2016 Masters

[Jack Lambert]

The Masters is one of my favorite sporting events of the year, and it's that time again; Masters week! I figured I'd get the thread started for those who want to discuss the tournament. It is shaping up to be an amazing weekend at Augusta, with so many big names rounding in to form for the tournament. Any number of players can win it this year. I'm looking forward to the weekend, that's for sure! Unfortunately, Fred Couples, who has always played well at Augusta, will be missing this year's edition due to injury. In some related injury news, Tiger will be missing the Masters as well! This will also be Tom Watson's final Masters.

I'd say some of the favorites coming into the week would be Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, and Dustin Johnson.

If any are interested, I believe the Golf Channel will be airing a program about Jack Nicklaus's amazing 1986 Masters win Tuesday night.

 

[Don Wassall]

The Masters is one of my favorite sporting events of the year, and it's that time again; Masters week! I figured I'd get the thread started for those who want to discuss the tournament. It is shaping up to be an amazing weekend at Augusta, with so many big names rounding in to form for the tournament. Any number of players can win it this year. I'm looking forward to the weekend, that's for sure! Unfortunately, Fred Couples, who has always played well at Augusta, will be missing this year's edition due to injury. In some related injury news, Tiger will be missing the Masters as well! This will also be Tom Watson's final Masters.

I'd say some of the favorites coming into the week would be Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, and Dustin Johnson.

If any are interested, I believe the Golf Channel will be airing a program about Jack Nicklaus's amazing 1986 Masters win Tuesday night.

Masters week is finally here!

The Golf Channel, which I generally dislike because of being absurdly Tiger-centric over the years, did a great job with its three-part series on Arnold Palmer last year, so I'm expecting "86" to also be topnotch. Jack's win in '86 is one of my favorite sporting events, certainly the best after the championships of the Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers in the '70s when I wasn't yet racially aware. The 1986 Masters played out like a Hollywood script over the back nine, The Golden Bear summoning one last round of greatness at the age of 46 after being written off years earlier as a serious contender at majors. It was a magical final round.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Masters week is finally here!

The Golf Channel, which I generally dislike because of being absurdly Tiger-centric over the years, did a great job with its three-part series on Arnold Palmer last year, so I'm expecting "86" to also be topnotch. Jack's win in '86 is one of my favorite sporting events, certainly the best after the championships of the Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers in the '70s when I wasn't yet racially aware. The 1986 Masters played out like a Hollywood script over the back nine, The Golden Bear summoning one last round of greatness at the age of 46 after being written off years earlier as a serious contender at majors. It was a magical final round.

I think the Tiger worship has gotten a bit better since Rory, Jordan, and others have forced him into the rearview mirror. However, I have another example from this morning. With so many big names and past champs playing well, and Tiger not even playing, you'd think maybe we'd get a story involving players who are actually there. Some stories they could've showed (and I'm sure they'll talk about at some point): Spieth's runaway last year and his quest for a repeat, Rory's grand-slam chances, Phil with a chance to join Arnold Palmer and the Messiah by winning his fourth Green Jacket this week, or Rickie Fowler or Dustin Johnson winning their first major. Nope, they bought in Chris DiMarco to get his perspective on Tiger's sudden death win in 2005. I of course didn't bother watching it, but I'm sure the crew was swooning with excitement listening to DiMarco describing his experiences playing with The One.

 

[Don Wassall]

Believe it or not, Woods was on the cover of Sports Illustrated a couple weeks ago. But it's highly unlikely he'll ever be among the top-tier golfers again; he may not even be competitive again or even play on the Tour given how bad his back is along with the other maladies he's suffered over the past eight years. In the meantime, a host of young superstars have emerged along with some players in their 30s who are at their peak, and of course I'll be rooting for Phil to win even though he turns 46 in June, the age Nicklaus was when he won in '86.

 

[icsept]

This should be an epic Masters. I expect one of these 6 guys to win: 1Day, 2McIlroy, 3Bubba, 4Spieth, 5Phil, 6Adam Scott.
Also dangerous: Fowler, Stenson, Rose, Schwartzel, D Johnson, and Z Johnson.

It will be hard for any sleepers to get past the favorites this year.

 

[Jack Lambert]

I'll be rooting for Phil as well this week to win his fourth Green Jacket. I think a fourth Green Jacket (at 45 years old no less) would propel him up a rung in terms of golf's great players. Phil has actually been playing pretty well this year (I believe Johnny Miller said this past weekend Phil was first on the Tour in scoring average this year), and was in position to win a couple of events, but couldn't close out. Here's to hoping the Masters is where he gets his 43rd win!

If Phil can't win, I'll be cheering for the usual guys to win it; I.E. Jordan repeating, Rory getting the Grand Slam, Bubba getting his 3rd Green Jacket.

I agree with icsept; I don't see a Trevor Immelman or Angel Cabrera winning the Masters this year. Just too many of the Big Name guys playing well at the moments; you have to think one of them will close the deal this week. I think Iscept's list is pretty accurate in terms of who has a shot. I'd maybe put Louis Oosthuizen in the "dangerous" group, but after coming in 2nd to Jason Day in Match Play, he looked bad last week in a missed cut.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Just a reminder - the Golf Channel special on Jack Nicklaus and his win for the ages at the '86 Masters will be airing tonight in a few minutes.

 

[icsept]

Just downloaded the Masters 2016 app. It has tons of content, including streaming video of the 1986 Masters entire final round. There will also be live online coverage of featured groups and holes throughout the entirety of each round. This is for the diehard fans, since The Masters notoriously limits their live TV coverage to 4-5 hours per day.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Just downloaded the Masters 2016 app. It has tons of content, including streaming video of the 1986 Masters entire final round. There will also be live online coverage of featured groups and holes throughout the entirety of each round. This is for the diehard fans, since The Masters notoriously limits their live TV coverage to 4-5 hours per day.

I'll definitely be tuning into that as well! Even if it's just a few groups/holes for coverage.

I'm listening to ESPN's preview show, and one of the first things they said was how different things would be since Tiger's not there. Typical.

 

[Don Wassall]

The weather forecast is for it to be windy tomorrow, Friday and Saturday. That may make the tournament more wide open and will also likely result in higher than usual scores. There is no rain forecast for the event after a system moves through Thursday morning.

This year's sentimental moment is Tom Watson's last time playing Augusta National. Watson won The Masters in 1977 and '81. Last year it was Ben Crenshaw in the limelight as he played The Masters for the final time. Even at 66, Watson still has enough game to make the cut if he plays well. It was only seven years ago that he came within a stroke of winning the British Open.

After Watson it may be a long while before another legend of the sport is serenaded for the last time at Augusta. Maybe Phil in 20 years; or perhaps in a few years Tiger Woods will hobble around the course in a body cast.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Watson didn't do too bad today; he fired a 2 over par, not bad for a guy playing his last Masters.

Jordan Spieth rises above the rest of the field again, shooting a bogey free 66 that will likely leave him the overnight leader. Unless Rory or Shane Lowry makes a move, I don't think anybody else will catch him. Jason Day was close, but he played the Back 9 +5 (including a triple bogey on 16), resulting in an even par 72 on the day.

 

[Don Wassall]

It can't get much better after two rounds than Spieth leading at -4 and McIlroy second at -3 as they'll be paired together in the last group for the third round on Saturday.

It was a brutal weather day due to gusting winds, with no one breaking 70 and few memorable shots. It's supposed to be the same tomorrow before calming down on Sunday.

Tom Watson missed the cut by 2 strokes at -8. He got a great sendoff for his final round at Augusta, being a sentimental fool I love The Masters for the tributes it gives to the greats of the game!

 

[Don Wassall]

Spieth keeps the lead for the seventh straight round, extending his Masters record.

It was a wild day. The wind again played a huge factor. The Spieth-McIlroy duel failed to materialize as Rory didn't make a single birdie. But Spieth double bogeyed the 18th to finish at -3 and has just a one-shot lead over young American Smylie Kaufman, playing in his first Masters. Incredibly, 58 year old Bernhard Langer is tied for third with young Japanese player Hideki Matsuyama and will go out in the penultimate pairing tomorrow. Jason Day and Dustin Johnson among a host of others are within striking distance, and McIlroy isn't out of it at five shots back.

