Professional golfers from around the world gathered at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, for the 87th edition of the Master’s Tournament April 6 through 9.  Each day of the tournament, 40,000 spectators crowded around greens and fairways to watch players compete for the green jacket and earn a championship title, according to bleacherreport.com.  As a player on the varsity golf team, sophomore Emmy Marlatt admired the competition on display this weekend at Augusta.

Last year, Mr. Scottie Scheffler won the Masters after shooting a 71 in the final round, according to cbssports.com.  This was Mr. Scheffler’s first major championship win, according to theathletic.com.  The Masters is one of the major championships with the United States (US) Open Championship, The Open Championship, and the US Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Championship.

Throughout the weekend, some tournament play did not take place due to inclement weather.  Around the 17th hole of the course, three tall pine trees fell as storms moved closer to Augusta National, according to augustachronicle.com.   Rain and wind challenged the players on Friday and Saturday.  Sunday, the final day of the tournament, offered better conditions.

Mr. Eldrick “Tiger” Woods, five-time Masters Champion, withdrew from the tournament Sunday morning as his plantar fasciitis was reaggravated, causing him pain, according to si.com.  In 2021, Mr. Woods was in a car accident that left him with orthopedic injuries in his right leg, according to espn.com.

Mr. Cameron Young, Mr. Jordan Spieth, Mr. Brooks Koepka, and Mr. Phil Mickelson finished in the top ten of the tournament.  Mr. Koepka held the lead throughout Saturday and Sunday afternoon.  He finished the weekend with a total score of eight under par, according to espn.com.  Mr. Koepka shares the runner-up spot with Mr. Mickelson.

Mr. Jon Rahm won the tournament for the first time in his career with a total score of 12 under par, according to espn.com.  Additionally, he is now ranked number one in the world, according to pgatour.com.  Despite the challenging weather conditions on Friday and Saturday, Mr. Rahm persevered and shot a 69 in the final round on Sunday, according to theathletic.com.  Mr. Rahm’s accomplishment makes him the fourth golfer from Spain to win the tournament, according to espn.com.

Emmy recognized the different strategies and tactics Mr. Rahm used to achieve his win.  She commented on Mr. Rahm’s performance throughout the weekend.

“I think he played smart,” Emmy said.  “He didn’t try to force a birdie on every hole, he just let them come naturally.  He allowed himself to get a feel for the course and play steady, consistent golf without being conservative.”

Emmy believes that Mr. Rahm prioritizes the traditions of the game of golf.  She remarked on how Mr. Rahm is advocating for the sport, especially during the emergence of the LIV Golf tour. 

“He seems like he’s playing the game for the right reasons,” Emmy said.  “He really just wants to play golf to play.  I think unlike a lot of other players who are trying to modernize the game to keep up with other major league sports, Rahm is trying to promote the game for what it is and not change what people have always loved about professional golf.  After listening to his speech, he seems to be a very humble player and I think he is deserving of his new green jacket.”

Featured Image by Lindsay Benza ’23