In April 2019, Virginia defeated Texas Tech in overtime to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament -- and then Tiger Woods shocked the world by winning the Masters. Less than a year later, of course, the world was shut down for COVID, and we haven't really seen that type of excitement since then. But this week, we had even more drama: Florida and Houston played an NCAA Final for the ages, and Rory McIlroy just won one of the most stirring Masters Tournaments ever played. I was traveling most of the week and didn't get to liveblog these events, but I have them in the theater of the mind, and we will likely write more about them as the year rolls on.
As I've previously written, the Masters marks a significant break in the Sports Year. Next weekend will be the first since August where we don't have an NFL game, college basketball, or major golf tournament to watch. We still have a few events to wrap up in May and June before we really end the sports year, but the flip scoreboard, the mini helmets, and the brackets have all been put away, and it's time to start going outside again. But as we head to the lake, the used bookstore, or wherever you go on Saturdays when there aren't sports to watch, we have an amazing collection of memories to consider.
I told myself that if sports came back after COVID, I would watch more and complain less, and I've mostly stuck to that vow. This year, more than any in a long time, I really had fun watching sports. And I'm already looking forward to next month's P.G.A. Tournament.
Here is a list of golfers since 1920 who have won exactly five major golf tournaments:
ReplyDeleteByron Nelson (2 Masters, 1 U.S. Open, 2 P.G.A.'s)
Peter Thomson (AUS) (5 British Opens)
Seve Ballesteros (ESP) (2 Masters, 3 British Opens)
Brooks Koepka (2 U.S. Opens, 3 P.G.A.'s)
Rory McIlroy (NIR) (1 Masters, 1 U.S. Open, 1 British Open, 2 P.G.A.'s)
The next major tournament won by Brooks Koepka or Rory McIlroy will tie them with Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, and Phil Mickelson.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Florida is the only college to have won three NCAA D-1A Football Championships and three NCAA Men's Basketball Championships. And they have won all those championships since 1996.
ReplyDeleteI got to watch in only dribs and drabs, but I followed it pretty much throughout, and I don't think I've ever enjoyed a golf tournament any more than I enjoyed this Masters.
ReplyDeleteI'm still out on golf.
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