AUGUSTA, Ga. – No disrespect, but they are wannabes. In their sweetest dreams they have imagined what it would be like to feel what Tiger Woods feels when he wins one of golf’s major championships like the Masters.
They only hope they can survive the pressure, the nerves and the treacherous pin placements. But until they actually win a green jacket, until they actually conquer Augusta National on a Masters Sunday, they are wannabes. Nothing more.
It’s why even though Woods faces a six-stroke deficit into today’s final round of the 72nd Masters; you might as well call it even. It’s Woods who got a good night’s sleep last night. I doubt anyone else on the leader board needed an alarm.
Sure, Woods has never come-from-behind to win a major championship. All 13 have been earned when he was the leader or co-leader after 54 holes. But that, like the fall of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors, is only a matter of time. Don’t be surprised if it comes today when we least expect it.
Trevor Immelman of South Africa, the 54-hole leader at 11-under-par, has played splendid golf all week with just two bogeys over three rounds. But he has just one PGA Tour victory and has never faced anything like playing in the final group of a Masters Sunday.
Brandt Snedeker of Nashville (9-under) also has only one PGA Tour win as well and is playing in only his second Masters, first as a professional. Steve Flesch of Kentucky (8-under) has four career PGA Tour wins, including two last year. But his best finish in a major is a tie for seventh at the 2004 U.S. Open. England’s Paul Casey (7-under) is a fabulous player, but has never won a PGA Tour Event, much less a major.
They are the wannabes Woods has to chase down today to win his fifth green jacket and keep alive his hopes of winning a calendar Grand Slam in 2008.
“I put myself back in the tournament,” Woods declared after a 4-under-par 68 yesterday that elevated him to 5-under after 54 holes. It was as if he was saying it loud enough for all the wannabes to hear.
Woods’ footsteps are loud any time he is in contention on Sunday at Augusta National and he wants all to know he still has plans on winning regardless of his deficit.
Listen to what he said as he left the storied course and it sounded like he was leaving a message for all those ahead of him. It was as if he was giving them plenty to think about as they prepared for the biggest round of golf in their lives.
He first talked about how bad the weather is expected to be today with temperatures in the 60s and the wind potentially gusting up to 25 mph.
“I’ve played under these tough conditions here before,” he said. “It’s been blustery here before.”
Then he talked about how quickly a good round can turn sour, a seemingly invincible lead evaporating in an instant.
“Anything can happen,” he said. “You can shoot yourself right out of it and you can put yourself right back in it.”
And for added thought, he all but admitted he has gotten this close not playing his best golf, not even yesterday when he tied for the lowest round of the day.
“This is the highest score I could have shot,” Woods said. “I hit the ball so well and I hit so many good putts that just kind of skirted the hole.”
Nothing has dropped for Woods all week. If his ‘A’ game shows up, who knows? But he has been here before. The leaders haven’t. That’s the message he seemed to be sending. Until they can prove they can win on Masters Sunday, they are wannabes. Nothing more.