The magic of The Masters

“Can you feel it? It’s that time of the year.
A new chapter is about to be written.
And things are starting to change.
Jerseys get traded in for jackets.
Download become upgrades.
And fans feel like patrons.
The past and the future play out right in front of us.
And the whole world starts seeing green.
Because April…is right around the corner.
And spring is in the air.
This isn’t just golf.
This is The Masters.”

I love this year’s video for The Masters.

I was on the course yesterday and chatting about how much we all love this event. Along with the obvious history and significance of the tournament itself, there is definitely something almost magical about it taking place at this time of year, which sets it apart from all of the other Majors.

Assuming you’re in the Northern Hemisphere somewhere, the Masters really does herald the proper arrival of spring, and a corresponding sense of our own golf season really getting started. The vivid colours, the chirping birds, the (usually) sunshine and warmth of Georgia in April…to someone in the UK it’s all highly appealing.

The people who organise it know what they are doing, too. Over the decades, they’ve skilfully positioned the Masters in this way; designing it to appeal to the general sports fan just as much as the hard core golf sicko.

The timing is also pretty perfect for those of us on this side of the pond. Being just five hours behind BST, we get the meaningful action from around 6-11pm, which is ideal for those of us who can’t dedicate the whole of Saturday or Sunday to watching golf.

Even as a teenager I found this all quite captivating. I remember staying up on a Sunday night watching the slightly grainy TV in my bedroom, as the likes of Lyle, Faldo, Woosnam and Freddie Couples managed to bag a green jacket in dramatic style. In fact, I think those Masters tournaments probably kicked off my slight obsession with golf, or at least fuelled it.

That was undoubtedly partly down to there being a great run of close finishes and European winners in the late 80s and early 90s, but it was also a lot to do with Augusta National itself and everything the tournament represents.

I’d love to visit one day and I’m excited to see what this year brings.