Wrapped in unmatched tradition, Masters memories are everlasting

The 86th Masters hurtles toward a memorable finish for the best of reasons: The classic golf tournament over a classic golf course never fails to deliver.

History reveals that maybe Bubba Watson startles the audience with a hook shot out of what looked like an impossible conundrum. Or maybe Gene Sarazen strikes the “shot heard around the world.” Or maybe Jack Nicklaus turns from the Olden Bear into the Golden Bear one last time.

Always something to have and to hold.

Hey, even those tournaments without 72nd-hole drama produce a myriad of sub-plots.

Indeed, competition in the first full week in April over the emerald acres that makes up Augusta National Golf Club might borrow an Andrew Lloyd Webber gem named “Memory” for a calling card.

Can anyone forget the character Grizabella in the musical Cats sending an unforgettable message in merging Webber’s music with Trevor Nunn’s lyrics?

. . . Memory, all alone in the moonlight,

I can dream of the old days,

Life was beautiful then. . . .

The old days at Augusta start with the second Masters in 1935 and Sarazen’s double-eagle on the 15th hole. Think about all the great shots in golf and this one — this memory — is always on the list.

Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead came along and dominated the headlines with Nelson carving out a couple of unforgettable streaks that included Amen Corner. He made up six strokes on Nos. 12 and 13 to overtake Ralph Guldahl one year and stunned Hogan in a playoff, knocking six strokes off par over an eight-hole stretch that included birdies at 11, 12 and 13.

The “Big Three” — Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player — arrived, and space limitations prohibit listing all their achievements. A sample: One from the trio won every Masters from 1960 to 1966, and they combined for 13 titles over a 21-year stretch.

So many memories.

. . . Daylight,

I must wait for the sunrise. . . .

The sunrise came in the form of Seve and Watson and Faldo and Tiger along with a tortured soul named Norman.

Seve Ballesteros, the swashbuckling Spaniard who birdied the 17th hole from beside the 7th green. Tom Watson engaged the mighty Nicklaus and the threesome of Nicklaus, Watson and Johnny Miller forged what might be the greatest of Masters in 1975.

Faldo, dubbed Sir Nick today, won three times over an eight-year stretch. Ben Crenshaw broke down in tears after his winning the same week he helped carry his mentor to his grave.

There’s Phil Mickelson and his three green jackets, and Tiger is Tiger. From 1997 to 2019 and again this year ... simply stunning.

Memory after memory.

. . . It is so easy to leave me

All alone with the memory

Of my days in the sun . . .

Yes, look ahead and another era has arrived with a new cadre to take up the baton.

Unlike the early days where fans knew players by last names, this crowd follows Arnie, Jack, Gary and Tiger with first names or initials on their ID cards.

There’s DJ, who smashed all the records a couple of years ago, and JT, who is still searching for Augusta success, and Jordan, who blows hot and cold in early April, and Brooks and Scottie and Bryson. Collin Morikawa is wise and skilled beyond his years.

More memories, on and on.

. . . If you’ll touch me

You’ll understand what happiness is.

Look, a new day has begun . . . .

A new day, yes, but at the same stage, and that’s the beauty of the Masters. Wrapped in a cloak of green and unmatched tradition, the tournament endures.

That the field is the weakest in terms of depth of the four majors matters not at all. And the Masters cannot match golf’s other majors — the U.S. and British Opens and the PGA Championship — in longevity, but playing at the same site each year provides continuity that is priceless.

How can Hogan at Merion be realistically compared to Palmer or Woods at Augusta? Apples and oranges.

Playing every year at Augusta National is different. Even with the course’s changes through the years, each shot is a shot against history at Augusta National. Every stroke has a story to tell. Every step is measured against past Masters tournaments. There is no escape from the clutches of yesteryear.

Memory.

What will this year’s be?

Who knows? But be sure that it will be worth keeping.

. . . When the dawn comes

Tonight will be a memory too

And a new day will begin. . . .

This story was originally published April 9, 2022 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Wrapped in unmatched tradition, Masters memories are everlasting."