A Thriller at Augusta

Well we finally got what we’ve been asking for. The final round of the 2009 Masters featured the most anticipated pairing in golf, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The entire media buzz about this storied rivalry was validated today by an amazing display of golf from both Mickelson and Woods.

Both Woods and Mickelson came out the gates a bit shaky spraying their tee shots on the first hole. However, they both managed to recover and get up and down for par. The front 9 featured an astounding display of shot making by Phil Mickelson who tied a Masters record by shooting a 6-under 30 on the outward nine. His first nine was punctuated by an amazing shot off of the pine straw on the 7th hole to a few feet for birdie.

If golf could have anything close to a heavyweight fight this was it. It was like the Thriller in Manila Ali and Frazier on the back nine at Augusta. I sat glued to my monitor watching every shot and wondering if one of these titan’s of golf would be able to pull off a come from behind win and walk away with a Green Jacket.

They played well and even though they both bogeyed the final hole after bad tee shots, they managed to satisfy the appetites of millions of golf fans who have been praying for this match up. Mickelson shot a 67 and Woods carded a 68 in the final round today. Both players entered the clubhouse at 9-under par and walked away from the 18th green realizing that their chances of winning this year's Masters tournament were all but over.

I was blessed to have witnessed this pairing. I can’t wait until they face each other down the stretch in another Major Championship. Today was golf at its finest and I can’t wait to see it again.

(images courtesy of Getty Images)

"Keep it in the short grass)

Edward S. Wanambwa
www.thegolfwriter.com