This week marks the unofficial start of spring in the sports world; The Masters once again has returned at Augusta National Golf Club. For as long as I can remember, I have watched the Masters every year with my dad, going back to that historic Sunday in 2004 when Phil Mickelson dropped his birdie putt on the 72nd hole and leaped into the air as he won his first of five majors and three green jackets.
Every year, as March turns to April, I have been excited knowing that The Masters was only a week or two away. This year, however, The Masters does not feel the same. In fact, The Masters has not been this way since 1994. For the first time in twenty years, Tiger Woods will not be participating in the event because of a back injury, which required surgery. This is something completely new for me.
I have never experienced The Masters without Tiger Woods. I have never experienced the Masters without a discussion on Sunday morning where Tiger is on the leaderboard. I never experienced The Masters without CBS and its constant coverage of Tiger's every shot, whether he's in first or barely trying to make the cut. I have never experienced The Masters without the leaders approaching the first tee on Sunday, knowing their lead is not safe, because Tiger is out there doing everything he can to move up the leaderboard.
You can love him, you can hate him, but you cannot deny the excitement and exposure he brings to the game. The thrill he brings when he steps in between the ropes on to the golf course is unlike anything we will probably see for a long time. The absence of Tiger will make people decide not to watch this year because without him, they do not see the point. To them, there is no longer excitement in the game of golf without Tiger.
Normally I would agree with them. As long as he is out, which could be till August, the PGA Tour will take a huge hit financially and in the ratings. The Masters, though, is not your average golf tournament. It is the best tournament of the year, played on the best and one of the most famous golf courses in the world, played at the perfect time of the year. So, will I be on the couch, in front of a TV with my dad once again this year, just as excited to watch The Masters as I am every year? Of course I am. Why? Because it is the only tournament where it should not matter who is playing.
It is the only tournament that is without a doubt, bigger than Tiger Woods and his legacy.
It is golf's Super Bowl.
It is a tradition unlike any other.
It is The Masters.
– By Brian Chavkin
Solutions by The State News
