and emaciated their challenge. "Fortuna favet fortibus" (fortune favours the brave) seems to have overtaken Rickie Fowler rather than the much more important advice of the ancients, "vincit qui patitur" (he prevails who is patient). Aggression proved to be his downfall, even as the eventual victors (Garcia finally won in a playoff) Rose and Garcia carefully grounded out their shots, one by one.
The incredibly scripted denouement of the 2017 Masters needs retelling. Sergio, having, with patience, gone into the lead, lost a great opportunity to take the game away on the par 5 eighth after a massive drive that should have resulted in a possible eagle, certainly a birdie but not in a wimpish par. Rose birdied to tie him and then the momentum shifted with Sergio making bogey on ten and eleven; Rose led by two all the way to the fourteenth which Sergio birdied and now the drama began and spectators moved expectantly to the edge of their seats. Sergio then magically eagled the par 5 fifteenth with a risky second that proved to be near perfect and, with Rose making birdie, the two were tied heading to the par 3 sixteenth. Sergio hit a perfect 8 iron to above the hole and saw it trickle down to just six feet away but Justin Rose put his inside of Garcia and birdied to go one shot better as Sergio missed. Now, with Rose in the lead and only two holes to play, Rose put his second on the 17th in the green side bunker and failed to get up and down, and now they were even again.
Both had perfect drives on the final hole. Justin hit his second and seemed to be headed for the right-hand side bunker, but it landed on the bank and kicked in sharply towards the hole and settled down just ten feet away. Oooof! What could Sergio possibly be thinking? Fortunately, probably nothing, as he launched his second and saw it pitch and stop just three feet from the pin. The patrons were going crazy.
After checking out every angle and possibility, Justin took careful aim and missed, the putt just sliding past the lip. He putted out and knew he had lost. Sergio could not possibly miss that short three footer. Emotions bubbled and he teared up; morosely, he walked back to his caddy, stuck out his hand to him in a doughty acceptance of fate, as though to say, 'we fought well but we lost'! An embrace of mutual sympathy followed and in their grief they did not see Sergio putt. They only knew the outcome through the collective groan of the spectators as Sergio's putt did not even touch the hole.
The wilting English Rose suddenly bloomed again! In a matter of minutes, disbelief, deflation and emptiness, tears, mutual sympathy between friendly competitors, suspense, hope, smiles all passed through each of Sergio and Justin. They almost kept willing the other to win. The curtain refused to come down on this final act.
This was the 17th playoff ever at the Masters. Adrenaline pumping, Justin drive on the 18th, the first playoff hole, headed straight into the deep, dark woods on the right before the drama was kept intact by his ball unexpectedly bouncing out onto the pine beds to afford a life-saving opportunity. He chipped out to where Sergio's ball was, in the middle of the fairway, and placed his third to within fifteen feet. Sergio, meanwhile, was about ten feet away with his second. Justin needed to make it and Sergio needed to miss for the game to go to the second playoff hole. Justin missed again and, Sergio needing two to win, made no mistake and made birdie.
A great new Masters champion was born.
This time there were no tears for Justin; he had already shed them earlier.
See y' all next year folks!