Our insiders on the wild finish at Augusta, Tiger's swing troubles and Angel Cabrera's chances at the U.S. Open
Every week of the 2009 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors.
Jim Herre, editor, Sports Illustrated Golf Plus: Welcome to the Masters edition of our weekly roundtable. Whew! What a week and what a finish. It was like two tournaments in one — a great Tiger-Phil grudge match, then the Cabrera-Perry-Campbell final nine and playoff. Plus, the roars were back. Where does this Masters rank on the all-time list?
Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I'd probably rank it in the Top 10, somewhere around the Tiger-DiMarco tilt in 2005. What a day. The crowds were positively electric. We saw today just how much Billy Payne and the Augusta National officials do listen to public sentiment, and we also saw today how much Tiger and Phil mean to the vibrancy of the game. In the end, though, I will remember Kenny Perry's post-round interview. It took a strong chin for him not to break down. He's 48 and has now lost two majors in a playoff. He wanted this one for his ailing parents. You have to feel for him. But I am also pumped for Cabrera, who has a U.S. Open at Oakmont and a green jacket. How do you say Hall of Famer in Spanish?
Herre: We're often criticized for overdoing it on Tiger (not so much Phil, interestingly), but you're right, Damon — they're the two players who make pro golf terrific entertainment.
Farrell Evans, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: As pure golf drama, this has to be the greatest Masters ever. You had Tiger's historic win in '97, Sarazen's double eagle in '35, Norman's debacle in '96, Nicklaus in '86, but nothing with the multiple storylines of this year.
Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: I have to say this is the best one I've seen in person since 1998. To have Tiger and Phil both rising up the leaderboard, and roars reverberating across the golf course — this is exactly what we've all been waiting for, the result notwithstanding. Like Damon, I feel bad for Perry. He seems like a genuine guy, and I kind of wanted him to win one for his ailing mom and folksy, overalls-wearing dad.
Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: It was a great Masters, but you have to give a big nod to Fred Ridley, the former USGA president and Augusta National member who sets up the course. A course like Augusta National is an artwork, and if you're just a little heavy with blue — the wrong tee positions, the wrong hole locations, the wrong Thursday-Friday pairings — the whole thing can sink. They got everything right this year, and the weather helped, but it was not anything like the greatest Masters. To rise to that level you have to have players doing triumphant things down the stretch, not missing fairways and greens and flubbing chips.
Dick Friedman, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: This was like a heavyweight title fight where the undercard turned out to be Ali-Frazier.
Morfit: Thanks, Nick Faldo! But true. You can't go too over the top in describing the excitement. It's amazing to think that all Phil had to do was shoot two under on the back and he would have been in the playoff, but why quibble over the details? It's like finding fault with a rainbow.
Jim Gorant, senior editor, Sports Illustrated Golf Plus: I kept thinking CBS would get Monday Morning Quarterbacked about focussing so much on the dynamic duo, but I thought they got it right. That's what I wanted to see.
Friedman: The CBS folk said the Tiger-Phil bout seemed to monopolize all the energy, leaving none for the rest of the course, which they described as "quiet." Did you guys down there feel that?
Charlie Hanger, executive editor, Golf.com: I felt that way as a TV viewer. It was super exciting to watch Tiger and Phil make that charge, but somewhat of a letdown when it became clear they were out of it.
Morfit: I have to agree. Nothing against Angel Cabrera, Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry, but they felt like the undercard.
Hack: It was like Tiger and Phil were playing their own separate match play event. Kenny and Angel could have morphed into Jack and Arnie, and nobody would have stayed to watch. The level of shotmaking between Tiger and Phil was otherworldly. They were on their own little plane for awhile, and everybody on the grounds recognized that. Can't wait to see those two titans get it on at Bethpage.
David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf.com: Trying to move around a Tiger or Phil group is always a challenge, but today was insane. As they walked off the first green to the second tee, the patrons had to pass by the ninth tee, where Sergio and Stuart Appleby were hitting. No one even bothered to glance over or stop walking. It was as if the rest of the tournament didn't exist.
Evans: Tiger and Phil didn't make the playoff. What does it matter who had the biggest number of patrons? Perry and Angel were the main act in the end. That's what will go in the record books.
Hack: What Tiger and Phil did today can only help golf's Q-rating. When you're a sport competing against the likes of Peyton Manning, Lebron James and Manny Ramirez, you need your stars to entertain. What Tiger and Phil did today won't soon be forgotten. What Angel and Kenny did might.
Friedman: To Damon's point, I will be curious to see the Nielsens broken down by half-hour. How many viewers left the building when Tiger and Phil were done?
Herre: Had to be a home run for CBS. Tiger-Phil kept viewers in for most of the afternoon, then they hung around for the conclusion.
(From Website : http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,1890910,00.html)
