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The Masters 2011

April 7^th – 10^th

Augusta National, USA

The 75^th Masters is underway, with Arnie and Jack driving off the 1^st tee.  The defending Champion and favourite is Phil Mickelson, but with 6 in the world’s top 10 could this year produce a European winner for the first time since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999?

The preceding Par 3 tournament was won on Wednesday by Luke Donald – a bad omen if ever there was one, as nobody winning that event (first played in 1960 and won by Sam Snead)  has gone on to win the Masters – the closest being Raymond Floyd who lost in a playoff with Nick Faldo in 1990.  That doesn’t bother Donald who is in great form.  His thoughts were “If I believed in jinxes I wouldn’t play in it.  Somebody is going to break that record and hopefully it’s me.”

Day 1

It’s Europe at the top at the end of the first day with Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Alvaro Quiros (Spain) hitting brilliant 7 under par 65’s.

On 67 it’s Choi and Yang both from Korea, followed by 68’s from Barnes and Kuchar (USA).  7 players on 67 include Fisher (England) and a rejuvenated Garcia (Spain).

There was an interesting bag of clubs being carried by Choi’s caddy.  Not one iron longer than a 7 and 7 different head covers for the driver and hybrids he carried in an attempt to hit the ball higher and land more softly on the fast, sloping greens.  It paid off!

On Sunday evening, there are a number of players who have the chance of becoming the

World No.1, so how did they and the others in the Top Ten get on?

Martin Kaymer (1) Germany 78                     Lee Westwood (2) England 72

Phil Mickelsen (3) USA 70                             Luke Donald (4) England 72

Graeme McDowell (5) N.Ireland 74               Paul Casey (6) England 70

Tiger Woods (7) USA 71                                Steve Stricker (8) USA 72

Rory McIlroy (9) N. Ireland 65                      Mike Kuchar (10) USA 68

Day 2

Having led The 2010 Open with 63 and then hit 80 in the second round, last night McIlroy assured reporters that he had learned his lesson and that he was unlikely to repeat that blow out.  And he was as good as his word, hitting a solid 69 and after Day 2 had the outright lead at 10 under on 134.  2 shots adrift was his playing partner from Australia, Jason Day, who flew up the leader board with a spectacular 64.

On 7 under in a tie for third with a 66, was none other than a certain Tiger Woods who is determined to get back to “business as usual” on the course he loves so much.  Alongside him is KJ Choi, whose plan of carrying half a dozen hybrids is really paying off, as he added a 2 under 70 to his opening 67.

Ogilvy 69 (Australia) and Quiros 73 (Spain) are on 6 under, and at 5 under are Barnes 71, young Freddie Couples 68 and Fowler 69 (all USA), Westwood 67 (England) and Yang 72 (Korea).

The final group within 6 shots of McIlroy at 4 under on 140 are Donald 68 and Fisher 71 (both England), Furyk 68 (USA), Garcia 71 (Spain), Schwartzel (SA) 71 and  Snedeker (USA) 71 .

Not out of it on 142, but with a lot to do over the weekend is Mickelsen (USA) 72 and Casey (England) 72.

It was Missed Cut for some big names...+2  Zac Johnson, Stewart Cink, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim, Roger Allenby, Sean O’Hair,  +3  Graeme McDowell, Stuart Appleby, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen,  +5  Padraig Harrington  +6  Martin Kaymer

 Day 3

A steady start from both McIlroy and Day but for the first time in the tournament McIlroy wobbled just a little, let slip his lead and found himself 1 behind Day at the 5th.  Was this the start of a slump?  There was also plenty of activity behind with a number of players shortening the lead.  But McIlroy hung in there and was playing with a maturity beyond his 21 years.  The putts weren’t dropping however and although 2 birdies came on the par 5’s which he two putted both times, it wasn’t till the 17^th with a glorious, tricky downhill, winding 15 footer that he finally sank one.  At this point I wondered if I was watching history being made, this guy is just fantastic!  A cast iron 4 at the 18^th – which again, could so nearly have been a 3 – and he was round in 70 and in fact had increased his lead to 4 shots with 1 round to go. 