I noticed BSPN currently begins its Masters coverage well down its homepage, the lead story being a mundane regular season NBA game. Just not too interested in what Spieth is trying to accomplish -- winning back to back Masters at the age of 22, after winning two majors in '15 and nearly the other two. And Langer's amazing run also is being met with a yawn. If it was Tiger doing what Spieth is doing, BSPN would have at least eight or nine headlines running at the top of the page with the word "Tiger" in them. And if this was 58 year old Woods doing what Langer is doing, BSPN's site probably would have blown a gasket and gone offline due to all the excitement. Screw BSPN and its extreme anti-White agenda, can't wait for the final round tomorrow, which should be played in considerably better weather and with some inviting pin placements and will be filled with this championship's almost always great drama and excitement.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Spieth keeps the lead for the seventh straight round, extending his Masters record.

It was a wild day. The wind again played a huge factor. The Spieth-McIlroy duel failed to materialize as Rory didn't make a single birdie. But Spieth double bogeyed the 18th to finish at -3 and has just a one-shot lead over young American Smylie Kaufman, playing in his first Masters. Incredibly, 58 year old Bernhard Langer is tied for third with young Japanese player Hideki Matsuyama and will go out in the penultimate pairing tomorrow. Jason Day and Dustin Johnson among a host of others are within striking distance, and McIlroy isn't out of it at five shots back.

I noticed BSPN currently begins its Masters coverage well down its homepage, the lead story being a mundane regular season NBA game. Just not too interested in what Spieth is trying to accomplish -- winning back to back Masters at the age of 22, after winning two majors in '15 and nearly the other two. And Langer's amazing run also is being met with a yawn. If it was Tiger doing what Spieth is doing, BSPN would have at least eight or nine headlines running at the top of the page with the word "Tiger" in them. And if this was 58 year old Woods doing what Langer is doing, BSPN's site probably would have blown a gasket and gone offline due to all the excitement. Screw BSPN and its extreme anti-White agenda, can't wait for the final round tomorrow, which should be played in considerably better weather and with some inviting pin placements and will be filled with this championship's almost always great drama and excitement.

I completely agree, Don. It was amazing how Bernhard Langer put together such a great round today; he even outplayed his playing partner Jason Day, the number 1 player in the world! I think it would be amazing if Langer could somehow do what Tom Watson couldn't quite finish at Turnberry back in 2009 and win a major at age 58. I'm actually surprised McIlroy didn't play very well; although the pressure of the career grand slam may have gotten to him somewhat in addition to the weather. This tournament is wide open, and I'm hoping he's able to stay near the top. Also, if a 58 year old Tiger was doing what Langer is, it would be national news; I'm sure stations like CNN, FOX, etc. would all be breathlessly covering it. Or if Tiger had led at the Masters outright for a record 7 consecutive rounds, I'm sure we'd be hearing about it.

Definitely looking forward to the Final Round! I'd love to see Langer pull it off at age 58 (I love it when the older guys play well and contend) but it'd be just as great to see Spieth get his 2nd jacket in a row, and push the Tiger era further back.

 

[Don Wassall]

Jordan starts the back nine with a five shot lead. There are not enough superlatives to describe how good he is and I won't even try. I am just so happy that the great Tiger Woods -- so beloved by the establishment for a number of strategic reasons -- has been surpassed by a "White Tiger" who is even better and better yet is 22 years old. Who'd a thunk it possible?

I'm just really happy and proud to be a White Man today.

 

[Don Wassall]

And as quickly as I write the above post, Spieth has a meltdown on the first holes of the back nine. Englishmen Lee Westwood and Danny Willett are now in prime position to win if Jordan doesn't prevail, but there are plenty of holes to play yet.

No matter how it turns out, I'm still a happy and proud White Man!

 

[Don Wassall]

Danny Willett now up by two strokes. I'm done posting until it's over!

 

[Matra2]

Just think it wasn't that long ago that people were parroting the media line that golf was boring without Tiger. lol

Last year's US Open was also riveting.

 

[Don Wassall]

Congrats to Danny Willett, the 12th ranked player in the world and now a major champion. There were a half-dozen Englishmen in contention from the get-go, the dominant country in the tournament this year, so it's only fitting that Willett becomes just the second Englishman to win The Masters, after Nick Faldo's three green jackets.

Jordan Spieth put up a tremendous defense of his title. He will only gain from this experience.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Congrats to Danny Willett on winning his first major!! Willett played great on the Back 9, giving himself a chance to win if Jordan slipped up, which he did. Willett is also realitively young at age 28, and has been playing good lately; he could have a couple more majors before all is said and done. Another thrilling back nine at Augusta.

