Last November's Masters Taught Us A Lesson

The final round finished a year ago today and reminded everyone how closely The Masters is linked with springtime in Augusta

One year ago Dustin Johnson won a Tradition Without Patrons by five strokes on the same course where they’ve played the Masters tournament since 1934. On November 15th, 2020, Johnson earned a (42 Long) Green Jacket and no one seems to think twice about Johnson’s 268 breaking a tournament scoring record that stood for 23 years.

It was a Masters. A strange one. But a Masters, nonetheless.

Still, do not expect an avalanche of 2020 Masters retrospectives today recalling memories of a tournament that seemed like the product of a bizarre dream:

• A month before Johnson quarantined in a Las Vegas hotel room after testing positive for COVID-19.

• Chairman Fred Ridley said the game was at a “turning point” on distance and that it was a much bigger topic than just the impact on Augusta National.

• The final round was played before almost no patrons other than mask-wearing members and media.

• Tiger Woods made a 10 en route to a final round 76 before putting the Green Jacket on Johnson.

• Bernhard Langer beat Bryson DeChambeau by two in their final round pairing.