MASTERS THREAD - GOLF

[bedfords]

Ham & eggs

[TheFamilyCat]

Justin misses.

Justout.

[hampsteadclaret]

Come on Justin...as Sergio has never won a big one, fair play if he takes it..

- it's looking like two extra holes to me..well played the pair of them.

[Buxtonclaret]

Great bounce then for Justin. Ends up 12 from the pin.
Garcia puts one inside him though!
Utterly brilliant!

[HunterST_BFC]

Also sorry to hear that, Frank.

Rose raggs a good bounce - Garcia knocks it tight.
It a one putt game

[Buxtonclaret]

Garcia has a putt for the Master's...

[Buxtonclaret]

Missed it..

Play off.

[Dazzler]

Aint golf more enjoyable without Eldrick Woods...?

[HunterST_BFC]

It's poor from the crowd with the noise with Rose putting.
Yet huge "hushing" before Garcia plays.

onto hole 73

[HunterST_BFC]

I think they should get some scissors and share the Jacket

Both deserved.

[TVC15]

Poor old Sergio - his putting is atrocious.

He has played these last few holes better than any golfer could possibly have played them - except the most important thing - getting the bas-tard thing in the hole.

Rose has had a fair bit of luck these last few holes. On the last he could have easily have ended up in the drink.

Would love El Niño to win it...

[FactualFrank]

What's the latest - playoff?

[HunterST_BFC]

What's the latest - playoff?

Yes

[Buxtonclaret]

Rose had another break, after a bad Tee shot.
Hit a tree and came out. He's a shot in but, uncertain lie in the pine needles.
Sergio hit a good 'un down the middle.

[Buxtonclaret]

Rose plays a bit of a poor shot out.
Alongside Sergio now.

And Sergio plays an absolute gem onto the green!
His to win again now!

[TheFamilyCat]

"Sergio's fiancé.... Eagerly clapping her chap"

Was that a euphemism from Alliss?

[Buxtonclaret]

Anyone else, and I'd have been rooting for Rose.. (no pun intended)
But really want Garcia to take this!

[HunterST_BFC]

I's still tight but advantage Garcia
Both on green with makeable putts.
Garcia one shot less.

It's down to the short stick again!

[Buxtonclaret]

Justin needs to sink it from about 18ft...If he doesn't, you'd think it was over, even with Sergio's putting!

Ooooh. So close. Just missed left.

Sergio has two putts to win, does it in one!!

Brilliant!!

[HunterST_BFC]

Sergio Has It.
2 putts from 18ft

[HunterST_BFC]

Great Finish!!!
SERGIO-NEE

[Buxtonclaret]

Yet again, unbelievablely good Masters.
Wonderful stuff.
So glad he's finally landed one of the Big Uns

[FactualFrank]

Well done pal. Sergio is one of the lads and a good guy. Pleased for him.

[HunterST_BFC]

Wonderful year - one of the best battles ever.
Two decent blokes too.

[FactualFrank]

Thanks for the updates, I appreciate it. Next stop - snooker world championships on Saturday.

Isn't sport beautiful?

[Vegas Claret]

can't knock that, superb from both of them, about time for Sergio

[slw]

about bl@@dy time he won a big one. Hes cost me some shillings over the years.

[The Enclosure]

Had a quid on sergio at 28-1.....made up a bit for missing out on the National lol.
Great sportsmanship by Garcia and Rose two really nice fellas.

[minnieclaret]

Great nights viewing and I wasn't bothered who won.
Two great guys and amongst all the tension they played it like buddies.
Congrats, Sergio, it's been a long wait.

[happyclaret17]

I think we saw a different Sergio this week..no head shaking and tantrums...thought that rose bottled his drive on 2nd play off hole though...been best player tee to green all week...surely had to manufacture a shot under the limbs of that tree as well....bit of a poor way for him to end such a good week.
just think if either could really putt...they probably would have been 7 or 8 in front.

[Firthy]

Sportsmanship at it's best. I got the impression Rose wasn't too disappointed. Probably genuinely pleased for Garcia despite losing.

[TVC15]

I think we saw a different Sergio this week..no head shaking and tantrums...thought that rose bottled his drive on 2nd play off hole though...been best player tee to green all week...surely had to manufacture a shot under the limbs of that tree as well....bit of a poor way for him to end such a good week.
just think if either could really putt...they probably would have been 7 or 8 in front.