Jordan Spieth showed tremendous resolve after that quadruple bogey on 12. He could've easily folded, but he fought back with a few birdies before finally coming up short on 17. We'll definitely be seeing him winning another major sooner rather than later I think. I agree with Don, this'll only make him tougher.

 

[Don Wassall]

Spieth didn't have his "A" game coming into the tournament yet still had the lead for the first 65 holes; that's a testament to just how good he is. His future remains as bright as can be. There's no way it can be considered a "collapse" when a 22 year old finishes second, first and third in his first three Masters. Willett went out and won it with a bogey-free 67. Hopefully Willett follows this up with other big wins and doesn't become an afterthought to this year's tournament because he played lights out today.

It reminds me of the 1996 Masters, the 20th anniversary of which was this year but forgotten with the 30th anniversary of Jack's incomparable win in '86, when Greg Norman had the lead the first three rounds and had a six stroke lead going into the last round. Norman choked, as he sometimes did; other times he was the victim of lucky shots, but Nick Faldo put pressure on Norman from the first hole and shot a final round 67, the same score Willett shot today.

I'll also never forget how gracious Faldo was in victory, giving Norman a heartfelt hug and consoling words at the 18th green after it was over, a real class gesture I'll always remember in spite of Faldo's tendencies toward Tiger worship and otherwise towing the party line.

 

[icsept]

Tough loss for Spieth. You can't overcome a +6 on Amen Corner on the final day. Still, a T-2 finish. Hopefully Jack Nicklaus was still around to offer some wisdom, considering he had 19 runner-up finishes in majors.

 

[Phall]

I don't really watch or follow golf past knowing some of the top names. That I wasn't familiar with Danny Willett did not seem exceptional. What's odd is that I still don't know much about him, since 100% of Monday's sports ledes are about Spieth's "epic collapse" and "very public meltdown." Willetts is young, ranked a reputable #12 in the world, and probably has an interesting story about sitting out last season's PGA Tour voluntarily. Maybe Spieth's late bogeys were indeed "absolutely shocking" - I don't know. My impression is that the gay jew sports media is having the same fun tearing down Spieth as they did fawning over Tiger Woods.

 

[Jack Lambert]

I don't really watch or follow golf past knowing some of the top names. That I wasn't familiar with Danny Willett did not seem exceptional. What's odd is that I still don't know much about him, since 100% of Monday's sports ledes are about Spieth's "epic collapse" and "very public meltdown." Willetts is young, ranked a reputable #12 in the world, and probably has an interesting story about sitting out last season's PGA Tour voluntarily. Maybe Spieth's late bogeys were indeed "absolutely shocking" - I don't know. My impression is that the gay jew sports media is having the same fun tearing down Spieth as they did fawning over Tiger Woods.

Pretty much, Phal. Spieth's "meltdown" after the round wasn't even a meltdown. The worst thing he did was ask the CBS camera guy to "Please, don't put the camera in my face right now." I thought he asked him respectfully to not do it, unlike somebody like Woods or Newton. He was obviously very sad and disappointed about the collapse, but he handled himself very well and professionally. He even went on air after his round for an interview. Compare that to Cam Newton after the Super Bowl loss, or Tiger Woods when he hits one bad shot. BSPN and the rest of the corrupt media can suck it. They absolutely revel in tearing down a respectful professional like Spieth, while at the same time not mocking "real athletes" like Cam Newton or Tiger Woods for not being respectful. It's ridiculous. It's the same narrative the caste media always uses, tearing down a white athlete rather than focusing on the one who actually won the tournament.

 

[Don Wassall]

The front page of one of the two daily rags here has a large picture of Spieth putting the green jacket on Willett. Spieth looks like a zombie, I imagine it was the worst one they could find. It's a bad picture of Willett as well.

There's no question the media jumped on Spieth's collapse and showed far more interest in it than his seemingly unstoppable march to consecutive wins. They won't let Jordan forget what happened until he "redeems" himself and wins another Masters. Just wait and see how much it's played up in the run-up to next year's tournament. That and McIlroy's "failure" to have yet won the Masters to complete his career grand slam.

Hopefully Spieth will be able to shake it off after a few weeks or months and wins some tournaments this summer and maybe another major. That will shut up the howling media crowd to some degree. It's hard to believe he's still just 22 given all he's accomplished already. One thing about him that stands out is how intense and steely-eyed he is. He's a nice guy but also has the cold-blooded determination needed to excel at the highest levels of his sport.