204      Rory McIlroy (N Irl)  

208      At 8 under, 4 behind Rory came Justin Day (Aus) who struggled over the back 9 but hung on with a 72, past winner Angel Cabrera (Arg) with a tremendous 67, K J Choi (Kor) with a 71 and  Charl Schwartzell (RSA) 68.

209      On 9 under were Luke Donald (67) from England and Adam Scott (68) from Australia.

210      B Van Pelt (68) (USA) on his own playing very steady golf.

211      Freddie Couples (USA) 72, Ross Fisher (Eng) 71, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 73, Bubba Watson (USA) 67, Tiger Woods (USA) 74

Somehow, you didn’t feel anyone else would have a chance on Sunday – but stranger things have happened!

On 212 was Matt Kuchar (USA) 69, Martin Laird (Scotland) 69, Ryan Palmer (USA) 69, Y E Yang (Korea) 73, and on 213 was the defending Champion Phil Mickelson (USA) 71, the 1^st round joint leader Alvos Quiros (Spain) 75 and Lee Westwood (Eng) 74.  Disappointment also for Sergio Garcia (Spa) 75 on 215 and Paul Casey (Eng) 218.  Another major slips away.

Day 4

Everyone seems to be flying out of the blocks today – with putts dropping left right and centre, except for poor Rory McIlroy who misses a short one for par on the 1^st but manages a testy 1 putt for par 5 on the 2^nd, , having bunkered his drive and only just got out with his second shot, and then misses another short birdie putt on the 3^rd.  At the same time, further up the course, Schwartzell holed his second shot on the 3^rd for an eagle and having birdied the 1^st with a chip in that puts him tied first on 11 under with McIlroy.  Cabrera started par, birdie to get one nearer and Woods was doing what he did so well in his heyday and with 4 birdies and an eagle at 5 under after 8 holes and was now only 1 behind. 

It’s going to be a long, nerve wracking afternoon...Just hang on in there Rory, you’re still the leader, settle down and the birdies will soon come.

Another short putt missed at the 5^th for McIlroy and up on the 9^th Woods holes one twice the length and now there are three on 10 under, McIlroy, Woods and Schwartzell.  I can watch no more – I’ll come back in half an hour!!

At last a putt goes in for McIlroy, a 25 footer for birdie at the 7^th and once more he is 1 ahead of the chasing field.

Two more pars and out in 37, he still leads the Masters going into the back 9.

Unfortunately it then all goes sadly wrong on the 10^th as his drive clips the trees and the ball ends up almost off the course.  The TV Commentator even said he’d never ever seen anybody way up there!  The result is a horrendous triple bogey 7 and regrettably you feel that this is the beginning of the end for poor Rory.  Another 3 shots go over the next 2 holes and that is the end.  He’s young and he will never forget this but I am sure that he will get over it, he will be back, a wiser and better player and the Majors will come his way, even perhaps later this year.

At 10 under the new leaders are Cabrera, Choi,  Schwartzel and Scott.  Woods is at 9 under but then hits his second shot on the par 5 15^th. to four feet, but misses the eagle opportunity!  He joins the other s on 10 under. 

Jason Day is on 9 under, then 10 under after a birdie 2 on 12.

Ogilvy also goes to 10 under after 16 with his fifth consecutive birdie... What a contest this is!

3 Aussies on 10 under sharing the lead, Day after the 14^th , Ogilvy (17^th) and Scott (13^th)  then Scott, who is holing everything with his broom handle putter,  birdies 14 and that puts him in the outright lead at 11 under.

Meanwhile, Woods’s charge has slowed down with his putter going cold, but after 17, he is still on 10 under, 1 behind.  Schwartzell is also still on 10 under after 13 and Bo Van Pelt is slowly and quietly creeping up the leaderboard and after 15 he is on 10 under having eagled both the 13^th and 15^th par 5 holes.  Luke Donald is on a run and after 16, joins the chasing pack on 10 under.  Choi, after the 14^th is 9 under as is Cabrera after the 13^th.

