What can be said about the second day at the Masters? It was a crazy windy and reeked havoc on all the players. Everyone to a tee said that the conditions were horrific and took all their skill to carve out any possible gains. With only 6 players breaking par during the second round (compared to 28 on the first day) this tells a story all on its own. Of course the wind was the main cause for all the players challenges on day 2, but it was not the only thing that had the field scratching their heads.
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The 2024 Masters – Day 1 Thoughts
The 2024 Masters commenced yesterday with the traditional tee off by the honorary starters. This year Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson showed that golf can be a timeless sport for athletes of all ages. It is fun to watch these living legends hit a ball off the first tee.
After a rain delay, the action started. There were many great scores considering the windy and wet conditions. It is not difficult to understand that Augusta National is playing differently because of the weather, which in turn forces the players to adjust a bit to be successful. Rory McIlroy explains it best:
The first round is not finished due to the early weather delay. Thirty percent (30%) of the field still needs to finish this morning. Some are near the top of the leaderboard, so the final standings for round one are yet to be determined. I will add, that Bryson Dechambeau’s -7 round was a great start. Scottie Scheffler is one stroke back and some pundits are marveling at their start. I would like to remind the readers that three players started with -7 last year and one (Jon Rahm) did go on to win his first green jacket. There is still plenty of golf left and it is way to early to think the players currently at the top of the leaderboard will be there on Sunday afternoon.
Today’s big influence will be the wind. It is forecasted to gust between 20 and 26 mph (34 and 42 kph). This is a fairly strong wind at any time, but for a Major and at Augusta National, this type of wind will reek all kinds of havoc for the players. I am thinking Tiger Woods stinger shot might come in handy today.
There is plenty of golf still left to play at this year’s Masters. It is too early to suggest who a clear winner will be until after the field is set for the weekend. Of course moving day will set the stage for Sunday, but I am getting way ahead of myself. For now, I am going to enjoy the action and keep cheering on my picks for this year.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Top Of The Leaderboard At The 2021 Masters Just Got Tighter
With Justin Rose shooting even par yesterday, he opened the door for the rest of the field to narrow his four stroke lead. It is not as if Rose failed to score well, shooting even par, it just that the other players took advantage of the better scoring conditions. I am actually surprised at how many players actually shot under par (11 on day one); 38 players were in red numbers on day two with Bernd Wiesberger and Tony Finau shooting 66. The conditions must have been very friendly to scoring to have just under half the players shooting under par. Yesterday was atypical and all the movement reminded me of what should happen today – moving day!
Continue readingWill Augusta National Play Soft This Week
Augusta National golf course is one of the best maintained in the world. It is sculpted beautifully and manicured like no other. Given that the Masters will be played in the fall, I am lead to wonder if the Augusta National will play soft as a kitten or fierce like a lion. Every golf knows that fall golf can bring a myriad challenges due to the weather. As it stands, the days leading up to The Masters will be rite with rain and cooler temperatures. Will this make a difference…..I wonder.
Continue readingThe Grateful Golfer’s Prediction for The Masters
Trying to pick a winner for any sporting event is challenging enough; however, The Masters is doubly tough. The best golfers in the world are teeing it up tomorrow and every player has a chance to win. Yes, I understand that the odds are in some of the players favour, but at anytime someone could turn on the jets and rise to top of the leaderboard. However, they do not want to peak to early; make no mistake – The Masters is a four day event.
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The Grateful Golfer 