What a Weekend

You gotta love weekends like this past weekend. The local athletes gave us plenty to talk about at the water cooler this morning; the Rangers once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory thanks to a shaky bullpen, the Mavs lost what could be considered a must-win game as they angle for prime playoff positioning and the "grandaddy" of all golf-tournaments was played at a little course in Augusta, Georgia and man, was it a dandy.

I really think that Sunday's Masters action will be talked about for a long time as one of the great collective rounds of golf. What happened in Augusta yesterday will undoubtedly restore some of the luster and panache that this tournament has lost over the recent years. The Woods/Mickelson pairing for the final round was a match made in golf heaven - Phil, Tiger, and Augusta. For golf fans, it just doesn't get any better. Mickelson's performance on the front nine on Sunday further solidified his position as one of the best golfers of all time and the play of Tiger Woods has helped him re-establish himself (after his surgery and time away) as on of the best clutch athletes of all-time (in any sport.)

While the world was routing for Mickelson or Woods to sneak up on Kenny Perry and over-take him for the lead, two underdogs were lurking about. Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell each mounted late charges to force a play-off which Cabrera walked away from victoriously. It might not have been the ending golf fans were hoping for since Woods and Mickelson exited without the green jacket but by the time the duo had left for the clubhouse, no one could turn the channel, we were legitimately interested in the outcome of the tournament.

The 2009 version of the Masters might have single-handedly restored the tournament to its rightful place in the pantheon of American Sporting events. After all, when people are talking about golf around the water cooler in East Texas when baseball and basketball are also going on - it's got to be a big deal.