RealClearSports: A Masters to Be Remembered

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The tales are about the azaleas and the green jacket and the difficulty in purchasing tickets. But what makes the Masters the Masters is the golf.

It's wide open, and wild scoring. It's golf the way the NBA plays basketball, dramatic and entertaining, where the best — Charl Schwartzel's historic four closing birdies Sunday — and the worst — Rory McIlroy's awful collapse — are as close as the next shot.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

SF Examiner: Unlikely hero emerges from wild day at Masters

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

Tiger Woods was almost there. Adam Scott was almost there. Rory McIlroy was there and then was nowhere. The final day of the year’s first major golf tournament turned into an unsuspected Sunday afternoon of drama, disappointment, and for a skinny kid most Americans have never heard of, success.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2011 SF Newspaper Company

Global Golf Post: Charl Charges to Masters Triumph

By Art Spander
For GlobalGolfPost.com

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA — When it finally ended, when the most confusing and compelling Masters in history had wrenched every bit of tension and emotion out of a United Nations field of competitors, the winner turned out to be nobody you could have imagined.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2011 Global Golf Post

RealClearSports: No Americans in Sight at Masters

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Inevitability is about to meet reality. Golf, as forecast, is no longer the domain of the U.S.

Golf belongs to South Africa. Golf belongs to Germany. And since Rory McIlroy is about to duplicate the major triumph of countryman Graeme McDowell, most of all golf belongs to Northern Ireland.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

RealClearSports: Match Play Is Golf for the Moment

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

MARANA, Ariz. -- Match play is when golf becomes the NCAA basketball tournament. Match play is when two men compete head to head, as Ali and Frazier or Nadal and Federer. Match play is "get the ball in the cup or get out of here.''

And, as Tiger Woods a day earlier, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy are out of here. Done.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011