Gotta-Grip Golf Blog

First, I learned this exciting year had DESTINY written all over it for Trevor Immelman and congratulations go out to him.

I learned that having a childhood hero like Gary Player coach you through what most agree is the #1 tournament in golf is special, and to win the tournament & be able to share it with your fellow compatriots from South Africa as well as your hero has to be the ultimate in golf.

The best picture of the day on CBS [for me] was when they showed a picture of [then] five-year old Trevor in the arms of Gary player.

Back at the tournament Sunday, Trevor managed to stave off the rest of the field, including Tiger Woods, Stuart Cink, and a very impressive relative newcomer Brandt Snedeker, who, if they handed out awards for grace under pressure, would have taken home more than a tie for third.

I learned that like almost all Masters Events, weather could play a big role in the outcome. In Augusta in April, the weather can change from calm, to rain, to beautiful sunshine, to extreme wind, from day to day.

It appeared to me that most all players were able to cope with these changing conditions well, with the exception putting. When they forecast that, the wind (on Sunday) could be a factor on puts longer than five feet, you know you are in for a tussle when you reach the green. Theses are greens that are easy to misread in good conditions, let alone having to plan on an extra tug in one direction or another. Perhaps adding high-power fans to the practice greens will become the next rage in golf.

I learned that past performance (seven past champions competed through Sunday) does not guarantee a victory.

One thing we all learned, Tiger Woods is every bit as much of threat to anyone leading a tournament as he has ever been. I will bet that Trevor Immelman is just glad they ran out of holes, because Tiger (although he admits he was putting poorly the entire week), was starting to come around Sunday, as he usually does. BTW…All who responded to our Gotta-Grip.com Blog Question picked Tiger Woods to win.

Congratulations to all 41 players who hung around over the weekend for 2008 in Augusta, as well as to those who earned the right to come back next year.