News
Angel Cabrera Wins the Masters
Raise a glass in praise and thanks to Billy Payne! Thanks for setting the course up to play like Augusta National was meant to be played, with skill and nerve, risks and rewards. Yes I know the weather cooperated for the first time in however many years. I know they still had the rough and most or those new trees Hootie Johnson planted. But yesterday the course was set up as a grand stage to allow the final round magic, missing for so long from the first Major of the year, a venue to unfold over the afternoon. The roars indeed were back!
Raise a glass in praise and thanks to Billy Payne! Thanks for setting the course up to play like Augusta National was meant to be played, with skill and nerve, risks and rewards. Yes I know the weather cooperated for the first time in however many years. I know they still had the rough and most or those new trees Hootie Johnson planted. But yesterday the course was set up as a grand stage to allow the final round magic, missing for so long from the first Major of the year, a venue to unfold over the afternoon. The roars indeed were back!
From the time the pairing of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods began their rounds hitting tee shots all over the lot until the playoff concluded in the sunset I was reminded of why this tournament is so absolutely special. Mr. Mickelson went out in a record 30, hitting shots to kick in range from the shade and making putt after putt. Mr. Woods seemingly off by just a hair, rescuing pars from distances you expect him to be putting for birdie, until his eagle on the 8th hole which seemed forgone from the time he began lining it up.
The leaders behind that pairing seemed to be playing in air space void of energy. All the life force having been sucked into the maelstrom that was the Woods-Mickelson pairing. Kenny Perry making 11 pars in a row, Angel Cabrera making two bogeys seemingly without a sense of rhythm, his hands suddenly become stone. Chad Campbell seemed at the time an afterthought, even though he played the front nine in one under par.
Mr. Mickelson stood on the 12th tee at ten under par for the tournament and six under for the day. Unbelievably his tee shot found the water and as the ball sank to the bottom so too did the energy level he had gathered on the front nine. From that point on, it seemed, despite the continued brilliant iron play, that his putter ceased to believe the ball should go in the hole everytime. While he birdied the two par fives, 13 and 15, the eagle putts defied him, and the 18th ended the run with a dissatisfying bogey.
Mr. Woods got to 10 under par after three birdies in four holes but was again undone by bogeys on the 17th and the 18th. For the week he played the 18th hole three over par. Not exactly the way one draws it up on the chalkboard.
Once the dynamic duo was out of the picture, it came down to Messrs. Perry, Cabrera, and Campbell. The back nine at Augusta on Sunday did not disappoint. Mr. Perry birdied the 12th to break his par string. Birdied 15 to keep himself a shot in front, then hit the shot of his life on the 16th hole to gimme distance and a two shot lead. Needing two pars to become the oldest Major winner ever, his swing deserted him. With a bogey bogey finish he allowed Mr. Campbell and Mr. Cabrera into the playoff. It went downhill from there for the likable Kentuckian. “I had the tournament to win,” he said. “I lost the tournament.” Yes Mr. Perry you did, and thank you for a memorable Sunday. I think the best quote belongs to Mr. Perry as well, describing his putt to win the tournament outright on the 72nd hole: “It just seems like when I get down to those deals, I can’t seem to execute,” he said, humbly. “Great players make it happen, and your average players don’t.”
Mr. Campbell had his chances as well but just couldn’t get it done. With a five foot put to stay in the playoff he pushed the putt and watched as it rolled past the hole on the low side. See quote above.
As for Mr. Cabrera, this is his second Major championship, validating his first US Open victory in 2007, although why anyone who wins a Major needs to be validated in any way is beyond me. He plays the game quickly, a hit it and chase it kind of guy, the sort I really like to play with. He handled the pressure, hit the shots when he needed them, and showed the magnificent putting touch under pressure I first saw during the Open.
What a Sunday!
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship
GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.
While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.
Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Michael Block – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Patrick Reed – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cam Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Josh Speight – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Takumi Kanaya – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kyle Mendoza – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Adrian Meronk – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jordan Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jeremy Wells – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jared Jones – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Somers – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Larkin Gross – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tracy Phillips – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jon Rahm – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Keita Nakajima – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kazuma Kobori – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- David Puig – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Ryan Van Velzen – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brad Marek – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rich Beem WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Phil Mickelson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Matt Dobyns – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Lucas Herbert – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jason Dufner – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Daly – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Taylor Gooch – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dean Burmester – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
Pullout Albums
- Ping putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Bettinardi covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cameron putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Max Homa – Titleist 2 wood – 2024 PGA Championship
- Scotty Cameron experimental putter shaft by UST – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – new Ping putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka’s new Cameron putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s Cobra bag and Aerojet driver – 2024 PGA Championship
- Super Stroke grip – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tiger Woods – 2024 PGA Championship
- Michael Block’s new TaylorMade “Proto” 7-iron, from address – 2024 PGA Championship
- Odyssey putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
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Juansky
Apr 14, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I play a similar style, just hit it stupid. I bet he could shoot a lower round if he didn’t have to wait for all the slow pokes on the PGA. He deserves the win and rightly so. I know he’ll be trouble for Tiger at the Open because he is hungry for a third Major.