Tiger Charges, Schwartzel Wins, Masters Continue A Tradition Like No Other

For every golf enthusiast, with spring must come The Masters.

The Masters is the one golf tournament that supplants the rest of the other three majors. It’s not that the U.S. Open, British Open, or PGA Championship are easier (most of the time they’re harder) or the fact that these other tournaments are worst, but rather that The Masters comes with an allure that belongs to the tournament and the tournament alone. It’s the first tournament of the year and with that comes the introduction to the new golf season after a long winter. It comes with a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. However, that all being said, the Masters can also be the most exciting of any tournament in golf and this year’s tournament showed that beautifully.

One man who has always made Augusta (and basically anything golf course over the last decade) both exciting and his own is Tiger Woods. However, as of late the allure of Tiger has been tarnished with controversy surrounding his personal life. This has many people saying that Tiger has lost his touch and ultimately the gift that has made him so special. However, for the front nine on Sunday, Tiger returned to being the golfer he was born to be. He shot a 31 on the front nine that included a string of birdie, birdie, eagle that sent the crowds at Augusta into a roar that could be heard all around Georgia. He fist pumped, he knocked down putts, and hit shots that most golfers, if not all, could only dream of.

From the sound of it, you would think that Woods walked away with another green jacket, but alas he did not. He fell back to Earth on the back nine missing easy short putts that ultimately cost him his goal of another major. Yet, Tiger’s fall opened up the gates for Charl Schwartzel to make some magic of his own. Schwartzel, a somewhat unknown golfer from South Africa, made history at Augusta by finishing the tournament with a string of 4 birdies that catapulted him past the leaders and into the green jacket.

The Masters is the most special tournament in golf, if not all of sports. In fact, it’s more than a tournament. It’s as they say, “A Tradition Like No Other” and this year’s tournament was no exception to that.