When I started the countdown of greatest daily sports moments, I knew I'd have some fairly lame days. Not every day could have an exciting or historic sports moment. That would just be asking too much.
My first one came 11 days in, on April 11, when I had to settle for the final game for both Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull. I mean, really? That's the best I could find? I didn't even know they had ever been teammates until I was scrambling to find something, anything, to put for April 11.
Then Phil came to the rescue.
His second shot on the 13th hole in the final round of the 2010 Masters would have been enough to knock Howe and Hull out of this day's spot if Mickelson had won that tournament. But then he hugged his wife, tears flowing down his cheeks, and dedicated the win to her, and that was it. The most emotional golf victory in years had to make the cut. The last time I changed the best moment of a day was a somewhat difficult decision. This one was a slam dunk.
AUGUSTA, Ga. - How did he have the courage to even try that shot? Behind three trees, ball sitting on pine straw, the distant green protected by a creek designed to gobble up any shot hit short.
It seemed like the textbook definition of when a golfer should lay up, not try to be the hero but just survive to the next hole. Nobody would have blamed Phil Mickelson for making the safe play.
But Mickelson didn't become a household name in golf by taking the safe play. For years, he both delighted and frustrated his fans with his often reckless play, getting into and out of trouble with amazing frequency.
Still, though, now that he was older and had a few majors under his belt, you'd think he'd play it safe. So what inspired him to hit that incredible shot on the 13th at Augusta? What gave him the confidence that he could get it anywhere close to the hole? How on earth did he get that shot within three feet?
Five holes later, we saw the answer. After Mickelson sank the putt on 18 to clinch his third Masters title, he walked off the green and hugged his wife, Amy. And the tears started to flow. And we knew. We knew where he found the strength and the courage. He looked at her, following him on the golf course for the first time since she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and he saw her strength. That's where he got his.
Mickelson has won four majors in his career, and likely isn't done. He's hit many incredible shots, celebrated dozens of victories. But he'll always be remembered for the 2010 Masters, and his shot from behind the trees, and the tears that came afterward.
Showing posts with label Masters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masters. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
April 13, 1997: Tiger, Tiger, burning bright
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Perhaps no professional golfer started his career with loftier expectations than Tiger Woods. Many of those expectations were self-imposed, by both Tiger himself and his father. Traditional golf fans scoffed when Tiger said his goal was to set the record for career majors won, and they just shook their heads when Earl Woods said Tiger would be the most important athlete in the world.
Then Tiger played his first career major, and those claims suddenly didn't seem so outlandish.
Nobody had any inkling of what was coming that week when Woods shot a 40 on the front nine in round 1. But he found his game and stormed to a six-under 30 on the back nine, ending the first round three shots behind the leader. And he never stopped charging.
A stunning 66 on Friday gave Woods the lead in a major for the first time. A bogey-free 65 on Saturday gave him a jaw-dropping nine-shot lead entering the final day. With a round still to play, Woods had completely buried the competition in a way never seen before.
Sunday's final round was nothing more than a coronation; the way he had been playing, nobody expected Woods to give back nine shots to the field. He didn't disappoint, further increasing his lead despite not playing all that sharply in the final round. His final numbers were staggering: a tournament-record score of -18 and a grand-slam record 12 shot margin of victory.
His dominance was so complete that all those predictions about Woods suddenly seemed reasonable. When Jack Nicklaus said Woods could end up winning 10 Masters, people seemed to think that was reasonable. When the TV ratings came back showing sky-high numbers despite Tiger's complete domination, Earl Woods' claims about Tiger changing the world didn't seem all that strange. And Tiger's stated goal of winning the most majors suddenly didn't seem lofty enough. He had completely changed the game, and golf has never been the same.
HONORABLE MENTION:
April 13, 1986: Augusta, Ga. - He was 46 years old, four shots behind the leader, and trailing seven players overall. Jack Nicklaus was no more than an afterthought entering the final round of the 1986 Masters. After shooting one-under on the front nine, he was pushed out of people's thoughts even more. But then he entered the back nine started. The shots started dropping. The roars got louder, echoing throughout the course. Though the leaders were several holes behind him, they knew what was going on. Jack was making a charge. When it was over, Nicklaus had shot a 30 on the back nine, a 65 overall, and had taken the lead at -9. The third-round leaders still had three holes to play, but everybody knew this one was already over. Twenty-four years after winning his first major, Nicklaus had won his 18th.
Then Tiger played his first career major, and those claims suddenly didn't seem so outlandish.
Nobody had any inkling of what was coming that week when Woods shot a 40 on the front nine in round 1. But he found his game and stormed to a six-under 30 on the back nine, ending the first round three shots behind the leader. And he never stopped charging.
A stunning 66 on Friday gave Woods the lead in a major for the first time. A bogey-free 65 on Saturday gave him a jaw-dropping nine-shot lead entering the final day. With a round still to play, Woods had completely buried the competition in a way never seen before.
Sunday's final round was nothing more than a coronation; the way he had been playing, nobody expected Woods to give back nine shots to the field. He didn't disappoint, further increasing his lead despite not playing all that sharply in the final round. His final numbers were staggering: a tournament-record score of -18 and a grand-slam record 12 shot margin of victory.
His dominance was so complete that all those predictions about Woods suddenly seemed reasonable. When Jack Nicklaus said Woods could end up winning 10 Masters, people seemed to think that was reasonable. When the TV ratings came back showing sky-high numbers despite Tiger's complete domination, Earl Woods' claims about Tiger changing the world didn't seem all that strange. And Tiger's stated goal of winning the most majors suddenly didn't seem lofty enough. He had completely changed the game, and golf has never been the same.