Bit harsh Happy.
They both played brilliantly yesterday - under immense pressure. Rose looked extremely composed to me - he hit one wayward drive in those last few holes and it cost him. He had no shot on the last hole as the branches were in the way - he said he would have had to hook it 100 yards. He knew that playing it like he did would still have given him a very sinkable putt - and he missed it by half an inch.
If Rose would have got his par with that putt then Garcia's putt would have been very different - he hit 3 very poor putts on the previous holes to win it and we know that's been his downfall for many years.
The rest as they say is history !

So happy that Sergio won it - one of the best sporting moments ever for me.

The Masters is just one of the best sporting events in the year - it's unique.

Rose will win more majors - not so sure Sergio will but I bet he doesn't care now !

UTC

[happyclaret17]

thing is though tvc...us europeans have several golfers who are tee to green way better than most of the yanks...think of westwood...rose and garcia as 3 prime examples...westwood at one stage couldnt chip...his stiff style not ideal...he has improved that now but still fails to roll the ball at the hole....
the only time rose missed a fairway was when it really mattered....I really thought he would have gone back to the 18th tee and ripped a great drive down the 18th after sergio missed that putt....almost like getting a free shot at it....I think in the end the right man won...the way that sergio played the 18th on all 3 occasions was different class....rose got lucky 1st play off hole with that bounce towards the pin...could so easily have gone in the right hand bunker....well done sergio....fully deserved win.

[TVC15]

As said they both played great golf and easily the best golf of the week.
In terms of coping with the pressure they both did this much better than anyone else in the field.
Lee Westwood just simply can't cope with the pressure - anytime he is anywhere near the lead in a major his game falls apart - especially his putting.
Fowler played awful yesterday - and he had been swinging as well as any player on the first 3 days. His coach Butch Harman was slating him. There is no reason for him to play this way other than the pressure of being in contention - in the end Rose and Sergio finished 8 shots ahead of Fowler - that's a massive swing in 18 holes between "top 10" players. You could see that swing happening between a rookie and a top player but not between the worlds best.
Spieths game was up and down all week - he was not driving it great and it was 50:50 whether his game would be good or bad on the last day...and it was the latter.
Rory was very up and down all week - was never in contention really and the good last round (that he often has) just papers over the cracks that he was never really there.
Day, Stenson, Watson etc were never going to win it - their form was just nowhere near good enough.
I tipped Pieters (and Rose) and I think the Belgian is destined for big things - he had a great all round game, he's big and powerful with a brilliant short game. And he's very focused and composed. Very early days in his career but looks a future major winner in the making.

Garcia and Rose were both brilliant. The quality of play from both of them on the last day and especially the last few holes was extremely high - we were blessed with that kind of thrilling match play at last years Open with Stenson and Mickleson on a much easier course / conditions......to be treated to that again at Augusta was just brilliant.
Enjoyed it so much.

[happyclaret17]

Spieths record prior to yesterday at Augusta...2nd...1st...2nd...( obviously should have won last year )....you know Willet didnt get the credit he deserved for his win....he shot 5 under that final round with no bogies.
when I checked all 3 of Spieths final rounds prior to yesterday he had a MINIMUM of 4 bogeys in each round but his putting in previous years was so good it papered over the cracks.....last night in the states it was the fowler/spieth show...with rose/sergio relatively speaking under the radar....I think if had been europe v the states in those last 2 pairings things may have been tighter but without doubt the best 2 fought it out....fowler was all over the place...as was spieth and both missed putts they would usually get....interesting to see how rose and sergio do in the us open...both have the game for long tight courses with penal rough....its a new course this year I think so that should be interesting.

[TVC15]

yep US Open is always played on the toughest of courses - few people end the US Open below par.

Usually hard to predict with it being a new course but in the case of the US Open you just know its going to be tough anyway and it usually means you can rule out a number of the yanks who are used to playing on "florida" type fairways, hitting the ball 2 miles in the sky and shooting 7 or 8 under every round.

Rose`s game is definitely better for the US Open and I also get the impression he is targeting Birkdale which is a very special course for him.

I would tend to rule out Sergio as I just think his life will be madness for the next few weeks. I don`t think he will do a "Danny Willet" as Sergio is much more experienced but I do think the US Open will come to soon for him to be prepared and focused as he would normally be for a major.

Will be interesting to see how the likes of Fowler, Spieth bounce back as its been a tough week for them.

Mickleson has always wanted to win the US Open - he has finished second many times. But his game seems a little bit too all over the place these days to cope with a tough course.