Augusta – It hasn’t even started yet, and the 82nd Masters promises to have all the feels.
That’s its job. The world needs another ‘brought to you by’ sports event like we all need another hole in the head.
But things that matter? That connect? That stir common emotions and shared memories; that create new ones?
There aren’t enough of those; they don’t get made from scratch and it’s not hard to make the point that we need things that people can connect over more than ever.
Which is why every year come Masters week golf fans, sports fans and fans of things that are perfect flip on the television, groove themselves into the couch and stare into a world where it looks like everything is just so … right.
The grass, the sun, the flowers, the roars echoing around the pine trees when the birdies and eagles start flying on back nine Sunday afternoon, it’s drama that can’t be easily manufactured, building common experiences that last.
This version of the Master has already been dubbed the most anticipated in history, for the return of the prodigal son, Tiger Woods; for the form shown by 47-year-old Phil Mickelson to depth of talent among the current generation of stars, many inspired by the feats of the two 40-something superstars they used to play on video games.
This year we didn’t even have to wait until the event started. Wednesday might have been the best Wednesday in Masters history.
We’re not exaggerating.
There was worries that the par-three contest – a casual event played on the delightful little course behind the main clubhouse every Wednesday afternoon of tournament week that fans turn out for in droves – might be rained out. It wasn’t which was good – like thank your maker good.
Do you like perfect things? How about a threesome made up of Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson? Aged 82, 78 and 68 respectively, they have 35 major championships between them and 11 green jackets.
They peg it up on the first hole, eager crowds crushing in to see the legends live and they toss darts, each shot finishing within five feet. You could cover them with a beach towel.
Nice start.
But it got so much better; so much better than Watson winning the damn thing by posting a score of six-under wasn’t the best thing that happened; better even that Nicklaus, still grinding over putts, finishing tied for fourth, 32 years after he became the oldest major champion when he won the 1986 Masters at age 46 or Player firing a two-under-par score and finishing 10th, 57 years after his first green jacket.
But the Masters is all about tradition and one of them calls for the caddies – typically friends and family members, allowing players to share in the magic of the week – to hit at least one tee-shot.
Up steps Nicklaus’ grandson, 15-year-old G.T. Nicklaus. A good-looking, big bodied kid who doesn’t look all that different than his grandfather did when he won his first Masters as a husky 23-year-old with a buzz cut in 1963.
He pulls a 47-degree wedge from Jack’s bag, adjusts his white caddie outfit just a bit and knocks his ball about 140 yards on the 135-yard hole and then watches in disbelief as it rolls back to the hole and in.
Hugs all around, and for Grandpa, instant water works.
“I said to him about three days ago, I said, ‘you sure you want to hit a ball on 9?’” Nicklaus said. “He says, ‘oh, yeah, I want to hit a ball.’ And I says, well, then ‘I think you’re going to make a hole‑in‑one this year’. And that was three days ago I said this to him. And darn if he didn’t knock it right in the hole.
“What I did didn’t make any difference to me. Watching your grandson do something is pretty special,” the 18-time major winning, living legend said. “To watch the kid knock in a hole-in-one on the biggest venue in the world, wow … my wins, that’s okay, but to have your grandson make a hole‑in‑one and watch him do it? Man, that’s amazing.”
Nicklaus’ grandson, son of Gary, himself a former PGA Tour player, knew he was going to get a chance to play one hole for his grandfather, so getting to play wasn’t a surprise, just the outcome.
“As far as emotions, kind of just unbelievable,” he said. “[I’m] still in shock; I’m so happy I couldn’t even talk. I didn’t even want to believe it went it. I couldn’t even imagine doing that, but I couldn’t think of a more special place to do it … we were both emotional. A really special moment.”
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The thing about the Masters is for one week we can all share in it. The good vibes started earlier on Wednesday when the club’s new chairman, Fred Ridley announced its most public facing, women-welcoming move in its history – a version of the Masters for female amateurs.
“… Today I am proud and extremely excited to announce a new extension of this mission directed at a segment of our sport that is so important, one that is vital to the future of golf,” said Fred Ridley, referring to the club’s responsibility to grow the game of golf. “Beginning next year, we will invite 72 of the game’s best women amateur golfers from around the world to compete in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship. This championship will be held the week prior to the Masters, and the final round will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2019, here at Augusta National Golf Club.”
It caught much of the golf world by surprise, and left some near speechless.
“What a dream come true,” 10-time major winner Annika Sorenstam said on the Golf Channel. “For the best female golfers upcoming, this is fantastic.”
One of the charms of the Masters lies with its unique ability to make time stand still for at least one week, every year. But that at times seemed to come with a compromise: they could turn the clock back too, seemingly at will.
Fifteen years ago the club was called out by women’s organizations for failing to include women in its highly private membership of about 300 golfers drawn from the ranks of the richest, most powerful and well-connected. There were media campaigns and efforts to pressure public companies whose executives were members or who sponsored the Masters, the club’s wholly owned tournament, to cut ties.
Hootie Johnson, the club’s then-chairman, was a kindly southern banker well respected for his progressiveness in in political, racial and business causes, but he bristled at the idea that a private club, as protected by the constitution, could be externally pressured into changing its culture.
“If I drop dead right now, our position will not change on this issue,” Johnson said at the end of a 35-minute question and answer session, packed with media members and about 60 Augusta National members in their iconic green jackets, an unusual showing of solidarity. “It’s not my issue alone. I promise you . . . if I drop dead this second, our position will not change.”
Augusta’s first female members – there are reportedly three, among them former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice –- were first admitted in 2012, six years after Johnson stepped down as chairman.
Johnson passed away at age 86 last summer, and – coincidence or not — Ridley pledged more changes are coming.
“Well, you won’t be surprised to know that I wouldn’t comment on a membership issue,” said Ridley when asked about the current makeup of the club. “But I will say that we are delighted to have several women … as members in our club. They are great contributors. They have added to our culture. And while I won’t go into specifics, I will assure you that there will be more women members at Augusta National.”
It’s hardly earth-shattering stuff – I mean, it’s about time. But for so long the Masters represented somewhat of a guilty pleasure, depending on your conscience, at least.
You could soak up the tournament and all it stood for – the history, the tradition, the commendable commitment to making everything as perfect as imagination allows – but were best off not getting too caught up some of the institution’s other symbolism.
That conflict was lessened a little bit on Wednesday, setting the stage for what promises to be a special week. Beginning next year and forever after that the best little girls in the world can dream of winning at Augusta National, just like their brothers can. Maybe they’ll do it under the approving eye of a gathering of green jacket members that is at least a little more reflective of the world outside its charmed green bubble.
And the rest of us can sit back and watch memories take shape, magically, right before our eyes, like the teenaged son of the Masters greatest champion making his first hole-in-one with the world watching, and turning for a hug from Grandpa Jack, tears welling up in an old man’s eyes.
