Opinion | Scott shows how to win with style
Humble Australian's victory at the Masters should be cause for celebration not only in his homeland but also around the world
The trees get fuller, the grass gets greener. The air gets heavier and the mood gets lighter. There are a number of tangible indicators that herald the end of winter. For golf fans, though, nothing arouses the slumber like the Masters. From the grass to the jackets, everything is green again.
Of course, this annual get-together at Augusta National is more than a bit contrived. The people who run it are elitist and unabashedly so. The course is impossibly radiant and impeccable. The music on TV is totally overwrought and the continual fawning of the broadcasters in reverential, hushed tones is artificially enhanced to the point of nausea. But most things seem staged these days, so why quibble.
Come Sunday at the Masters, not even the high and mighty green jackets of Augusta National can control the narrative anymore. It's in the hands of the golfers and because of that the 2013 Masters will go down as one of the most riveting and enjoyable sporting events ever.
Tiger Woods came in as the prohibitive favourite, so much so that Sports Illustrated put him on the cover with a one word headline: "Back". But even Tiger knows that until he wins his first major since 2008, he is not even close to being back and his performance at Augusta did little to alter that perception. He would tease and tantalise but finish with a slew of regrets.
With Tiger officially out of the way, it was time for the true drama provided by a couple of Aussies, Adam Scott and Justin Day, and the indefatigable Angel Cabrera. A burly Argentine, Cabrera does not walk the golf course, he stalks it. After Scott holed a birdie putt on the 18th green to seemingly seal the deal, Cabrera calmly hit his approach shot on the 18th a mere foot or two away from the pin to force extra holes. On the second extra hole, Scott would drain a life-altering 12-foot putt to win.
But of all the memorable performances, few can touch that of China's 14-year-old Guan Tianlang. After a controversial one-stroke penalty for slow play Guan still managed to make the cut. However, it was the class and composure he showed in dealing with the penalty that garnered gushing reviews from a global audience. He showed so much poise that he did more to put China in a positive and non-threatening light internationally than any of the soulless leaders in Beijing could ever dream of.