Come in number 89 - your time is now
The name Danny Willett has a gritty guttural feel in the way that Bryson DeChambeau does not. It conjures an image of the street fighter one for whom things have not been handed down on a plate. Willett’s demeanour and his hard South Yorkshire vowels add further substance to this persona. And for most of the golfing world he was something of an unknown until, at 5pm eastern standard time on Sunday 10th April, he calmly strolled to the 16th tee of the Augusta National course holding a one shot lead in the US Masters.
Up to that point he had played a faultless round, albeit under the radar and thus free from the pressures associated with leading a major golf championship. An hour earlier than Willett’s stroll to the 16th tee I had considered calling it a day. The rock hard Augusta greens were making fools of skilled golfers. All, that is, bar one. A young lad named Jordan Spieth who, as with the previous year, was holing everything and turning the tournament into a putting competition. As he strode off the 9th green having secured a fourth successive birdy his lead stood at five shots. The tournament was in danger of turning into a drama free procession.
But they don’t call Amen Corner, Amen Corner for nothing and Spieth had still to negotiate it. At the 10th he dropped a shot. At the 11th he dropped another shot. But in the short time we have known young Spieth he has always demonstrated admirable heart. He is a winner and there was nothing, other than the occasional errant drive – always rescued by his putter - that proffered any indication of the meltdown that was now to occur. For as meltdown’s go it bore comparison to poor Rory McIlroy’s 2011 exploits when he found himself on the porch of a house adjoining the 10th fairway identifying his ball.
The treacherous 12th hole is one where many a Masters challenge has been drowned and in a moment young Spieth was to join the ever growing list of those whose title hopes have been scuppered. His iron from the tee had neither the power nor direction to carry it over the water that forms Rae’s Creek. That left him facing a seventy yard approach from the drop zone over the same body of water. It is a harder shot than that from the tee and poor Spieth chunked it in a manner of a 24 handicapper. His mind now scrambled he did remarkably well to get down in a further three more shots to card a quadruple bogey 7. One minute leading the tournament by four. The next trailing by two. Such is the capacity of golf to create drama as once more I was gripped.
So to young Willett. Three holes between him and triumph. Could he find some Yorkshire grit to take him across the finish line? His tee shot at 16 to within five feet wasn’t bad and an assured putting stroke placed it in the bottom of the cup. Birdie two. Not a bad start mate. At 17 he missed the green back left leaving himself a wicked pitch across an undulating green. But showing great deftness of touch he put his ball to within three feet. His putt went in off the side of the cup, the first real hint of any nerves but it was still a remarkable up and down given the circumstances. And so to 18 leading the US Masters by three. All he has to do…..
But there is many a golfer who has stumbled at this final hurdle and over the years the hole has been lengthened putting a greater premium on the drive which has to be hit dead straight with a touch of fade. Willett addressed the ball. He was disturbed and stood back. This isn’t a good sign thought I. But showing remarkable calm he said to his caddy “Let’s start again”. They both pulled back, had a re read of their notes before Willett re-addressed his ball. Arrow straight went the drive leaving a mid iron to the green. Three shots later he was signing for a faultless round of 67, was leader in the club house by three with only Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth in with a chance of catching him. Johnson came to grief in the sand at the 17th and Spieth likewise. And that was it.
Entrant no 89, had won his first Major demonstrating a degree of calm in the face of pressure rare amongst the English golfer. Only Nick Faldo ever really possessed it. Not so Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Colin Montgomery (Scottish) nor Sergio Garcia (Spanish). It is an attribute afforded to few and for me counts more than natural physical talent. I suspect it’s not the last we’ll be hearing of young Willett nor for that matter fellow Yorkshireman Matthew Fitzpatrick, who played with great maturity to make the top 10 and book a return for next year.
So the first win at the Masters by an Englishman for twenty years. Something to remember. So too for it being the last occasion when Tom Watson appeared in a US Masters. Though Westwood yet again ended up just short of the line, I am sure he will have cherished partnering Tom in the great man’s final outing. Woosie too bowed out, as did the BBC. Without #Kenonthecourse and the arch curmudgeon Peter Alliss, it just won’t be the same. Coverage which never took itself too seriously, a nuance sadly lacking on Sky. But then I suppose that’s progress for you.
©Mark Brennand