2016 US Masters: Lovely green shirt Danny Willett had hidden under his all white outfit

By
Brian O'Hare
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Danny Willett _Masters 595

By Brian O’Hare

WELL that was an interesting Masters wasn’t it. Like many Aussie golf fans, do doubt, I got up early Monday morning to watch the final round.

In my case that was at about 4.50 am, and I settled back on the couch to watch the much anticipated, and inevitable, Aussie revival.

Live coverage began at 5am and I waited, and waited, and waited. C’mon Jason Day, when are you going to start your usual Masters final round surge?

After a couple of hours I realised it wasn’t going to happen, not in any meaningful way, anyway.

I had already been mightily disappointed when I first looked at the result and saw that Adam Scott hadn’t been having a fourth round transformation himself. Just to give Jason a leg up.

What I also realised after a couple of hours of watching, and continually munching on muesli and toast and vegemite and whatever, was that I wasn’t enjoying it.

I had gotten up in the time honoured pre-dawn tradition to watch the final round of the Masters and it just wasn’t cutting it for me.

After Jordan Spieth’s fourth straight birdie at the back end of the front nine I realised I was putting most of my energy into barracking against the young defending champion.

I was getting excited if he had a wayward drive, hoping he’d mess up chips, and silently praying he’d miss putts.

It’s not going to happen, I told myself. You’re sitting here watching Masters history, you’re watching a 22 year who is in the process of becoming the first in golf history to go back to back in a major leading wire to wire in both. And you’re being small minded with your parochial attitude.

So I decided to transform the whole experience by barracking for the young Texan and his inevitable, historic win.

In any case, I thought, we all met him when he first came out for the Australian Open in 2014 and he was such a nice young gentleman. Everyone was so impressed by his attitude and by his great win. When he went on to victory in the following two majors we all applauded and he was almost like one of our own.

On Monday morning as he walked to the 10th tee, back with a five stroke lead, he had my full support.

I decided to make if official by tweeting the fact (what else can you do in the interminable ads).

“Might have had too much muesli but with 9 to go I think I might start supporting @jordanspieth to go back to back & @jdaygolf top 5,” I tweeted, just like a professional.

I was even more impressed with myself moments later when someone pointed out that if Spieth won, which was inevitable at that stage, and Day finished in the top five, which was still hopeful, the Aussie would still be World No.1 come Tuesday morning.

But as everyone now knows, something terrible happened to Spieth as he walked between 9 and 10.

I usually think it’s sad when remote persons, like golf or football commentators, believe their spoken words and thought influence the on course/field action. “He’ll definitely sink this one …..oh no, I spoke too soon”.

In this case though, it is obviously perfectly justified.

Now barracking for Spieth to hit nice straight drives, to sink his putts, the opposite was happening. He went bogie, bogie and then the dumbfounding implosion on 12. After finding water with his fluffed tee shot, he took his penalty drop then attempted a wedge that he hit so fat he dug up so much of the hallowed Augusta National turf I didn’t think they’d let him play there again.

I felt the need to go back on twitter and fess up.

As the round progressed it was obvious “our man” Spieth was gone, the Aussies were gone and it looked for a while that two Englishmen would go one and two alone. It was a sensation for an Aussie sports fan similar to jamming your thumb in a car door.

Danny Willett _ white 300But we looked at the equally nice young Danny Willett in his all white outfit anew. He’s replicating the all white of English teams like the rugby players, we surmised.

Once on the green though, Willett ripped off his white sweater, like superman, to reveal a very Green Jacket-Friendly light green polo shirt.

And it did seem to match perfectly when an ashen faced Spieth had to slip the Green Jacket on his successor in the traditional Butler Cabin ceremony.

Thanks to the TV commentary we quickly learned that it was all meant to happen, exactly as it transpired. Willett was not even going to play in the Masters because his wife – whose birthday was TODAY – was due to give birth to their first child, TODAY. But the child obviously got wind of the potential clash and fronted up 13 days early, allowing dad to win his first Major, and also meaning dad would be much more resource rich in the toy acquisition department.

So it was a win – win for everyone really. Except Jordan, who will obviously require time to lick his wounds. He’s 22 and he’s only gone T2, 1, T2 in his three Masters appearances… how frustrating. Nevermind, when he bounces back next time, maybe at the upcoming US Open where he will also be defending champion, just think of the superlatives and “legendary” status that will be heaped upon him.

As for the Aussies, they will also bounce back. Maybe next week, maybe the week after, but definitely sometime.

If only we could have known all this earlier, we could have tweeted it and let everybody know.

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