In one of the best Masters tournaments in recent memory, Zach Johnson accomplished something that few can say...or will ever be able to say...that he beat Tiger Woods at Augusta...and did it in convincing fashion. He showed grit, heart, humility, and patience...and in doing so, changed his life, and his young family's life, forever. This guy, and his performance this year at Augusta, is why I love this tournament, and the game of golf, so much. There really is nothing else like it...
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Even so, there was something not quite right about Tiger on Sunday... he wasn't beaten, it's not his nature to be so. However, he looked as if he did not feel well physically. He seemed drained and lacking intensity. Even when he's not striking the ball well or he's not in contention, he still walks from tee to fairway like a man possessed. It was just strange. Any thoughts Herodotus?
b3-
yeah...tiger didn't look 'dialed in'. but we've come to expect universal and cyclical perfection from him, and when he doesn't do the miraculous, we are surprised. this said, don't take anything away from johnson. that guy parred his way through amen corner...to go on and birdie 13, 14, and 16. in fact, those birdies on 14 and 16 are two of the most impressive and timely birdies in recent masters history...and yeah, that beat tiger.
Just to add…
The guy pushes his approach on 18, on Sunday, at the Masters, with Tiger three holes and two strokes behind him, setting up a chip shot that, though not the hardest on the course, is still a very difficult shot. People forget now, but he didn’t see Tiger’s body-language all day. For all he knew Tiger was about to be “Tiger” and play the next three holes to get to +1. So, in his mind he’s thinking that he most likely has to get up and down to even get in a playoff with the best golfer on the planet. It’s late; he’s tired, and probably very nervous. Again he’s on 18 with a lead on Sunday at the Masters…What does he do?...He runs his chip shot up for a gimme to make par and force Tiger to play for a playoff which, psychologically, is huge because if Tiger looks up and sees him post a +2 instead of a +1, he smells the blood in the water and probably does what he has to, to win.
All that to say, no Tiger did not look like “himself”, but I think people are using that as an out from saying that Johnson straight out beat him. I think people sort of revert to this because these guys didn’t play in the same grouping so know one saw things like Johnson staring across the green at Tiger after making that birdie on 16, but what did he do? The reality is…He looked up at the leader board at the turn and saw his name followed immediately by most feared name in all of golf and found himself in the same scenario in which everyone else for the last decade has folded, and he didn’t. He made the shots he needed to post a lower score than everyone else with Tiger in pursuit…I just don’t see how you can take that away from the guy.
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