SUPERSTAR DJ

Bill Elliott looks back on a unique tournament at Augusta National, where one man stood head and shoulders above the rest

- Bill Elliott

For the big man, it was a dream. For the slightly mad scientist, it was a dizzy nightmare. For the Irishman, it was another frustration. Masters 2020 was a golf week like no other. This includes the 83 Augusta gigs that preceded this Covid-caressed version. No fans, no explosions of noise, no huge adrenalin rush. Just a beautiful exam paper that required thoughtful, patient study and an ability to stay in the moment over four long, vaguely chaotic days.

The early deluge that delayed the first round for crucial three-and-a-half hours meant we never quite knew what was going on, each subsequent round divided into two frustrating parts until we got to Saturday evening. It meant the usual coherent narrative was missing. In its place, we had a tournament stuffed with ifs, buts, and maybes until finally order was restored for the final round. What we knew by that Saturday night was that the best, most in-form player of the year had a four-shot lead. Dustin Johnson, as laconic and slow-moving as he is committed and talented when it comes to the old game, was in charge and that is how it stayed.

There were enough sub-plots for interest to be maintained, but once he recovered from dropped shots at the 4th and 5th holes with a birdie at the 6th, the Bearded One never lost control. Cameron Smith and Sungjae I'm deserve much praise for their own patient brilliance, but neither quite managed to turn the screw hard enough to penetrate Johnson’s understated determination.