What We Miss Without the Masters

Langer, Adam Scott (2012 Masters champ), Zach Johnson (2007), Craig Stadler (1982) and Bubba Watson (2012 and ’14) clamored down the narrow, spiral staircase from their private roost to join the surging, frenzied crowd enveloping the final green.

“The last day of the Masters just has a way of framing these kinds of moments,” Langer said later, jostled by an expanding throng of spectators. “I’m sure someone has said it before: It becomes like a movie set.”

Twenty-five years ago, the day before the start of the Masters, Ben Crenshaw was a pallbearer at the funeral of his mentor and coach, Harvey Penick. Four days later, Crenshaw, who was mired in a miserable slump, had not practiced all week and needed foot surgery, dissolved into tears moments after sinking an 18-inch putt to win the tournament.

“I had a 15th club in my bag this week,” said Crenshaw, who at 43 was the same age as Woods in 2019. “That was Harvey Penick.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/sports/golf/masters-tiger-woods.html