Masters 2011

The most wide open "back nine on Sunday at the Masters" in a long time, maybe ever. With an hour left, 9 guys from around the world (only Tiger from the U.S.) were within 1 shot of the lead.



More highlights here.

Another link.

Who conceives these scripts? . . .

By the time Tiger Woods whipsawed that 8-iron onto the sixth green – the only man to play the hole correctly all day – for birdie, you could tell this was going to be a wild afternoon.

After third-round leader Rory McIlroy and playing competitor Angel Cabrera birdied the seventh hole, Peter Kostis asked, “Does it get any better than this?” . . .

For sheer tragedy, McIlroy’s collapse was evocative of Greg Norman’s 15 years ago. And as things became officially unglued during the ugly triple bogey on the 10th hole, Nick Faldo, the beneficiary in 1996 of Norman’s self-immolation, pointed out in thoughtful terms that only he can know, how “pressure finds your weakest point” – by which he meant McIlroy’s draw. . .

Throughout it all, we were able to track the fireworks – a tribute to the telecast and the quality of the golf. I thought The Masters of 1975 and 1986 were thrilling. And they were. But I don’t recall ever seeing so many players from so many countries having so many good chances to win on the back nine. “Every continent but the Arctic and Antarctica are represented on the first page of the leader board,” Feherty said as the drama unfolded.

OK, the Arctic isn’t a continent, just an ice sheet. But we were watching golf, not Geography 101. It was the kind of telecast where, midway through, you knew that you also were watching history.