HONORABLE MENTION:
April 13, 1986: Augusta, Ga. - He was 46 years old, four shots behind the leader, and trailing seven players overall. Jack Nicklaus was no more than an afterthought entering the final round of the 1986 Masters. After shooting one-under on the front nine, he was pushed out of people's thoughts even more. But then he entered the back nine started. The shots started dropping. The roars got louder, echoing throughout the course. Though the leaders were several holes behind him, they knew what was going on. Jack was making a charge. When it was over, Nicklaus had shot a 30 on the back nine, a 65 overall, and had taken the lead at -9. The third-round leaders still had three holes to play, but everybody knew this one was already over. Twenty-four years after winning his first major, Nicklaus had won his 18th.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
April 6, 1958: Ascension of the King
AUGUSTA, Georgia - Long before Tiger Woods was knocking down racial barriers on the golf course, Arnold Palmer was knocking down class-based stereotypes. For decades, golf was an activity for the upper class, and both the players and fans were cut from largely the same cloth.
That started to change when Palmer started to rise to prominence. Palmer came from a much more humble background, the son of a greenskeeper at a municipal course in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. While not certainly not poor, his middle-class upbringing was much different than most of the other professional golfers of his time, and it helped make hime one of the most popular golfers of his time.
Other things that helped Palmer's popularity were his good looks, outgoing personality, and his fear-nothing attitude on the golf course. A true risk-reward player, he thrilled audiences with his aggressive play, leading to many tense, come-from-behind victories.
Palmer's win at the 1958 Masters was not of the come-from-behind variety, but that doesn't mean it was without drama. On the par-3 12th, he was only one shot up on Ken Venturi when Palmer's tee shot ended up embedded deeply in mud. An argument with a rules official followed, after wich Palmer first played his original ball, struggling home for a 5, and then a provisional ball, which he chipped close for a 3. Palmer's point had been that the muddy conditions should have allowed him to lift the ball and place it in a clean patch without penalty. As the rules official was uncertain, Palmer played shots covering both scenarios, just in case.
As Palmer and Venturi teed off on the par-5 13th, neither player knew whether Palmer would get credit for a 3 or a 5 on the previous hole. Undaunted, Palmer drilled his second shot within 18 feet, making the putt for an eagle. Then the players learned that Palmer would, correctly, get credit for a 3 on the 12th, and that he now had a three-shot lead with five holes to play. He struggled a bit on the final five holes, but held on for a one-shot victory.
Though this victory was Palmer's first of seven in major championships, it's remembered for more than just that. It's the tournament where the famous term "Amen Corner" was used for the first time to describe holes 11, 12, and 13 at Augusta National; the term was coined by Sports Illustrated writer Herbert Warren Wind. Inspired by the drama of the 12th and 13th, and remembering numerous past tournaments that turned on those three holes, Wind came up with the term that's still used today.
For Palmer, the win was proof that he was a force to be reckoned with. His popularity continued to grow from there, spreading to both sides of the Atlantic. He got the nickname "The King," and the large crowds that followed him at tournaments became known as Arnie's Army. This all probably would have happened without his win in 1958, but every great career needs a starting point.
HONORABLE MENTION:
April 6, 1896: ATHENS - American James Connolly wins the triple jump competition at the first modern Olympic games, becoming the first Olympic medalist in more than 1,500 years.
That started to change when Palmer started to rise to prominence. Palmer came from a much more humble background, the son of a greenskeeper at a municipal course in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. While not certainly not poor, his middle-class upbringing was much different than most of the other professional golfers of his time, and it helped make hime one of the most popular golfers of his time.
Other things that helped Palmer's popularity were his good looks, outgoing personality, and his fear-nothing attitude on the golf course. A true risk-reward player, he thrilled audiences with his aggressive play, leading to many tense, come-from-behind victories.
Palmer's win at the 1958 Masters was not of the come-from-behind variety, but that doesn't mean it was without drama. On the par-3 12th, he was only one shot up on Ken Venturi when Palmer's tee shot ended up embedded deeply in mud. An argument with a rules official followed, after wich Palmer first played his original ball, struggling home for a 5, and then a provisional ball, which he chipped close for a 3. Palmer's point had been that the muddy conditions should have allowed him to lift the ball and place it in a clean patch without penalty. As the rules official was uncertain, Palmer played shots covering both scenarios, just in case.
As Palmer and Venturi teed off on the par-5 13th, neither player knew whether Palmer would get credit for a 3 or a 5 on the previous hole. Undaunted, Palmer drilled his second shot within 18 feet, making the putt for an eagle. Then the players learned that Palmer would, correctly, get credit for a 3 on the 12th, and that he now had a three-shot lead with five holes to play. He struggled a bit on the final five holes, but held on for a one-shot victory.
Though this victory was Palmer's first of seven in major championships, it's remembered for more than just that. It's the tournament where the famous term "Amen Corner" was used for the first time to describe holes 11, 12, and 13 at Augusta National; the term was coined by Sports Illustrated writer Herbert Warren Wind. Inspired by the drama of the 12th and 13th, and remembering numerous past tournaments that turned on those three holes, Wind came up with the term that's still used today.
For Palmer, the win was proof that he was a force to be reckoned with. His popularity continued to grow from there, spreading to both sides of the Atlantic. He got the nickname "The King," and the large crowds that followed him at tournaments became known as Arnie's Army. This all probably would have happened without his win in 1958, but every great career needs a starting point.
HONORABLE MENTION:
April 6, 1896: ATHENS - American James Connolly wins the triple jump competition at the first modern Olympic games, becoming the first Olympic medalist in more than 1,500 years.
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