The previous guard vs. the younger bucks. The getting older lions vs. the triumphant, everlasting youth. The keepers of the dominion vs. the takers of it. Name it no matter you need, one of many preeminent coming into the 2018 Masters is the juxtaposition of golfers like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson (mixed age: 89) making an attempt to carry serve — at a spot the place they’ve received a 3rd of the final 21 inexperienced jackets — towards a youth motion that’s most likely the very best collective group of 20-something golfers within the historical past of this sport.
Woods is the plain prism by which to view this angle of the Masters, however he has been coated in about each means a human being might presumably be coated. So on this case, I want to look to Mickelson, his historical past at Augusta Nationwide, his adoration of the course, the attract of a fourth jacket … and the contingent making an attempt to maintain him from sporting no matter comes after alligator-skin footwear.
Lefty was inarguably the most constant Masters golfer not named Tiger Woods from his first begin as an expert in 1995 by his win in 2010. His three jackets and common leaderboard end of seven.8 rivaled Woods’ 4 jackets and common leaderboard end of 6.5 Since then, Mickelson has two extra prime 10s but additionally two missed cuts. He’s, as you’d anticipate with a golfer in his mid to late 40s, changing into extra inconsistent.
Nonetheless, his physique of labor is unassailable.
|
Masters |
18 |
24 |
|
Cuts Made |
18 |
21 |
|
High 10s |
13 |
15 |
|
Avg. End (when making minimize) |
8.5 |
11.1 |
|
Jackets |
4 |
3 |
And Mickelson has rekindled one thing in 2018. He’s second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained behind solely Dustin Johnson. He’s fourth in strategy pictures and has a win for the primary time in 2013. Mickelson is feeling so good that he may hop out of his courtesy automotive coming down Magnolia Lane and provides the Vince McMahon strutting GIF a run for its cash as he walks to the clubhouse.
Time and youth should not on his facet, although. Jack Nicklaus is famously the oldest winner at Augusta Nationwide on the age of 46. Julius Boros received the PGA Championship in 1968 at age 48. Mickelson can clip the previous mark, however he’ll have to attend till subsequent 12 months on the latter.
Extra importantly than all of that, although, is that that is his place. He believes that he’ll dangle one other jacket in his closet, and since he believes this, it makes me consider it, too. He believes he’ll turn into the oldest Masters winner (and possibly the oldest main winner) ever, and I type of consider that can occur, too.
Mickelson has the way in which about him. His drama is the very best drama, too. Of all of the insane moments they might have picked to reboot, the nice folks of No Laying Up selected his 31 on the second 9 in 2004 — 19,000 folks watched them watch it. That is how nice it was to expertise. That is how magical he is been.
Mickelson is — considerably unusually, maybe — the paradigm for the following technology’s biggest expertise, Rory McIlroy. The Ulsterman’s wrestling match with this course may be very effectively documented, however what may get misplaced within the shuffle right here is that, of everybody who has performed 30 or extra rounds at this course, solely Woods and Mickelson have a greater scoring common. Ever.
|
Tiger Woods |
78 |
70.86 |
|
Phil Mickelson |
94 |
71.24 |
|
Rory McIlroy |
34 |
71.82 |
|
Justin Rose |
48 |
71.83 |
|
Jack Nicklaus |
163 |
71.98 |
As an apart, it is astounding that Nicklaus is on this record contemplating how a lot his rating was inflated in the previous couple of Masters he performed (he missed his final 4 cuts).
McIlroy has completed within the prime 10 in every of the final 4 Masters — his 276 in 2015 would have received or led to a playoff in 70 of the 81 Masters which were performed — and he is one in all a handful of lean, thunderous superstars beating down the door to the closet that holds all of the jackets.
There’s a self perception from McIlroy that emanates when he is actually rolling that makes you surprise if he is ever going to lose once more. It manifests itself in a different way than with Mickelson, however each spring from the identical effectively. Each are minimize from the identical wine-loving, pin-seeking fabric.
These two are titans of various eras. For just a few marvelous years, their orbits have overlapped (and can proceed to take action) at this place. They’re two of many golfers by which we might view the wealthy storyline of previous vs. new, what was vs. what will probably be (and certainly, already is in lots of instances).
I do not know if they’re the 2 finest lenses, however I do consider they’re the 2 most emblematic of their generations. After all, you could possibly throw Woods and Jordan Spieth at me. You can throw Henrik Stenson and Justin Thomas at me. Hell, you could possibly throw Fred {Couples} and Bryson DeChambeau at me. I might be transfixed by the distinction not solely of their ages however their lives, their tales.
If Tiger battling the previous is the No. 1 storyline of this 12 months’s Masters (it’s certainly), the thought of a generational conflict on the property the place all generational clashes needs to be held is simply behind it. I’ve heard lots of people say a Tiger-Phil last pairing is the dream. I do not disagree.
But when we get a both-eyes winking Mickelson banging flagsticks and high-fiving patrons in entrance of a fuming Rory looking for the profession Grand Slam, I am not going to be pining for a Massive Cat-Lefty shootout.
If we get most likely the 2 most dramatic closers of the final twenty years slinging lengthy irons and separating themselves from each the sector and historical past, Tiger’s rating will probably be a small footnote.
If we get McIlroy puffing his chest and bending drives round loblollies and Mickelson delivering probably the most dad-like fist pumps possible as one other Masters closes round itself, yeah, I will be simply tremendous with that.
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