killerfrogs.com – The Highs and Lows Of The Augusta Masters 2018
The build up of the Augusta Masters 2018 was immense and it would have taken a lot for the tournament to live up to expectations. Whilst it fell slightly short, it was still good viewing and provided entertainment for golf fans throughout the world. Let’s have a look at the highs and lows of the event.
Highs
Tony Finau – Seeing him during the Par-3 contest dislocate his ankle whilst celebrating a hole in one, then incredibly pop it back into place before going on to shoot to 66 on the Sunday was phenomenal and will remain in the mind for a long time. He miraculously managed to finish the tournament in 10th place, assuring he will be taking part in next year’s event.
Patrick Reed – His overall performance of 15 under par was very impressive and only three strokes away from the course recorded set by Tiger Woods in 1997 and equalled by Justin Spieth in 2015. He constantly shot the best over the whole weekend and deserved the title. One noticeable difference between Reed and his rivals was that he didn’t play with a uniform set of clubs provided by a sponsor and he chose to play with a completely mixed collection, a decision that clearly paid off.
Doug Ghim – Doug really announced his arrival onto the tour with a bang. His golf throughout the tournament really gained the 21 year old a whole new fanbase as a result of the way he played. Throughout the first week he made three eagles, which managed to capture the attention of many. He looks to definitely have a bright future ahead of him in the game.
Lows
Rory McIllroy – He entered the tournament with expectation and pressure on his shoulders and this was quite evident as he somewhat failed to deliver. It was his best chance at a career Grand Slam since heading into the Masters 2015 and his best chance to win this tournament since 2011. After falling behind Reed with a bogey on the third he never got closer than within two strokes for the rest of the way.
Sergio Garcia – The same hole that helped him on his way to becoming champion last year was his downfall at the Masters 2018. Last year he achieved an eagle on the par 5 15th hole, however this year saw him strike 5 balls into the water. Garcia finished the hole on a 13 which effectively ruined his chances of successfully defending his title sadly, and the frustration on his face was evident to everyone. Lots of fans had high hopes for him, as he was one of the favourites to win the title at popular online betting sites like Unibet.
Brooks Koepka -The hand injury that prevented him from entering the tournament this year was really the loss of the Augusta Masters 2018. The injury meant that the wait for a second major title will be put on hold for the reigning U.S. Masters champion. Koepka tore a tendon in his wrist earlier on this season and it has stopped him competing since January. It is really a shame that we couldn’t see how he would follow up his performance in the U.S. Open at the Masters, as it is likely he would have been hotly tipped to put on a performance.