A Tradition Unlike Any Other

“Georgia on My Mind”, “Amen Corner”, “Magnolia Lane”, and “Green Jacket”, are all some of the buzzwords golf fans are used to hearing in the early months of the calendar year. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, those words and songs have been shifted to November for the first time in history which makes this year's Masters tournament truly “A Tradition Unlike Any Other”.

There were dozens of speculations about what would happen to the 84th annual event normally held in the early weeks of April in Augusta, Georgia. Most thought it would get cancelled like The Open, nonetheless it would go on to be rescheduled to the second weekend in November in the cool breeze and autumn colored trees. Unfortunately, this year Jim Nance’s “friends” will only be the type appearing on the other end of a television set; however, College Gameday, The Masters Tournament app, and other programs will be delivering more coverage than ever before to give golf fans the fix they need.

Obviously this Masters comes with having its own unique obstacles, but if you would have told me a year ago that rolling the ball back and hoodies on the course would be a real hot topic I would have thought you were nuts. We’re talking about golf fashion and making changes to the golf ball because one guy decided to drink protein shakes and hit the ball a mile. But here we are once again, old man golf peeping its heads up from the holes they live in by continually trying to build up more barriers rather than breaking them down for all to enjoy the game. It’s bad enough the PGA Tour prohibits other users from utilizing their video content on social media platforms but claims to want to be as inclusive as possible. But that’s neither here nor there.

In spite of everything in the world changing within the matter of just a few short weeks we will still be having one of the most climactic Masters events of our generation. We have Bryson slapping it all around god’s green earth, Morikawa masterfully hitting irons like you’ve never seen before, D.J. setting the world on fire, Rory and Rahm breaking clubs, Brooks chirping Bryson in the media, and of course Tiger trying to preserve his green jacket at the age of 44 years-old.

One of the headlines that the media hasn’t shown enough though is the young 2020 barnburner that is Daniel Burger. And guess what? He didn’t get an invite to drive down the orange and amber filled trees on Magnolia Lane this fall. Back in April when the PGA Tour had announced it’s restructured schedule they had also mentioned that the field for the tournament would remain as scheduled. Although I think that was the smart move by the Tour committee for once, it is unfortunate to not see the 13th ranked player in the world, especially after earning his third PGA victory earlier this year at the Charles Schwab Challenge and only missing one cut in the entire last calendar year. However, I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Burger any time soon.

Despite Augusta not having patrons at the Masters for the first time in history, there are actually still chances for you to get in on the spirit without actually being in Georgia. Augusta National is offering a “Taste of the Masters” food packaging option that is available for online purchase for those individuals who had previously bought tickets. The package contains some of their signature items such as pork BBQ, egg salad, pimento cheese, logo’d plastic cups, and more that is expected to feed 10-12 people. The cost is $150 and includes shipping which takes about 1-6 days. Honestly, not a bad price for shipping an entire meal for you and your friends to spend on a Sunday afternoon watching the final round as the leader walks up 18.

Even though we won’t get to hear the “tiger roar”, the mass followings of the gallery, or the random outbursts from fans after a tee shot, we still have to appreciate what opportunity we have here with the absolute shank that 2020 has provided us with.

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Reading the Green

Bryson DeChameau (+700): As we know in golf, anyone at any time can go on a run, nevertheless we still have some leading horses in this race such as Bryson DeChambeau. The most controversial person on the PGA Tour has been on fire this calendar year after 7 top five finishes and two wins including a U.S. Open victory at Winged Foot Golf Club in August. Bryson hasn’t fared well putting at this course in the past but hey, it’s 2020 and anything can happen. Finishing in the top ten in his last two starts there’s no reason to think that the beefy Bryson couldn’t take on one of golf’s most prized majors especially now that he’s being recorded carrying over 400 yards off the tee.

Dustin Johnson (+1100): Now when you think about some of the best tour players of this condensed year you may also think about Dustin Johnson. Not only did Dustin dominate at the tour championship and playoffs at East Lake but he also won a total of three times in the 2020 season with his last four activations being first or second. However, the $15 million dollar man hasn’t played in a tournament in what would be two months since his T-6 finish in the U.S. Open. If he is able to continue this incredible stretch of golf after recently testing positive for COVID-19, as well as continually having a solid short game it’s likely we’ll be looking at a new green jacket award winner this fall.

Xander Shauffle (+1600): In the world of sports (especially betting) it’s always a game of “what have you done for me lately”? For the 27 year-old Californian, it’s been everything. In the 2020 golf season Xander appeared in 18 tournaments and made 17 cuts. Of those 17 cuts he’s finished 25th or better in 16 of those events. In the start of the 2021 season he’s finished top ten in his first three starts of the year, plus his recent Masters trip hasn’t been too shabby either. Xander finished T-2 with Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson but ultimately lost to Tiger Woods to complete one of the greatest career comebacks in golf history.

Tyrell Hatton - Dark Horse (+3300): It’s almost unrealistic for Hatton to be considered a “dark horse” at this point in his still somewhat young career but his recent 2020 numbers speak for themselves. Despite only playing in 11 events in the 2020 condensed season, he’s only missed one cut and finished outside the top 25 one time. He picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2020 and finished the season with six top ten finishes. The 29 year-old Canadian has quietly become one of the most consistent golfers on tour. Regardless of his not so favorable prior appearances at Augusta National Hatton is someone to watch out for this year.