For golfers, spring begins with the Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Course in Augusta Georgia. The course is already getting ready for the 2009 tournament, to be held April 6-12. To get you in the spirit of the Masters, here are a few facts about the event:

The first event was held in 1934, with Horton Smith winning the tournament.

The Masters was originally called the Augusta National Invitational Tournament.

Horton won $1500; last year’s winner, Zach Johnson took home $1.3 million.

No tournament was held during WWII (1943-1945). Chickens and turkeys were raised on the grounds to support the war effort.

Jack Nicklaus has the most Masters victories (six); Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods both have four.

Jack Nicklaus was the oldest player to win the Masters (his sixth win in 1986); Tiger Woods was the youngest (in 1997).^{(photo © flickr user: pocketwiley/cc license)}

Post from: Green Posse

Post from: Green Posse

Michael Phelps, winner of eight Gold Medals at the Beijing Games and the hottest sports story of the month, has been compared repeatedly to Tiger Woods in the past few days. Certainly there are similarities:

• Both have risen to unprecedented acheivement in their sports
• Both are unusally tough mentally
• Both adher to a regimented, seemingly crazy, work-out routine.

Still, one major difference–at least to me–appears. Phelps has yet to pass the test of sustained greatness as Tiger Woods has. But that’s just my opinion. Seemingly, everyone on the Web has an opinion on this issue. Below are just a few:
World Golf News Says No Way
Forbes Magazine Asks “Who’s a Better Athlete than Phleps?”
Bleacher Report – “Witnessing Greatness: Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps”

Post from: Green Posse

Post from: Green Posse

Woods also disclosed that he suffered a double stress fracture in his left tibia, an injury that doctors attribute to his intense training and rehabilitation schedule in preparation for the US Open.

Said Woods about his knee injury, “I know much was made of my knee throughout the last week, and it was important to me that I disclose my condition publicly at an appropriate time. I wanted to be very respectful of the USGA and their incredibly hard work, and make sure the focus was on the U.S. Open,” said Woods. “Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery, and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee.”

In describing his long-term prognosis, Woods said, “My doctors assure me with the proper rehabilitation and training, the knee will be strong and there will be no long-term effects.”

We wish Tiger all the best in his recovery.

…Now, let’s see what the rest of you guys can do!

Post from: Green Posse

Following his dramatic win yesterday in the 108th US Open, his 3rd Open win, Tiger Woods told reporters that he was “going to shut it down for a while,” meaning that he was going to give his knee a chance to heal properly following his surgery on April 15.

Woods also admitted that he had been advised by his doctors to skip the US Open. He declined to say whether he’ll be playing in the British Open, which begins July 17.

^{(photo © Newscom)}

Post from: Green Posse

WOW! In what Tiger Woods called the “greatest tournament I’ve ever had,” the number one player in the world defeated the unlikely, but worthy challenger, Rocco Mediate to win the 108th US Open Championship. It is his 14th win in a major tournament and his third US Open title.

The win was not an easy one, however. Mediate stayed with Woods through 18 holes, sinking birdies at 13, 14, and 15, eventually watching Tiger sink a 10-foot putt at 18 to send the tournament into a sudden death playoff.

They returned to the 7th hole, a hole that has favored Woods and today was no different. He drove solidly onto the fairway while Mediate went from one bunker to the next. However, Mediate’s last putt could have sent the match to another hole, but it was not to be. Rocco missed and Tiger won his third US Open.

Rocco Mediate has every reason to be proud of himself going head to head with golf’s very best. In addition to the sizeable paycheck, he’ll rise 111 places in the World Rankings with his second place finish.

Those who say that golf is boring and is losing its appeal should be silenced for the near future. No one could possibly have called this weekend’s tournament dull.

WOW!

Post from: Green Posse

Post from: Green Posse

I hope you didn’t have anything to do this afternoon, because the US Open’s not over yet. Rocco Mediate, a 45-year old tour veteran from Greensburg, PA is facing the best player in the world, Tiger Woods, in an 18-hole one-to-one playoff match to determine the winner of the 2008 US Open. Tee-off is at 9am PDT (noon EDT). The coverage starts on ESPN and continues on NBC at 2pm.

Yesterday’s round was almost as compelling as Saturday’s. Woods started the day with a double-bogey at hole #1 (again), leaving viewers to wonder about the state of his injured knee. The next hole wasn’t a lot better, but, true to form, he played solid golf for the rest of the round, forcing a playoff with a dramatic, 12-foot, birdie putt at #18. ESPN analysts are saying that today’s round (with no disrespect to Mediate) will be about Tiger’s concentration and skill vs. the growing pain in his knee. We concur.

Kudos have to do to Lee Westwood’s solid play. While less dramatic than that of the two leaders, he ended the tournament one behind the leaders at Even par.

Honorable mentions go to Michael Thompson, the low amateur in the tournament (he tied for 29th) and to D.J. Trahan and Swedish golfer, Robert Karlsson, who tied for 4th at +2.

^{(photo © Newscom)}

Post from: Green Posse

When his knee hurting so badly that he sometimes grimaced in pain and used his clubs as a crutch to make his way down the fairways, Tiger Woods gave a master class in guts, concentration, and skill at Torrey Pines yesterday during round three of the US Open.

Five strokes off of the lead coming into the 13th hole, Woods eagled 13 and began a rally that would turn that five-stroke deficit into a one-stroke lead before the round was finished. In addition to the eagle at 13, he lucked into a birdey at 17th when his chip shot one-hopped into the hole. But, with Tiger luck is a by-product of his incredible skill, which he displayed at 18, sinking a 30+-foot putt for the sole lead in the tournament.

Tiger is historically unbeatable when he has sole possession of the lead. He hasn’t been topped in more than seven years when he’s led at the beginning of the final round.

Still, Woods’ knee is the great variable. His amazing concentration seems able to put aside the pain, but he admitted to NBC reporters that the knee was getting worse each day of the tournament. If he can make it through another 18 holes this afternoon, will he pay a price later with his injury? Let’s hope that the price of winning the Open is not that great.

If you missed the round yesterday, below are the Tiger highlights. It’s golf at its best.

^{(photo © Newscom)}

Post from: Green Posse