The final round of The Masters could be “one for the ages” as our friend Jim Nantz likes to say. But it also could turn out to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.
We like our major champions to be heroic, memorable and earn their victory by playing well on their way to raising their hardware. But many majors aren’t decided by who won them but rather by who lost them.
As recently as the 2016 Masters we saw Danny Willett fitted into a green jacket that was destined for Jordan Spieth. Willett played well in that final round (67) but Spieth collapsed and lost a five shot lead on the second nine as he plopped two balls into Rae’s Creek. For my money, and many others, Willett didn’t win it…Spieth lost it.
And that’s what I’ll say about this final round mano y mano matchup of Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy. If either Reed or McIlroy comes out on top Sunday evening they will have won The Masters. Any other champion sliding into that green jacket and they would have lost it.
That’s not to discount the golfers that are within striking distance of these two. Indeed Rickie Fowler is only five shots back and John Rahm is six but for either to earn their first major we would have to see a collapse not only by Reed but by McIlroy also. And that’s not how our major champions should earn their honors.
We hope that the eventual winner will play and score well, striding down those fairways confidently, victoriously with their head up and eyes bright acknowledging the accolades from the crowds. Our champions execute brilliant shots, taking on all challenges and when adversity strikes and they falter they fight back, recover and rejoin the fight. We want champions, not winners that back into the title by default.
So I will be pulling for a hard fought duel between Reed and McIlroy and it’s easy to recall their magnificent 2016 Ryder Cup Singles match that was off the charts for emotion and excitement. But a Masters final round is a different animal.
Tomorrow is a life changer in a big way for both. Reed will capture his first major, always the toughest to win and put him where is says he has been for years – among the very elite golfers of the world. For McIlroy it would complete his pursuit of the career grand slam and join the most exclusive club in golf.
Both will feel the pressure to fulfill their quests and may succumb to it but I am hoping for heroic play from them both with a finish worthy of a great champion.
I like my Masters Champion to be just that, a champion not just a winner.
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