Danny Willett is reaping the benefits that come along with winning the Masters. On Monday it was announced that the 28-year-old Englishman has joined the PGA Tour. He has received a five-year exemption that runs through the 2020-21 season.
That’s not all! He also earns 600 FedExCup points from his win in Augusta.
To the best of my knowledge, Jordan Spieth’s caddie Michael Greller politely declined to speak with the media on Sunday following their disappointing loss at the Masters. Well, two days removed from the heartbreaking finish, Greller opened up on Facebook and shared some fantastic insight on the journey that he’s been on with the two-time major champion from when he first met him through Justin Thomas (aka, “Spieth’s good friend”) in 2011.
I asked Michael if I could share what he wrote with you guys, as I think it provides perspective and reaffirms the strong character that Spieth appears to demonstrate on and off the golf course, and he graciously gave me the go-ahead. We could all learn something from both Spieth and Greller.
Here you go. Enjoy.
The Masters doesn’t begin until the back nine on Sunday. Ain’t that the truth. However, as Jordan Spieth, who became the first player to lead the Masters in seven straight rounds, made the walk from nine green to 10 tee, he held a five-shot lead at seven-under, closing out the front nine with four straight birdies. It simply didn’t seem fathomable that he, the Golden Child with his talent and steely composure, could possibly lose the tournament.
As you know by now, the gusty, swirling winds at Augusta National continued to wreak havoc in the third round of the Masters. Add that with the extra-firm and “crusty” greens and you’re bound to see something crazy happen. Like the wind blowing a ball off a flat spot on the green into a water hazard. That’s exactly what happened to Billy Horschel on the par-5 15th on Saturday.
Horschel, who was even-par on his round at the time, hit his second shot just short of the green, chipped on to about 10 feet, and marked his ball. He thought he had a good look for birdie when he replaced his ball — that is, until a gust of wind caught it and caused the ball to start rolling into the water hazard guarding the front of the green.
The golf gods are smiling kindly on us this weekend as they have offered up a dream pairing of Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy in the final group on Saturday. The world no. 2 vs. the world no. 3. Arguably, the biggest superstars in the game at the moment. No, you don’t need to ask me to pinch you. You got that right. Rory vs. Jordan at Augusta National.
This was always going to happen at some point, but the fact that it’s this weekend is amazing, not to mention Spieth was generous enough to not run away from the field in the super tough conditions Friday afternoon (or Rory kindly didn’t shoot his way out of the tournament by now).
Some weren’t sure what to expect this week from Jordan Spieth at the Masters, where, a year ago, he shattered records en route to his wire-to-wire victory. For the ungodly standards he’s set, he went into Augusta National without really showing his A-game, so some wondered how he would handle the pressure as defending champion with all eyes on him this time around.
Well, per usual, Spieth answered, letting his clubs do most of the talking — he posted an impressive, bogey-free, six-under 66 to open this year’s Masters campaign and take an early two-shot lead over Danny Lee and Shane Lowry.
Unfortunately, that headline is not an exaggeration. Ernie Els lived a real-life nightmare on the first hole to kick off his 2016 Masters campaign, making a sextuple-bogey 10 quintuple-bogey 9* on the par 4 to post the highest number there in the history of the tournament by two one shot. Worst of all, he needed seven six putts from short range.
Watch at your own risk of catching the yips:
Epic Picture! #PocketAces @JustinThomas34 @JordanSpieth pic.twitter.com/3H9mSiWqHh
— Rickie Fowler (@RickieFowler) April 6, 2016
It was an eventful afternoon Wednesday before the first round of the Masters. The annual Par-3 Contest presented the usual great photo opportunities with players having fun with their friends and family, and apparently, many aces — a record nine hole-in-ones were made this year (see list below).
Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas, who were playing together, along with defending champion Jordan Spieth, recorded consecutive aces on no. 4. Crazy stuff, right?!?
Talk about the Friday evening news dump! And at 5pm PACIFIC TIME, no less! A bunch of golf/sportswriters just dropped everything (like a bunch of f-bombs) and ran to the closest computer to type up the same story everybody else will write.
Tiger Woods reports on his website that he will not play in next week’s Masters, making it the second time in three years that he’ll miss the first major of the year.
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