What makes the Masters so Unique?

The British professional golfer Nick Faldo.
Image via Wikipedia

I was in my local watering hole the other day for a pleasant Friday afternoon pub dinner, only to find a golf tournament being shown on the big screen slightly surreal but none the less enjoyable. It seems that every time the PGA or European tour come through, not too much attention is paid to these relatively high stakes competition but when the Masters comes along even the most passive of a Golf enthusiast are truly engrossed in the four day tournament this year held in Augusta.

As I found myself enthralled by the amazing shots and the drama of the game at hand it caught me unaware that an hour had passed and I hadn’t taken my eyes off the screen, watching each and every lusciously carved shot by Schwartzel.

Obviously it is a Major Tournament and the golfer is judged on how many Majors they win over the course of their career, but there always seems to be an extra feeling of urgency when it comes to each player’s shot. On paper it is just another major and the money would pale in significance to what I feel is the major factor that inspires the pressure and excitement.

The competition itself is steeped in tradition and has many different awards for the players that happen to perform exceptional feats during the tournament. The main privilege of winning the Masters is that you are presented with the hallowed Green Jacket, the symbol of Golfing stardom.

As a casual golfer and a “part-time” of golf tables, the controversy surrounding some well known wild cat named golfers and the fresh faces of the European golfers has stimulated a world wide interest in the game and long may it continue.

Europeans such as Lee Weswood and Rory McIlroy have gone a long way to stimulating the interest in the sport, with McIlroy leading the standings after the first day it was thought that a European might find himself wearing the green jacket, being the first European to win the tournament for 15 years, since Nick Faldo won his third Masters Title since 1996. This would have gone a long way to re-igniting the spark for European golfers but like all competitions talent needs to be weighed in relation to keeping a calm head and the tournament favorite McIlroy failed to capitalize on his leading position and dropped to seventh at the closing of the competition, instead handing the competition to South African Charl Schwartzel after some stunning shots on the final day, including a 20 foot sink on the last hole to finish the day six under par.

Overall the competition this year was an exciting spectacle of grit and determination and as golf tournaments go, one of the best in recent years with its fair share of ups, downs, birdies and the odd eagle.

Andy is more enthused with the technology in place on the golf course and works on behalf of a golf trolley battery shop selling a variety of golf batteries and other leisure batteries. Follow him on Twitter @andym23.

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