The Masters is over for another year and I think we can all safely say that we’d rather not have to wait another year for all that Augusta action.
In the past couple days or so, since the tournament finished and Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese man to ever win a major, I’ve been seeing some interesting commentary from the golf media sphere.
And by interesting, I mean that there seems to be a prevailing running theme that this year’s Masters was one of the most uninteresting in recent memory.
That could have something to do with the lack of Tiger Woods, who was unable to attend after his car accident in February. Or it could be to do with the fact that many (but not all) of the big names who had been favourites to win, missed the cut.
The biggest shock of this group was probably Dustin Johnson, who won the event in 2020, during the November corona edition of the Masters.
But I personally find the idea that nothing interesting happened this year to be slightly unfair. So, in no particular order, here are my takeaways of the most interesting Masters moments of 2021.
Will Zalatoris, first-timer and runner up
The newbie and Korn Ferry Tour Points Leader reminds us how unpredictable golf - and particularly the Masters - can be. He finished alone in second place
Billy Horschel’s par save turned slip and slide on the 13th
(Ok, it's not got anything to do with the game. It's just a funny moment.)
@SportsCenter here’s your #SCNotTop10 #1 for the weekpic.twitter.com/gENEqVxedY
— Alex Gam (@AlexGam2013) April 10, 2021
Tony Finau’s daring chip on the 14th during the final round
Chip in on No. 14. Tony Finau uses the slopes to get back to two under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/ZKQstlgzq1
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2021
Not one, but two aces
From England's Tommy Fleetwood in round 1 on the 16th and Canada's Corey Conners in round 3 on the 6th. Conners' ace helped him on his way to T8, while Tommy Fleetwood could have used a bit more luck, finishing at T46.
Matsuyama’s caddie’s show of respect
Shota Hayafuji’s bow when he puts the pin back in the 18th has already been all over the internet. If you're reading this then it's likely you've already seen it, but it has to be in this list as well. I suspect it will be the memorable moment people think back to when remembering the 2021 masters.
Did I miss anything? Let me know with a comment!