The Monday Mulligan: the week that was in golf …
- themondaymulligan
- Apr 10, 2023
- 3 min read
This week was all about one tournament, the first major of the year, The Masters! It deserved the fan-fare it received in what has become a week-long celebration of the Tournament. With preceding activities including the champions dinner, the par 3 contest and an atmosphere like no other, the weather was really the only dampener on what was a fantastic event which was only decided within the last 9 of the 72 holes.
John Rahm once again! Showing his class as an elite player at the top of his game, Rahm bounced back from a double-bogey on his very first hole of the tournament, to make a charge on the final day and secure his first green jacket. There were some impressive stories across the field over an enthralling four days of golf where weather played a critical role in the outcome. Such stories included: a strong showing from some Liv League players with Mickelson, Koepka and Reed all finishing within the top six; an impressive display from young Texan amateur Sam Bennett who was the only amateur to make the cut, was in the final grouping on Saturday and finished T16; 63-year-old Fred Couples being the oldest to ever make the cut at the Masters and finished T50; and the farewell of two previous winners in Sandy Lyle and Larry Mize.
One of the lowlights of the tournament was the withdrawal of Tiger Woods after making the cut. Tiger cast a devastating picture for the world of golf as he limped around the course in terrible conditions to grind his way to the cut-line, only to have his body fail him and deny him the chance to continue. From here the whole golf world is hoping he can continue his road to recovery in time for the next Major.
The final day really was a marathon of golf with some players competing in up to 29 holes. This included Koepka and Rahm who turned it into a two horse race down the stretch after Phil Mickelson set the clubhouse lead with an impressive 7-under in his fourth round. Try as he might, Koepka couldn’t seem to make a putt and despite starting the day 4 shots clear in the lead, he faltered behind a composed Rahm. Rahm maintained his cool, despite some extremely slow play from the groups ahead which was met with obvious disdain from the final pairing. He played intelligent golf, supported by sound advice from his caddy for those who were able to watch the coverage, and safely plotted his way around Augusta National. As the conditions improved, Rahm continued to play smart whilst those chasing had no choice but to make some aggressive decisions through their final stretch of holes. The result was a stress-free 3-under round for the 2023 Masters Champion on what would have been his compatriot and fellow Masters Champion, Seve Ballesteros’ 66th birthday.
John Rahm wins the 2023 Masters Tournament
Photo courtesy of PGA website
The week ahead
The Masters is a tough act to follow, but that’s exactly what RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island will be doing. With a mixed field of past-champions and rookies, it’ll be sure to make some good storylines. Plenty in the field will be hoping to bounce back from a poor showing last week, such as MCIlroy and Thomas who both missed the cut. Whilst others who didn’t make the grade to receive an invite, such as Fowler, will be hoping to continue their march down the OWGR.
The LPGA will head over to the Hoakalei Country Club on Ewa Beach, Oahu where they will compete in the LOTTE Championship. After a week off, the strong field will be vying for the $2 million purse where Hyo Joo Kim is the defending champion.
The DP World Tour has another week off before heading to Japan. The Liv Golf League also has another week off before they head down-under to Adelaide, for their first visit to Australia. If ever a culture was to embrace the Liv League style, surely the Aussies will be the ones to get behind it.
The Asian Tour is off to Vietnam to compete in the International Series, Vietnam to be played at KN Golf Links for a prize fund of $2 million. The field of 156 is extremely diverse with players coming from numerous leagues all across the world to compete. Certainly one to watch and keep an eye on the many amateurs on the up and up through this league.
The Ladies European Tour will not resume until the 11th of May, when they will meet at the Jabra Ladies Open being played in France. Meanwhile local tournaments in Australia have finished their season with many players headed overseas to chase the warm weather and stiff competition on offer.
That’s all for now, stay tuned for the next recap after another week of our great game!
Play well,
TMM
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