April has always been one of my favorite months. The azaleas are in full bloom in my hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, and of course, one of the most anticipated golf tournaments of the year, The Masters, is happening in Augusta, Georgia.
When I was little, I never really understood the appeal of golf until I discovered the Masters. The nostalgia and class that exude from this tournament are unlike any other. Plus, with Rory McIlroy’s historic win last year, there was so much to look forward to in this year’s tournament.
Hello Friends
After broadcaster Jim Nantz coined the iconic phrase, “Hello friends,” at the beginning of the 2002 PGA Championship, it became the staple opening for The Masters as well.
This was a special phrase that Nantz always used as a tribute to his father, who was battling Alzheimer’s disease.
“So, I did it on Sunday, and I have done it every show since,” Nantz said to Golf.com. “I love it because for that little moment I connect with my dad and I feel like I’m talking to him. It’s a calming effect every time I come on the air.”
Luck of the Irish
Coming off an emotional win at last year’s Masters tournament, McIlroy made a statement during the first two rounds this year.
McIlroy put on a very impressive performance during Friday’s round, chipping in several shots to set the Masters record and take the lead by six shots. Within the first two rounds, he sank 15 birdies, with six of these coming from the last seven holes of round two.
McIlroy continued to play strongly after taking a dip to third place in the fourth round and secured a comeback to claim his second Masters win on Sunday. He is only the fourth golfer to win back-to-back Masters tournaments since Tiger Woods in the 2001-2002 seasons.
Everyone in (De)shambles
YouTube’s favorite golfer, Bryson DeChambeau, was one of the surprising golfers who didn’t make the cut to continue playing on Saturday. After not playing his best golf in the first and second rounds, he failed to pull himself back after suffering a triple bogey on the 18th hole.
Some of the other notable golfers missing the cut include J.J. Spaun (+5), Akshay Bhatia (+6), Robert MacIntyre (+7) and Nico Echavarria (+13). Most of these guys are coming into the Masters off tournament wins, so seeing some of these names eliminated from contention just proves how much pressure there is going into the Masters.
But even though I don’t get to watch DeChambeau anymore, I still get to watch my Northern Irish king McIlroy continue to make golf history.
Schlösser is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion.