“You know, I don’t root against anybody. I’m not gonna root against him, I’m gonna congratulate him because I know how hard it is as a professional and as a competitor. I know how the momentum swings here and there. If they execute and beat you, I’m going to shake the man’s hand.”
Kenny Perry’s words after his play-off defeat to Angel Cabrera at Augusta were as triumphant as anything seen on the course on Sunday. And that’s saying something special, because the final day of the 2009 US Masters will go down as one of the greatest days in the history of golf.
No attention should be taken from Cabrera’s winning glow – his victory was absolutely deserved and his courteousness in striding to the prize befitting of a great champion. But sometimes, sport presents us with moments much more important than the winning and the losing. Bill Shankly’s famous line runs that football (for football, read sport) is much more important than life and death. He had a point, but he probably wasn’t referring to the difference between victory and defeat; rather the crucial humanity that underpins all the sporting moments we dearly love.
It would have been easy to be swept away in the tide of Cabrera’s victory and revel in the glory of the winner taking it all. But there was something in Perry’s words and sincerity that opened us up to a different attitude. He’s 48. He knew as he stood on the final tee a shot clear that if he got a par, he would most likely win, becoming the oldest major champion in history. However, should fate conspire against him, he knew he would never be here again.
A skewed approach to the green later, a failed up-and-down attempt and a few holes further on he’s watching Cabrera steal what would have been the greatest moment of his career. To even see him talking to reporters afterwards was surprising, considering how he must have been feeling. But to speak with the dignity, sincerity and respect he did was truly laudable.
He said he had blown the tournament, and as if to torture himself further, he recalled with a wistful regret how much his final hole reminded him of the US PGA at Valhalla in 1996 when he bogeyed the 18th to allow Mark Brooks get into a play-off which Perry would lose. He said he’d never be here again, never win a major. He talked of ‘skulling’ low degree wedge shots and how he had an unfortunate habit of doing it at the crucial times. He said he was nervous. He went against the grain of the modern culture of sports psychology and the mantra of talking yourself up, constantly thinking positive, churning out bland platitudes. Kenny Perry was telling the simple, human truth and doing so in a remarkably open, amiable, almost vulnerable way.
But what touched the most was how he referred to Cabrera. There is no more solitary game than golf. You take on over 150 players every week, each with his own ball to tame and demons to battle. It’s advisable to be selfish and self-obsessed if you want to get to the top. Look at Woods.
But on the 18th green when Cabrera sunk that testy putt to make the play-off, Perry didn’t scowl and withdraw within himself and into his private ‘zone’. He smiled, nodded his head in respectful admiration and applauded. And afterwards, his simple compassion and understanding towards his fellow player was moving and unprecedented. Such grace shouldn’t be so uncommon, but it is and when it comes it has to be hailed.
Still, sport tends to remember its winners, Cabrera’s countryman Roberto DeVicenzo will attest to that. Standing on the brink of victory at the 1968 Masters, he was accidentally put down for a four by his playing partner Tommy Aaron on the 17th when he had actually scored a three. The unwitting DeVicenzo signed for the incorrect card, an extra shot was added to his total, and he missed out on what would have been an 18-hole play-off the next day with Bob Goalby. So 42 years on, at least one wrong was righted.
Unlike Chad Campbell and Perry, Cabrera has been in the crucible of major final-groupings before and come out on the good side. And that experience of winning the 2007 US Open clearly was key as he held himself together superbly on the back nine.
At the turn, his chances looked to be gone. Perry was playing exceptionally solidly, Woods and Mickelson were threatening to steal the entire show as they followed each other into the hole time and time again and a host of others were moving ahead of the erratic Argentine. But on the closing stretch he tacked on birdies at the par fives and unforgettably escaped with a par at the 18th after planting his drive behind a tree.
That fortunate bounce off the bark with his second shot took it into the heart of the fairway, but he made tremendous work to put the ball close from there and hole the putt.
That twist was typical of a final day at Augusta as good as anything seen in years and the committee of the famous course deserve as much credit for that as anyone. The way they set up the course was terrific. Twelve-under-par is a healthy score to win a major. It’s the equivalent of four 69s, and is exactly how things should be. It shouldn’t be a massive battle for a field of talent as good as that in a major to simply break par.
Players on form who take risks must have scope for reward. At the same time, every hole should be laced with healthy danger if a poor decision or execution is made. This year’s event got the blend just right and the way Mickelson and Woods played on Sunday was typical of this.
Both needed serious rounds to get into contention, and with the glare of the spotlight fully on them throughout, they didn’t disappoint. Mickelson in particular lit up the front nine and was rewarded for some scintillating approach play as he made the turn in six-under. Woods too, had a hand in the spectacular and at one stage midway through their back nine, they were only one behind leader Perry.
But the course came back to bite. Mickelson’s foolish tee shot at the treacherous 12th flew straight into the water and he never recovered from it. In many ways, he blew the major as much as Perry because he played the best golf of anyone over the last three days.
Woods never quite seemed in full control but such is the mind-blowing magnificence of the man, he looked like the favourite on one point on Sunday. Had he been a little hotter with his putter on the back nine, he probably would have won. But on this most thrilling of days, even he crumbled a little and two closing bogies ended things for him.
So after all the excitement the top two in the world had given us, we were left with Cabrera, Campbell and Perry. Their closing efforts were littered with nervy errors, but it didn’t matter. The Masters had delivered in every regard, from Cabrera’s heart to Perry’s shining humanity.