My "horse" did not make the cut. Jordan Spieth, champion in 2015, shot rounds of 74 & 76. He seems to be "thinking" too much. I believe his game went "south" when he tried to gain much more distance after he lost by one to Jason Day in the 2015 PGA Championship. Now he has a "pre-shot" routine where he cocks his wrists at the top of the backswing, then does something different on his actual swing. Arnold Palmer said it best: SWING YOUR SWING! Anyway, he is still one of my favorite golfers for more than his golf skill. Great young man!
Tiger made the cut at +1. At one time he was +3, but grinded and finished with a 74. My favorite golfer, Jordan Spieth, is having a hard time with his putter and finished +6 and missed the cut. Scottie Scheffler, now number 1 in the world rankings is leading at -8.
Tiger thinks he can still win. He started 71-74. In 1986, when Nicklaus won his sixth Masters, started with 74,71. Followed with 69 and 65. If Tiger shoots 69 today, WATCH OUT! Will history repeat for a 46 years old of different generations? In his interview, he said that the course will play fast on the weekend, just "like Masters leaders want it to play. I need to shoot a good score. Anything can happen". He never, ever, gives up, nor talks about losing.
Everyone within 10 shots now is a threat to the lead. One triple and a birdie can change things rapidly. And all players are at that risk. Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 champion is five behind, but remember, he was three down with four to go on Sunday, and finished birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie to snatch the title from Jason Day and Adam Scott, delaying Australia of a first Masters title ever. Adam Scott then won in 2013 in a playoff with Angel Cabrera, who sadly, is in jail in Argentina and is one of two living Masters champions who did not make it to the Champions Dinner on Tuesday.
In Elk City, we will have a "Masters" of our own. A little tournament in which players will play their own ball, with a handicap, and will combine their score with two picks from the Masters leaderboard counting only their Sunday score. We will order Master mementoes for the participants and the winners.
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