AUGUSTA, Ga. — By Sunday afternoon, if all goes according to plan, somebody will be helped into the winner’s green jacket, here at the Masters. If Tiger wins again, as he did last year, the club chairman, Fred Ridley, will help him in it.
The last time that happened, that a defending champion won and a chairman was put to work, was in 2002. Tiger was your repeat winner. Hootie Johnson held the coat, struggled a bit with one of the arms and he apologized to Woods. “That’s OK,” Tiger said. “I did the same thing to Mark.” Tiger won in ’97. His buddy Mark O’Meara, won in ’98. Tiger choked. That’s OK.
The old-timey suit salesmen from yesteryear — at Brooks Brothers, at J. Press, at Mac Kavner’s — knew the trick of the trade. Pinch the shoulders, hold the jacket high, drop it on down. Sadly, for posterity’s sake, they predate YouTube.
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Nick Faldo — TV’s Sir Nick — helped Tiger into his first jacket, in 1997. There was never any love between the two men, then or anytime since. Faldo has obvious admiration for Woods but has never been afraid to criticize certain shots, swings, body changes, although their indifference to each other predates Faldo’s TV career. “I think he’s tried to open up, but he’s led essentially a weird life, to be honest,” Faldo said in an interview last year. Faldo’s candor through Tiger’s career has been welcome and needed.
Shall we look at some possible Sunday afternoon Butler Cabin green jacket ceremony prospects? Let’s do it and consider how the protagonists have interacted over the years. For each scenario, we will use, for the first time, our proprietary GOLF.com Pimento Cheese Sandwich Rating System to summarize the Butler Cabin chemistry, depending on who all is there:
Four sandwiches: Do a little dance.
Three sandwiches: Righton, righton, righton.
Two sandwiches: Is all good.
One sandwich: April come she will.
Scenario I. Ridley drapes on Tiger.
Ridley, on Woods, in prepared remarks at his Wednesday State of the Masters press conference, recalling Tiger’s win at Augusta last year: “I know it meant a lot to Tiger to hug his two children, Sam and Charlie, more than two decades after embracing his parents in the same exact spot.” 4 sandwiches.
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Scenario II. Tiger drapes on Abraham Ancer of Mexico.
At last year’s Presidents Cup, Ancer was on the International team, Tiger was the playing captain of the American team. Ancer was asked against whom he would like to play. He said, “I would like to play against Tiger.” It was a straightforward and honest answer, and it was wildly misinterpreted, as things often are these days. The response was an insight into Ancer and a compliment to Tiger. Ancer wanted (and wants) to try to beat the best! They met in the Sunday singles. Tiger won. If Ancer wins here, he will of course finish ahead of Tiger. 3 sandwiches.
Scenario III. Tiger drapes the jacket on Dustin Johnson.
They’re not buddies. They’re not not buddies. Tiger has repeatedly expressed his high regard for Johnson’s talents, particularly with the driver. But you seldom, if ever, hear Johnson gush about Tiger. At the L.A. Open last year, Johnson was asked about his playing schedule. He said, factually but with a hint of derision, “I don’t play tournaments based on what Tiger’s doing.” 2.5 sandwiches.
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Scenario IV. Tiger drapes on Jon Rahm of Spain.
Rahm worships Woods. Rahm cried after beating Woods on Sunday at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France. Tiger loves the hearty, artistic Spanish approach to the game, as exemplified by Seve, by Olazabal, by Rahm. (Sergio is in another category.) Rahm played the first two rounds with Tiger last year at the Masters. When he won that match in France, he said, “To beat Tiger, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, on Sunday, with a pivotal point, I was so aware of it — it’s the best feeling of my life.” That was nothing but praise. 3.5 sandwiches.
Scenario V. Tiger drapes on Justin Thomas.
Tiger loves Justin Thomas and the feeling is mutual. Tiger is 44 and Thomas is 27 but they seem, in their many practice rounds together, and at last year’s Presidents Cup, more like brothers. Justin, like Fred Couples, is a mega-talent who is comfortable in his own skin. He doesn’t try to impress Tiger. He loves giving him the needle. His nickname for Tiger is Princess. Tiger would welcome the prospect of a standing Tuesday-night in April dinner with Justin Thomas, ideally for years to come. 4 sandwiches.
Four pimento cheese sandwiches is a lot of pimento cheese. Sweet tea might be handy, right about now. In any event, we’re here, at our long-awaited Masters weekend, November-style. Everybody is trying to get into Butler Cabin. There are only so many seats. One way or another, Tiger will be there.
Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael_Bamberger@golf.com.
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