A number of names stick out when you look to the top of the Masters leaderboard.
There’s Dustin Johnson, of course, the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world. He sits in a tie for the lead with Justin Thomas, one of the most compelling stars in the game. Further down we see Sungjae Im, the mega-talent from Korea. Though he owns just one PGA Tour win, slipping on the green jacket would hardly be a surprise. Jon Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama are up there, too.
Continuing down the list sits Danny Willett at seven under. He’ll keep popping up on leaderboards at Augusta until he chooses not to. Being a former champion has some serious perks. Fellow Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose join their countryman at that number, as does Louis Oosthuizen. All contenders and capable of securing a win come Sunday.
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It’s a star-packed leaderboard, but there’s one name you likely passed over — Patrick Cantlay. It’s ok if you didn’t notice him, most people don’t. Although he’s one of the top 10 golfers in the world, he seems to always fly under the radar.
Everyone talks about the fireworks on Sunday of the 2019 Masters. And with names like Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele trading haymakers, it’ll be one that’s talked about for years to come. What’s largely forgotten is that Cantlay owned the lead after an eagle on No. 15 that Sunday. Back-to-back bogeys coming home ultimately doomed his chances, but the narrative of a Cantlay victory being probable has largely been lost.
Cantlay has only added to his resume since then (he won just a few week ago at the Zozo Championship), but still his name gets lost in the shuffle. Maybe it’s because his game is not flashy. Or it could be his conservative dress. Most likely, it has to do with his even-keel temperament — never too high, never too low.
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“I do everything in a stoic way,” Cantlay said after his second-round 66.
He’s got that right. No matter if he’s holing out for eagle or tapping in for double, Cantlay never wears his emotions on his sleeve. But it’s not an even-keelless akin to Dustin Johnson, who’s swagger exudes cool. It’s more of a serious, emotionless demeanor. A smile rarely comes across his face.
“If anything, I work on trying to smile more,” he said. “I’m just kind of naturally that way. I’m that way when I eat breakfast. I’m that way when I play cards. That’s just who I am. But I mean, I enjoy it out here. Playing golf is what I love to do. I’m just as focused as I can on doing the best work I can. Sometimes that comes across a little serious, but that’s just who I am.”
Of all the players at the top of the leaderboard, Cantlay is currently playing Augusta National the best. He’s not in the lead at the moment, but over his last four rounds at the Masters dating back to last year, he’s 20 under. The 72-hole scoring record is 18 under. He’s been golfing his ball.
“The same guys seem to play well here every year,” he said. “I think part of that is you just get good feelings here, and you come back every year. I’m just trying to build those good feelings.”
If he keeps playing like he has been, he’ll be coming back every year indefinitely. But he’ll have to carve out some time each Tuesday night — the Champions Dinner is another past-winner’s perk.
