Friday, May 10, 2019
Tiger's Triumph
You
miss a lot when you're not there. The first thing we did when we
returned from the south was to buy tickets for the Dukes' game Sunday
night. Due to the nature of the beast, it was the first game that we
had seen in 2019, It was a dandy.
The
young men on both sides of the red line at the DukeDome have been
preparing for these contests for a very long time: pre-season,
regular season, several rounds of playoffs. They are at their peak
levels for fitness, and ability. And they are playing their hearts
out.
It
was great fun to see so many familiar faces at the rink, and to have
an opportunity to kibitz with them about sports. The most significant
sporting event of the weekend was Tiger Woods' win at the Masters.
The
Masters is played in Augusta, Georgia, in the south-eastern part of
the United States. As can be ascertained by the beautiful foliage on
our television screens, spring has certainly sprung in that part of
the world, several weeks ahead of us. There are many regulations at
The Masters, for the players, as well as the fans. One must talked in
hushed tones, except when cheering good shots. On special occasions,
one can roar.
There
were not many unbelievable shots in Tiger Woods' repertoire last
weekend. He played fine, steady golf to approach the 18th
tee with a sizable lead. He could afford to bogey the hole, which he
did, to win the tourney. It will be considered one of the greatest
comeback stories in golf history.
Woods
carded a two-under par 70 on the final round of The Masters to win
his fifth championship at Augusta. Three players trailed him by one
stroke: Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Xander Schauffele. It gave
Tiger his first opportunity to don the green jacket since 2005. It
was his first major championship since 2008. There were a few players
still in diapers when Tiger first burst onto the golf scene. They
must still marvel at his game.
But
after two back surgeries, several personal setbacks, and hours of
rehabilitation, he has returned. His mother Kultida was there to
greet him after he finished the 18th hole, as were his
children, and his girl fried, Erica Herman, who had been managing one
of Tiger's restaurants. Following the hugs and kisses, the 43 year
old Woods headed to the area where players sign their cards,
carefully.
He
had slowly climbed the leader board in the morning, and found himself
two strokes behind Francesco Molinari and Tony Finau they approached
the 12th tee. Both men plopped their tee shots in the drink, and
Woods took a par. Molinari found the water again on the 15th,
putting himself out of contention.
Woods
beamed as they loaded yet another green jacket on his shoulders. It
was reported yesterday the President Trump awarded him the
Presidential Medal of Honour, only bestowed on a very short list of
dignitaries. You must remember that Trump has a soft spot for
golfers.
Hopefully,
we will see Tiger at the Canadian Open from June 3rd to
June 9th. He does seem to attract some attention, wherever he goes.
Go
Dukes!!!
James
Hurst
April
16, 2019.
# posted by James Hurst @ 10:17 AM 
