Past champs take pride of place at Augusta
Unique US Masters invitations see them swing, but will Tiger bite again?
VIJAY Singh, Mark O'Meara, Angel Cabrera, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Trevor Immelman, Fred Couples. The list is endless. These are names that will not roll off the tongue so easily in current debates about the favourites for any of the four Majors in golf.
But as the traditional first Major of the year tees off at Augusta on Thursday, they are not forgotten figures for the hallowed fairways and greens at the gorgeous Georgia 6,799-metre layout.
They have been brought back into focus because of the Masters' unique qualification criterion of a lifetime invitation for past champions. So Langer (1985 and 1993), Cabrera (2009), O'Meara (1998), Vijay (1999 and 2000), Couples (1992), Immelman (2008) and Olazabal (1994) will join the likes of Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy for the big Augusta showdown. The Masters has the smallest field of the Majors with 90 to 100 players. Unlike other Majors, there are no alternates or qualifying tournaments.
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Lifestyle
Former Zouk morphs into mod-Asian Jiak Kim House, serving laksa pasta and mushroom bak kut teh
Massimo Bottura lends star power to pizza and pasta at Torno Subito
Victor Liong pairs Aussie and Asian food with mixed results at Artyzen’s Quenino restaurant
If Jay Chou likes Ju Xing’s zi char, you might too
Mod-Sin cooking izakaya style at Focal
What the fish? Diving for flavour at Fysh – Aussie chef Josh Niland’s Singapore debut