At Augusta may mean Masters for the ages
If there’s any comfort for both players it lies in the history of the Masters, where Jack Nicklaus not only won at the age of 46 in 1986 but was contending on the final day a dozen years later at the age of 58.
Add in the fact they own seven green jackets between them and it’s not so far fetched they will at least be in contention on the weekend.
“I would give Phil a much better chance to win than Tiger,” said Butch Harmon, who taught Woods when he was young and was with him when he won the 1997 Masters. “Not that I’m saying Tiger can’t win because I wouldn’t say Tiger can’t do anything because he will prove you wrong. But Tiger hasn’t won in a long time.”
Boult Player of the season. He took 65 wickets in 24 matches across all three forms. There were 25 of them in the four tests at a fine 20.92 apiece. His six-wicket roasting of England in the memorable first session of day-night test cricket was the highlight. Man of the match in that game, player of the series against England.
Williamson Not the top test runmaker this season, not even second, so not as productive as we’ve come to expect. Still, a great century in the Eden Park day-nighter as high point in 222 runs at 37. First ball duck at Hagley Oval on Tuesday a career first in his 116h innings. Not exactly timely. Some brilliant catches.
Taylor A fine century against the West Indies in Hamilton the test highlight. Averaged 50.2 in four matches. Disappointing against England, but still an enormously influential figure. Cracking ODI season, by the way.
de Grandhomme Top test runmaker. Who’d have thought? Scored 331 runs at 55. Showed he can put his head down. A flying century against the West Indies — the equal ninth fastest ever — and real grit and resolve against England, but a couple of shockers to get out. Tuesday at Hagley Oval was near unforgivable. His bowling was steady, eight wickets. Overall certainly made progress this season.
Watling Just the two tests at the end and showed how important he is. Batted impressively, kept tidily. England seamer Stuart Broad got it right at Hagley Oval: when things get tough, he’s a guy New Zealand like to get in the fight.
Wagner Usual industrious, up and at ’em self. Nineteen wickets at 23.84 in four tests. Strong against the West Indies and big contribution on the final day of the victory at Eden Park
Harmon also worked with Mickelson and believes he is riding a wave of confidence after winning the Mexico championship last month.
“Phil is still competitive and I don’t think Phil Mickelson gets the credit he should get,” he said. “He’s won 43 tournaments and five majors in the Tiger Woods era. No one else has come close to that, mainly because Tiger was winning all the others.”
Both players bring some baggage into this Masters, although it’s not talked about in the interview room or among the fans who swarmed to watch them in the practice round.
For Woods, it was the DUI last year where he was found dishevelled and incoherent on a Florida highway. over England. Will never die wondering.
Southee Solid test summer, 16 wickets at 21.43 in three matches, man of the match in the draw with England. One of those who stood up on big occasions — with ball and, at Hagley Oval, bat.
Santner Quiet against the West Indies, 67 runs in three innings and three cheap wickets. Test season cut short by season-ending injury. His batting looked to have turned a corner before the injury. Good signs for when he returns.
Sodhi Saved a test, and won a series, against England with the bat and whatever else happens in his career he’ll always have Hagley. Bowling didn’t quite work in his one test but his cult standing will only have been helped this week.
Latham A bit up and down. Made 190 runs in six test innings, highlighted by gritty 83 at Hagley Oval which went a long way to saving the match yesterday. That gets him an extra half point.
Nicholls Fine century in the day-night test but bad misses to end in Christchurch. Annoyingly inconsistent but looks the part when he’s in and going.
Blundell Fine century on test debut against the West Indies in Watling’s absence. Looked handy. New Zealand used five keepers over the summer. But you see why Watling is the selectors’ man. Toxicology reports revealed five different drugs in his system and he later pleaded guilty to reduced charges and received a year of probation and 50 hours of community service.
Mickelson, meanwhile, was linked to an insider trading scheme that sent high stakes gambler Billy Walters to prison . Mickelson paid back nearly $1 million in ill-gotten gains in the case and, according to published reports, had owed Walters nearly $2m in gambling debts.
They’ve had fewer problems on the golf course itself recently, with Woods contending in his latest comeback and Mickelson winning in Mexico.
It was Woods, of course, who trans- Astle Bundles of enthusiasm. His three for 39 in England’s second innings helped win the pink ball test. Useful allround player vying with Sodhi for the occasional test gig at this point. Henry Just one test, and did well against the West Indies in Wellington after sluggish start. Never lets the team down, but gets limited opportunities. The sort of player you’d always want in a squad. Raval Solid against the West Indies — and should have got maiden century in Hamilton — poor against England, including awful first-ball-of-theday dismissal at Hagley. Needs to do hard work over the winter. formed golf 21 years ago by winning his first Masters at the age of 21. Beset alternately by back and personal problems in recent years, though, he’s been stuck on 14 major championships for a decade now.
But he has the experience that playing 78 rounds at Augusta National over 20 Masters can bring.
Harmon thinks nothing would be better for golf should Woods defy the odds and win the Masters again.
“I think the jury’s still out on him,” Harmon said. “I would hope he could do it because it would be the best thing in the world for the game. The reincarnation of Tiger Woods at age 42 would be pretty cool.” — AP