Masters Wields Big Surprise

Thoughts on the Masters completed this past Sunday.

The big story was the meltdown of Jordan Spieth. It was over. After leading for seven consecutive rounds the last two years, he was five shots up with 9 holes to play.

It was over. Spieth could coast. But in golf, what happened to Spieth happens to every player who has played the game. Amateur or professional. Club champion or superstar. The sport can humble you in ways you can’t imagine.

But if you play the game, maybe you can.

After bogeys on the 10th and 11th, Spieth experienced a nightmare that will stay with him forever. He scored a quadruple bogey on the par 3 12th hole. You all know what happened. Two shots into the water, then a shot into the back bunker.
A 7 on the par 3.  He was done.

I don’t want to hear that he “choked”  I don’t want to hear how he blew the tournament and failed to win all that money. Jordan Spieth wasn’t playing for the money. He has enough for the rest of his life.

Chokers don’t get to play the Masters. Chokers don’t make the cut. Chokers don’t ever win. And they certainly don’t ever get to have a five-stroke lead with nine to play going for a back-to-back championship.

Great athletes either try to hard, or they fail to execute. but they don’t choke. Ask those who went home after Friday’s second round. Or those who shot 82 in any round.

By the way, they aren’t chokers either.

They are the top-of-the-line athletes in their sport who simply didn’t get it done. It happens in every sport. They are not robots or machines.

Jordan Spieth will carry this with him for a long time.Maybe forever. But he will come back and win a lot more. More Masters, more Majors. You name it.

Lost in it all, was a youngster who has been outstanding on the European Tour.  We never heard of him. But that’s not his fault. He’s been a winner.

His name, of course, is Danny Willett. He is this year’s champion. Shot a 67 Sunday.

Danny Willett is the big story. He’s wearing the Green Jacket.