I'm not one to sit here and lie to you ... when the Masters was unfolding, Angel Cabrera was probably the one golfer on the leaderboard I wasn't really pulling for.
I love Kenny Perry. I think Chad Campbell has the game to win multiple major championships (and it would have been to hear his wife sing "Earl" at the jacket ceremony). Obviously Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson coming from that far behind would have been the golf story of this decade. I even pulled for my fellow Arizona Wildcat Jim Furyk, who could never get something after his double-bogey on No. 9.
Why no love for Cabrera? Well, a multiple of reasons. First, I think it is hard to relate to someone that doesn't speak your language. I don't find it offensive he isn't an English speaker, because I can barely order a beer and a taco south of the border without someone looking at me cross-eyed. He seems like a good guy, and even has a great nickname (The Duck, for how he walks).
He played the best golf coming down the stretch and is a deserving Masters champion. Cabrera is quickly becoming the anti-Sergio, playing better in the big tournaments instead of worse. This is his second major championship victory in the last eight contested, tying him with Tiger over that same stretch and putting both one major back of Padraig Harrington during that time period.
Was I rooting for Angel to win? Honestly, not really. Was I happy to see the most deserving guy claim the green jacket? Absolutely, I always am.
To be fair, I'm happy for anything that doesn't involve me having to listen to Nick Faldo talk about anything ever again.
Andrew Redington, Getty Images
5 comments:
Me and my father were pulling for Cabrera because, as we both said, he looks and plays (tempo, not skill) like one of the guys from our local municipal course.
And why all the Faldo hate? I actually really enjoy him. He's a damn sight better than Johnny Miller, who I have never gone an entire broadcast without wanting to murder.
You know, I'm surprised more people weren't appalled with Faldo. Everyone I've talked to agreed with me that muting the TV might be a better solution than having to listen to Nick talk anymore about "the Masters back in his day."
Maybe I just hang around a lot of Faldo haters.
Before Faldo became a broadcaster, he used to criticize Peter Allis for his lack of knowlege of modern golf...what's ironic is that Faldo sounds exactly like Peter Allis. Thick-headed Americans think any old bollocks sounds erudite if it is delivered in a British accent.
I thought it was great theater. So many story lines. Cabrera exorcising the ghost of "What a stupid I am," just over 40 years to the day. The 17th and 18th holes unraveling so many green jackets, from Phil and Tiger to Kenny and Chad. Phil and Tiger's torrid pace on the first nine. The sudden reversal of fortunes during the playoff. The ghost of Valhalla in 1996 haunting Kenny Perry and his realization that this was his last best chance to claim a major championship.
The result sure was an indictment of all these cocksure "young guns" on the US PGA Tour. Where the hell were they? The final playoff pitted two 40-year-olds against one another.
Was i pulling far Cabrera? Honestly, No. But I feel a great thing comming from Mr. Cabrera in that he is an inspiration of overcoming the odds. He has climb throught the ranks and now has gotten the attention that he deserves. Cabrera started out as a caddie and being able to start from the bottom and obtain the top in any walk of life should be celebrated.
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