Golf's final major of the year Any golfer or golf fan could not take their eyes of the tournament once the final round began. Obviously, this was in part of Tiger Woods being in contention for the second time in years. A lot of people myself included wanted to see him win again, but he came up short by two to the winner, Brooks Koepka. Even so, there were a lot of important things to note from that round.
1. Environment
Did anyone keep track of how long it took Tiger and Gary to play hole 12? It was because that Gary dented the hole with his second shot. The maintenance crew took at least twenty minutes fixing it. This is something you really wouldn't see in a normal event, but the tournament's a major. Any slightest change in the environment could mean the difference between victory and defeat. If it's in your control, take it.
2. Athleticism
For most who don't play golf, golfers aren't typically seen as athletes. Brooks Koepka's performance demonstrates that golfers are indeed athletes, and his athleticism made the difference in the tournament. Hitting 325+ yard drives gave him numerous scoring opportunities. He had over 40 chances at a good score out of 72. The more chances you have the more likely you're going to win. Plain and Simple.
3. Trend
Another big thing I noticed was the impact Tiger was making in the world as a whole. He was trending on basically every social media site especially Twitter. Ratings on CBS were through the roof because of Tiger. Nobody could have really expected this to happen especially after everything Tiger has been through. Such charisma, history, and talent can really bring people together for such a great moment. Moments that trump hate.
4. Relevance
Two of golf's rising stars, John Rahm and Rickie Fowler, were in the second to last group, right there in contention. I also hoped that both would be there to make a move, but unfortunately Rahm and Fowler didn't do much. They have a lot of potential. It was pretty noticeable that group did not have any air time. Not even at the end! There's a clear reason for that in the next takeaway.
5. Generation
The clear highlight of Sunday was obviously Tiger Woods placing solo second. He just started his forties and still competing with the younger generation. Personally, even I thought that Tiger would never contend in a major ever again! He proved a lot of people wrong that day. The Tiger generation looked like it ended ten years ago when he won his last major, but no! It's still going strong. When the strongest of two generations come together, pure greatness is shown.
Having Tiger back sparked the golfing world to its former glory of 2000. The golfing world definitely needed this kind of boost. It's just unfortunate that the next major is not for another 8 months. Until then, we'll just hope the boost continues.
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