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Thinking about the Masters and other aspects of the professional golf world

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Thinking about the Masters and other aspects of the professional golf world

Thoughts about the professional golf world: 

THE MASTERS is only a monthly away, can you believe it? 

If you’ve been living in the north and have been swamped by snowstorms, Spring can’t come soon enough. 

And hopefully it will bring some consistent warm weather. 

Heck, even if it’s a few degrees above the freezing mark for a week it will be a welcome relief. 

Which brings me to the Masters. Is there anything more welcoming if you love pro golf than the Masters? It’s the sight of the azaleas and those wonderful scenes of nature at its fullest. 

The Masters is just one of those events that supersedes sports. It’s what the Kentucky Derby is to thoroughbred horse racing, the Daytona 500 is to NASCAR or any other signature sports event. 

For the last few weeks and continuing with The Players Championship this week, we’ve seen the top players on the PGA Tour battle it out on almost a weekly basis as part of the agreement to put more money into purses to push back against LIV Golf. I think it’s been great, but let’s be honest no amount of money can replace the importance of the Masters. 

It's just too important. 

MORE ON THE MASTERS: One more thing, many years ago I attended a golf show displaying all kinds of products, along with some free lessons and prizes. 

I saw someone wearing a green jacket, claiming he bought it online and saying it was authentic. I asked if I could try it on just to feel what it’s like to wear a green jacket, even more so because it’s real. 

Of course once reality took over from fantasy, I wondered if it was actually real. I mean, how could anyone who has won a green jacket, the most covered coat in pro golf, suddenly not have it any more? You’ll never convince me his wife told him to get rid of it or she would. 

I took a photo of myself wearing it and thought whether it’s real or not, I could at least have something to show people. 

I walked over to a booth that had some memorabilia on display and talked to some of the people doing appraisals. They had certificates of their credentials, so I thought I would ask them about the green jacket. They basically laughed it off, pointing to some irregularities in the stitching and some other things that a person who knows what is real and what is fake will immediately detect. 

THE COODY BROTHERS: Being the grandsons of a Masters winner has placed pressure on twins, Pierceson Coody (TaylorMade TP5x) and his brother Parker, so I was particularly interested in how these 23-year-old stars from the Korn Ferry Tour would do on the PGA Tour. 

Pierceson tied for 14th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a score of four-under par. The week before he tied for 63rd in the Honda Classic. Man, that’s some effort, making the cut in two tough tournaments. It’s interesting that Pierceson turned down a “crazy” offer from LIV Golf because of his commitment to the PGA Tour.  

Parker missed the cut in the Honda Classic, his lone start on the PGA Tour. 

Stay tuned for these two siblings. 

THE KORDA SISTERS: Nelly (Titleist Pro V1) and Jessica (Titleist Pro V1) were featured in an interview before the start of the HSBC Women’s World Championship, talking about a variety of subjects.  

“Mom watches Nelly,” said Jessica. “Nelly needs a butler, basically.” 

Nelly finished second in the event to Jin Young Ko (Titleist Pro V1), who defended her title after going through a left wrist injury thereafter last year. She called the win, her first in a year, the most important of her career. Ko has won at least one event in her last six seasons on the LPGA and 14 overall. 

MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH: Did you catch the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and were you hoping the second-last shot by Kurt Kitayama (TaylorMade TP5x) on the 18th hole would have trickled one inch further and landed in the cup? I was praying for a gust of win to make it happen.  

OH BROTHER, PART TWO: Did anyone see the Kelce brothers, Travis and Jason, on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. Travis was the host and was amazingly funny, and one of the segments included his brother. 

What does this have anything to do with professional golf? Nothing. But I needed a sibling story to end the blog. 

If you got this far, you are allowed to groan. 

But remember, I got you thinking about the Masters. 

 

 

 
Perry Lefko
Perry Lefko
Perry Lefko is an award-winning writer who has published nine books, three of them bestsellers. He has been involved in sports writing for more than 35 years and has interviewed many superstar athletes. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and enjoys watching golf and playing it.

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