Masters Week Recap

It started with a serine drive down Magnolia Lane to Augusta National Golf Club, and ended with a birdie on the 72nd hole for South African Charl Schwartzel as he captured his first green jacket and Master's Championship.

The beautiful Magnolia Lane is the drive each player takes
before getting the opportunity to wear the green jacket.

On a Sunday afternoon in which we saw lead changes almost every hole on the back nine, Schwartzel was able to pull away from the field by recording birdies on the final four holes to sneak out a two stroke victory over Adam Scott and Jason Day.

The 75th playing of the year's first major was exciting from start to finish. Coming into the tournament there was question about how Tiger Woods would play, whether Phil Mickelson could repeat, or if world number one Martin Kaymer could finally break through at Augusta.

During the four day championship we were treated to glimpses of old Tiger as he made runs in the second and fourth rounds, short game expertise by Luke Donald and Phil, and Fred Couples making yet again another good Masters showing with a bad back.

There were great pairings throughout including the Young Guns group of Rory McIllroy (21), Rickie Fowler (22), and Jason Day (23) who shot a combine 22 strokes under par in the first two rounds. The pairing of Tiger and K.J. Choi in the third round was the fifth round they played together in the last seven rounds at the Masters.

Rory McIllroy reacts after hitting his ball out-of-bounds
in the final round

We saw young McIllroy, from Northern Ireland, lead the tournament for the first 54 holes of the tournament before an epic collapse on the back nine Sunday. Following McIllroy's demise there were runs made by Tiger, Adam Scott, Day, Angel Cabrera, Geoff Ogilvy, and Choi. There were as many as five players tied for the lead as the day began to wind down. Cabrera hit errant shots, Choi who had played so steady all week started to look weary, Ogilvy faded as did Tiger, and with two holes to go it looked as though Scott would be the one to break through and finally win a major.

Schwartzel receives the coveted green jacket from last year's
champion Phil Mickelson

This was not the case though as he missed a birdie putt on the final hole. In the end it was Schwartzel, a 140 pound 26 year-old from South Africa, who birdied the final four holes to win by two strokes over Scott and Day.

Overall this might have been of the most thrilling, exhilarating, action-packed Masters that I have ever had the pleasure of watching. The final round was full of drama, excitement, and in the case of McIllroy heart break.