COMMENT: Augusta Nationwide is certainly one of sport’s sacred grounds, however we’re susceptible to it being made a mockery of.
Bryson DeChambeau had Kevin Hart on the bag for the Par-3 Contest (Picture: Getty)
There’s a motive the Masters is revered as certainly one of sport’s best occasions. In a world of hyper-commercialisation, golf’s most iconic main is deliberately totally different.
It stays in a really unique membership in trendy sport. Suppose the Olympic Video games and Wimbledon for instance. Positive, sponsors exist, however they’re not plastered in every single place you look. The emphasis is on the game and the tales inform themselves.
It’s additionally been that approach at Augusta Nationwide for nigh on a century now. It’s simply how Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts supposed. It’s the rationale those that won’t observe golf all 12 months spherical tune in for essentially the most particular of tournaments. It’s the Masters.
However throughout Wednesday’s par-3 contest, the annual curtain raiser earlier than the primary occasion will get underway, the Masters did the one factor it vowed to not do: flip it into a star circus. From Kevin Hart mucking about as Bryson DeChambeau’s caddy, to NFL star Jason Kelce hogging the limelight because the motion unfolded.
On the floor, it feels like a pointless factor to get labored up about. In any case, it’s only a little bit of enjoyable, proper? However that’s precisely why this must be thought of an issue.
The par-3 contest is among the uncommon moments followers of any sport get a real perception into the lives of their favorite athletes. Take Frankie Fleetwood’s (son of Tommy) viral interview after sending his shot into the lake throughout final 12 months’s par-3. Or Poppy McIlroy (daughter of Rory) unknowingly sending Augusta into raptures by sinking a 15ft putt.
The Masters does not want a star flavour to really feel necessary (Picture: Getty)
This isn’t to say these items can’t exist in golf, and even sport on the entire. Take the Million Greenback Slam we noticed at this 12 months’s Australian Open as the proper instance. It was ingenious, light-hearted and excellent for the Australian Open. That’s the place it belongs. Think about attempting that at Wimbledon? It could be like sticking an elephant right into a horse race.
It is the identical with the Masters. And this must be the final time we see it bow right down to superstar and influencer tradition.
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