Chances are if you knew who Charl Schwartzel was before the 2011 Masters, you're either 70+ years old, retired with nothing better to do with your time than read every edition of Golf Digest, or you're related to him. To some, that's the beauty of the event: It can transform an unrecognizable individual into a man that will forever be remembered in a single weekend. Schwartzel may never win another major (although I'd be shocked if that's the case after seeing the ability he has) but I can guarantee you two things: The South African with the German-sounding name earned more money in four days than I probably would in four lifetimes, and his resume went from scrawny high school chess club member to HGH injected body builder.
But there are a few major stories that surfaced on the final day. The first is the unimaginable collapse of 21-year old Rory McIlroy. Most people that I talked to called it "tough to watch" and felt almost empathetic for the man who led for 63 holes. I thought it was fascinating. Sure I feel bad for the kid because he seems like a humble, genuinely nice person. But other than that, I'd rather watch someone mentally crumble than succeed. Not because I like to see good people fail, but because it's incredible to me that sports have a way of causing people to psych themselves out. How is it possible that someone whose highest score in three previous rounds on the same course was a 70, needed ten more shots to finish his fourth? It's like the baseball catcher who finally makes it to the show and then suddenly can't throw the ball back to the pitcher anymore (yes, that really happens). Imagine an insurance actuary (shoutout to my very intelligent sister, Mallory) who shows up to work one day and, out of nowhere, forgets how to perform basic addition and subtraction. Seems far-fetched, doesn't it? But that's essentially the equivalent of what happened to McIlroy. He struggled with the most fundamental tasks required of him, things that were second-nature Thursday through Saturday.
The other story is the "return" of Tiger Woods. He shot a final-round 67 to finish tied for fourth at 10 under par. Many people believe this is a sign of Tiger's inevitable return to glory and dominance and for whatever reason, just as many people seem to be rooting for that to happen. I, on the other hand, hope that's the closest he ever comes to winning another tournament. There are several factors that have contributed to my disapproval of "The Cat," and his "transgressions" are only a minor one. I haven't liked him since long before that ridiculous day on Thanksgiving, 2009. The guy just comes off as an unappreciative, pompous prick. And he put that on full display once again on Sunday with his post-round interview, or lack thereof. Honestly Tiger, do you really think that was an effective way to repair your public image? But anyone that has actually paid attention to him when he's NOT on top shouldn't have been surprised. This is a guy that yells at fans for snapping polaroids of him as he walks the course because it's distracting. God forbid he'd ever have to play under conditions that real athletes do, where a fan is not only allowed to distract you, but required to. Not to mention that these fans that are taking snapshots of him are doing so out of admiration, not in an effort to agitate him. On second thought, maybe he really just doesn't care what people think. Now THAT's a role model.
-Brusk Dollas
No comments:
Post a Comment