Van Pelt bogeys 16 to drop back to 9 under, Woods holes out on the 18^th for a fabulous 67 which keeps him on 10 under, leader in the clubhouse and just 1 behind.  But he must think that his 36 on the back nine is going to be too many...

On 15, Scott holes a 10 footer to stay at -11, Day holes out on 16 and remains at 10 under, Donald 3 putts on 17 and goes back to 9 under.

Ogilvy taps in on 18^th for 31 back, and finishes at 10 under.

Scott hits his tee shot on short 16^th to 4 feet and holes for a 2 and leads at 12 under.  Kj Choi goes to 10 under at 15 and Schwartzell birdies 15 to go to 11 under.  Cabrera also birdies 15 and goes to -10

At 16 Schwartzell makes his second successive birdie and goes to – 12 to tie the lead with Scott.

Donald finishes with a chip in for birdie on 18 for -10 and Choi gets his par at 16 to remain on  -10, but you now feel that 10 under is not enough and is not going to make any play off...

Day then holes a long putt at 17 to go to -11, just 1 behind with one to go.

Scott needs 12 footer on 17 for par and holes it!  Stays at -12.  Could this be the first Australian winner of The Masters?  Cabrera 3 putts 16 and goes to -9 and his tournament looks to be over.

It now looks like it’s between Adam Scott (Aus) and Charl Schwartzell (RSA) and Scott hits his second shot to the heart of the 18^th green just as Charl Schwartzell holes from 7 feet on 17 for a 3^rd consecutive birdie which puts him at 13 under.

But Jason Day, having birdied the 17^th hits a glorious second into 18 and has a chance with a birdie putt  to get to -12, but it’s Scott first from 18 feet and he puts it 4 feet past.  Day slots it from 6 feet for his 3 which puts him on  -12 and Scott holes out for the same -12.

Schwartzell hits a good drive up 18 and his second shot is perfect, pin high around 15 feet away.  2 putts to win The 2011 Masters!   Choi (75) drops one for a disappointing 5 5 finish and Cabrera is still to play the 18^th but cannot catch him. 

Charl Schwartzell to putt and he holes it for a birdie 3!  66, 14 under, 4 consecutive birdies on the last 4 holes and the winner by 2 shots on 274.  What a finish!

The last pair out, Cabrera and McIlroy, come up the 18^th and receive a tremendous reception but cannot alter the result.  McIlroy hits a great second to within a few feet but such is his day, he misses even that one and ends up with an 80, tied 15^th with total of 284.  He’ll be back, for sure.

274  Charl Schwartze  RSA

276  Jason Day  AUS

276  Adam Scott  AUS

278  Tiger Woods  USA

278  Geoff Ogilvy  AUS

278  Luke Donald  ENG

279  Angel Cabrera  ARG

280  Bo Van Pelt  USA

280  K.J. Choi  KOR

283  Ryan Palmer  USA

The Top Amateur, Hideki Matsuyama from Japan, on 287, who returns home to do all he can to help with the relief of his stricken country.

Charl Schwartzell, 26, is the fourth straight first time winner of a Major, his fellow Major champions being his friend and compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, The Open, Graeme McDowell (N Ire) The USA Open and Martin Kaymer (Ger) The PGA Championship.  It was also 50^th Anniversary of Gary Player becoming the first international player to win The Masters.  It is also probably many years since no American has been a holder of a Major Championship.

Schwartzell won the prestigious Brabazon Trophy as an amateur in 2002 and also played for his country in the Eisenhower Trophy that year.  Turning pro at 18 years of age, he has won several pro tournaments in South Africa and in 2007 won The Open de Espana.  This January he retained The Joburg Open.  His last 3 Majors ( in 2010 ) saw him finish in the top 20 in all three.

Article by Martin Dawson

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