The Masters’ biggest players taught the smallest valuable lesson

Augusta, Georgia – Noah Kent stays away. That’s actually all his game plans are held Friday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club. this It was Bernhard Langer’s stage, and he didn’t want to break into it.

Langer, a two-time Masters champion, shouldn’t advance in this year’s Masters (his last place) instead of being 67, nor his 41st appearance. My father is undefeated.

But Lange never got the memo. He approached 4-shot 18 green green at 5:10 pm Friday, with his playing partners Kent and Will Zalatoris hanging up the Fruit of Fever. Langer missed his last three master layoffs – 2021, 2022 and 2023 – so it was almost thought that it was Friday a few days ago, Nowwill be his swan song. But here we already have long shadows and Lange needs to go down from the green to save par and spend the weekend.

Langer took off his visor and waved his customers to enter the 18th Green on the 136th time of his master’s career.

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Kent, a sophomore in Florida, received a master invitation last summer through the runner-up of American Amateurs. At 20, he was the youngest player in the field, somehow classified as Langer, 67, with Langer. Kent knows that it is possible to be Langer’s final Masters today. When the group was announced earlier this week, he even asked his coach Claude Harmon III Won’t reduce.

“He knows the importance of the game and knows how cool the experience is,” Kent’s mom, Trisha, traveled with the group Friday. “When he got the pair, he thought it was really cool, and the first thing he asked was, ‘How do I respect him ascend on the 18th?’ If that’s what he wants to know.

For a 20-year-old amateur, it shows impressive maturity and self-awareness. His mom said he was kind of like a golf historian – she called him “the old soul” – and he had a bunch of core mentors, including former U.S. champions John Cook, Jay Sigel and John Harris. He loves watching old YouTube videos from Ben Crenshaw and older golf generations. He understands the importance of golf’s long history, so he certainly understands the importance of playing with Langer.

In a sense, Zalatoris and Kent are lucky. They have front seats for something others are paying for. They will surely sign up for Lange’s Hall of Fame career in the heartbeat – two majors, 10 Ryder Cups, over 100 career wins and global admiration. Whether Lange’s masters end on Friday or Sunday, they must be part of him last. This is very important.

Last year, it was supposed to be Lange’s last master, but when he tore Achilles and missed most of the golf season, the performance was eventually pushed to this year. Langer missed the last three games here, but five years ago he tried 29th at the age of 62. Just last fall, he won the PGA Tour event. He was not going to leave Mulan Lane.

Langer opened on Thursday 74; Kent was a little surprised how much they spoke. Langer made his debut in 1982, 22 years after Kent was born. On the 15th hole, Langer slapped Kent in the back and said, “You have to end up being strong.” (Kent later joked that he didn’t.)

On Friday, Langer played as if he wasn’t ready to go home, shooting and shooting on the cut line. Kent praised Langer’s course management and summoned the driver from the deck to the 11th green, “probably one of the best shots I’ve ever seen.” Langer won the bird in the twelfth game and even competed on four holes. The weekend is far away.

Until he spins from the 5-15 green into the water, resulting in a double bogey. Langer hit 16 and barely missed the birdie attempt, and in 17 he was two feet and two feet.

A hole still exists.

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When Langer reached 18 in a crowd roaring game, the huge green rankings released his score and released the cut line. Langer tilted it to 11 feet, requiring par on weekends. He knew everyone else knew. Kent and Zalatoris have missed the cuts. They have invested in Lange now.

The customer remained silent as Lange pulled the putter back and swung forward. It tracks to the hole – Looks good there – But it grabbed the right lip and stopped a few inches away. The customer gasped. Lange put his head down in disbelief. Zalatoris crouched down, Kent shook his head back – they looked as if they were about to get sick.

“I have nothing to say,” Kent said. “You want this to be so bad for him because this is his last master and he’s incredible.”

Lange handled the bogey gracefully. He shakes hands with his match partner and waves to the customers who are still applauding. Augusta President Fred Ridley congratulated him on the green.

Kent is back in college and more amateur games now. He wants to take part in the PGA tour one day, but will wait now. His journey has just begun. He said he learned a lot from Lange, how he needs to have more patience to get things to you and know when and when not to do so. He said he admired Langer’s way of fighting to the end.

The truth is, the story should be about a young, promising amateur who gets the front seat of the legend’s final master curtain phone. It turns out that this becomes the one who never quits learning.

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