DJ Day

What an awesome day of golf this Masters Sunday. Dustin Johnson ran away with this one. When DJ plays like this, I always ask myself, "Why doesn't he win every week?" Well, if he stays healthy, I believe he is in the midst of a historical run. The weather was perfect for entertaining golf today. Temperatures were mild at around 75 degrees with some clouds. By the end of the front nine, I told my friend DJ should have this championship in the bag. Then he reminded me that the Masters always starts on the back nine on Sunday. Almost on cue, the wind started picking up.

Dustin Johnson: When DJ plays his best, he seems very hard to beat. He was definitely firing on all cylinders this week. Winning the Masters with a new 4 round scoring record of 20 under par. He had a slow start on Sunday, and I'm sure many viewers were slightly worried after he left his 3rd shot in the bunker on 2. But he quickly got his momentum back to shoot a 4 under 68. I believe beyond the physical gifts Dustin has been blessed with, he has also been blessed with a perfect golf mind. His previous losses seems to stay in golf fans' minds more than they do in his. Some folks may question DJ's intelligence due to his sometimes short and non-complicated interviews. But if one listens closely, one will find he is very very intelligent. He just doesn't let thoughts get in his way. Normally, Masters champions get to keep their green jackets for a whole year. DJ will get to keep his for 5 months. But if he plays like he has been, no one should be surprised if he gets another 12 month lease on the green jacket next April.

Tiger Woods: The defending champ couldn't seem to get anything going after his first round 68. For the first time in my Masters attending life, I was able to see Tiger hit golf shots. There were probably only 15 people following Tiger's group. His Sunday Red Polo/Sweater stood out so vibrantly in the overcast day. Again, Tiger was just plugging along in round 4, having trouble putting together a run. On hole number 5, he was short of the green in two. His pitch came up 10 feet short and his par putt missed. He walked directly into the players restroom and slammed the door. Even when he is completely out of the tournament, he still cares deeply about what he shoots.

The round completely went off the rails on the 12th hole. The winds were just beginning to pick up when he arrived at the 12th tee. His tee shot was a knockdown shot that rolled back into Raes Creek. He took an aggressive line that I doubt he would have taken had he been in contention. But since he was in the back of the field, I believe he felt he could be more aggressive. He proceeded to spin back his 3rd shot back into Raes Creek. My friend Kevin and I looked on in disbelief. Not wanting to repeat his error, his 5th shot went long into the back bunker. However, it was an extremely awkward lie. His 6th shot was bladed back into Raes Creek. There was a small group of people watching the events unfold in the middle of Amen Corner. No one could quite believe what we were seeing. He dropped in the bunker and played his 8th shot shot onto the green. 2 putts later Tiger walked off the 12th green with a 10.

To show what kind of champion Tiger Woods is, he proceeded to birdie 5 of his last 6 holes and carded a 4 over 76. Considering the mess on the 12th, 76 was quite a respectable score. There is no give up in Tiger Woods. I believe a patron-less Masters is very detrimental to a player like Tiger that feeds off of the energy of the fans. Tiger had high energy for the first round, as any player would for the first round of the Masters. However, he could not find a spark for next two and a half rounds, until he made the 10 on 12. This finally provided a spark for him to play inspired golf again.

Technology: I believe Augusta National has always been front runners in terms of technology. Even though Augusta cherishes its traditions, it has always embraced technology. This years Masters App is the golf tournament app gold standard. It has just about everything a golf fan would want in an app. I love the feature where the user can see every single shot a player hits in each round. Those watching the telecast this year may have noticed increased drone coverage. In an interesting episode on #5 today, Xander Schauffele was bothered by an arial drone that moved during the middle of his swing and brought this issue up with the official. I wonder if we'll see more of these issues in the future of golf broadcasting?

C.T. Pan: Pan finished with a 4th round 68. He finished at -10 and a tie for 7th place. Top 12 and ties get automatic exemptions into next years Masters. Pan put on a masterclass in course discipline and patience this week. Pan is ranked #199 in driving distance on the PGA Tour at 291.8 yards/drive. For such a short hitter to secure such a fine result in the Masters was inspiring. Softer greens during the first 2 rounds were factors for the scoring, but conditions were basically the same for all players in the tournament. Pan showed some amazing putting skills, making 6-10 foot putts look easy. This was Pan's first career Masters, and he has won crystal prizes for two accomplishments. One for an eagle on the 15th in round 2, and the low round of the day in round 4. Pan has struggled so far this season, so hopefully this strong finish will help him get back on track.

Lin YuXin: The Asia Pacific Amateur missed the cut in his second Masters after rounds of 79 and 73. Lin stumbled a bit on Thursday, after teeing off in the first group of the day, and then having to come in for a weather delay after just one hole. The week is not without bright spots however, with an eagle on #15 during round one which will earn him a pair of crystal goblets. Lin is an extremely talented lefty. He was a bit unlucky in that the rescheduled Masters tournament fell right in the middle of his finals at USC. I can't imagine the time pressures of having to study for finals while preparing for a major. YuXin is only 20 years old and has already played in 2 Masters. Watch out for this young man.

Lee Elder: Fred Ridley announced this week that Lee Elder will be included as one of the honorary starters at the 2021 Masters. This is a very nice gesture for a gentleman who has battled and prevailed despite the discrimination he faced when he was a professional golfer. Lee Elder deserves recognition for his accomplishments. When I heard the news, I actually thought Mr Elder would participate in hitting the first drives in this November Masters. Many other people I spoke to also made the same mistake. This is such a good idea that it probably should have happened this year. But I'm sure Augusta has good reason to wait until 2021, and we will celebrate Mr Elder's ceremonial tee shot next year with joy.

November Masters: What an amazing experience covering the 2020 Masters has been. This year's tournament has been a once in a lifetime experience. The Masters is always one of the best weeks of the year. But this year, I was lucky enough to be on the grounds when almost no one else was allowed to. This was the golf's version of the "Golden Ticket." I continue to be amazed by Augusta National's ability to seamlessly conduct the Masters Tournament. This year's tournament clearly shows that the Masters is still the gold standard all other golf tournaments will be compared to.