Augusta National Golf Club – known around the world for hosting the most important golf tournament in early April each year – isn’t for everyone. Until just recently, it was a boys-only fraternity house of sorts that allowed only the most lucky and hallowed of guests onto its grounds.
Women weren’t allowed to join the list of 300-or-so members. Then the assemblage of the privileged at Augusta National granted two members, South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
It’s clear that Augusta National isn’t for everybody, and honestly, that’s completely fine. In order to sustain the sensational aura of Magnolia Lane and Amen Corner, keeping the club exclusive from everybody seems to do the trick (no matter how many fiends like myself watch with impractical jealousy on a rainy day in Madison).
What is for everybody, however, is the event that Augusta hosts – the Masters – particularly the 2013 version. Sure, yearly events tend to seem to be as magical as last year’s rendition, but 2013 is loaded with story lines, enough to make even the slightest of golf fans pay attention.
Let’s start with seemingly everyone’s favorite topic – for better or worse – Tiger Woods. The Masters tournament is for everyone simply because Woods is a polarizing figure. That figure sits atop the golf world, generating a slew of fans that adore him for the way he putts, drives and pitches.
But there’s another half to the Eldrick Woods story, one that stems from an ill-timed collision of his Cadillac Escalade with a fire hydrant, eventually revealing a scandalous affair that not even the best golfer of all time could handle.
So he’s got avid fans and avid haters, those who want straight drives and those who want straight failure. He’s also got his golf game back and is as dangerous as ever with a golf club in his hands. But that alone doesn’t put Woods above the field. He’ll have to tame Augusta and a field of foes like he has four times in his career. This time would be his first since 2005.
Woods is the favorite and the only golfer to win multiple times on the PGA Tour this season. That’ll get the fans going.
But he’s been sitting on 14 career majors for more than four years. Anything less than first place will leave the haters happy.
Like I’ve been saying, this Masters is for everyone. Indeed, though they won’t be getting nearly as much attention, others will be playing this weekend.
To keep the Wisconsin and Midwest crowd interested, there’s Steve Stricker, who is happily defying logic. Ol’ man Stricker (because 46 is old by golf standards) has decreased his playing schedule in 2013, focusing his sights on the post-tour life.
That doesn’t mean he’s fading into the darkness, though. Although he’s not a clear proponent of Charmin Ultra toilet paper (he very well may be), Stricker definitely believes in their tagline “less is more.” In his twelve rounds on tour this season, just one left him over par.
One of the events that predictably made Stricker’s list is this week’s Masters. He has played well in every other Masters in which he competes. Last year was a flub, so the lovable senior citizen might have a 2013 performance to remember in store for the older crowd not ready to relinquish the game to golf’s young guns.
And what about those young guys? Well there’s that Rory McIlroy, who was the top golfer in the world before focusing more on the tennis balls his girlfriend was hitting rather than the white dimpled balls he was competing with. His game seems to be returning to its former greatness. The 23-year-old is joined by a number of other successful pups like Jason Day or Keegan Bradley.
There’s even Tianlang Guan, the 14-year old Chinese golfer who earned himself a surprising bid to the biggest golf tournament on Earth. He represents the middle school crowd with a lack of words but a drive that flies on a line straighter than you could walk.
For the fashion crowd, maybe the ladies who prefer flip-flops to fairways, there’s Rickie Fowler, the neon-happy pro who proudly wears orange better than anyone, ever. There’s also Ian Poulter, the Englishman perfectly pleased to don plaid.
The best part of it all? Each of the groups discussed have a healthy chance of winning the glorious tournament. And in addition to them, there’s many more. If you can’t find someone to cheer for at the Masters, at least take pleasure in the beauty of the course. Even if it’s not for everyone, it should at least keep you inside. Like I said, it will probably be raining in Madison.
Sean is a junior majoring in journalism and communication arts. Will you be watching the Masters this weekend? Let him know who your favorite is with an email to [email protected] or a tweet to @sean_zak.
