There is nothing like The Masters in all of sports because there's nothing like it on earth. The world's most competitive golfers being humbled by the world's most beautiful course is only the outer petal. Gary Player at age 72 is playing in his 52nd Masters competing with kids young enough to be his great, great grandsons. He will not make the weekend cut but holed out on 18 to a standing ovation just as he has for years.
Every year there is a defining shot, a moment that sets it apart from all the others before it. It doesn't mater what happens in the next two plus rounds, for me the moment this year will be amateur Michael Thompson's bogey at th 15th hole. The University of Alabama student needed birdie to go below the projected cut line and give him a chance to play the weekend rounds. As he stood over his ball on the lightening fast green, his ball shuttered - by the slightest amount visible to zooming high definition cameras. He backed off and called a stroke penalty on himself, in effect, eliminating himself from weekend contention. Thompson did not make contact with the ball, but by rule th fact that the ball moved meant a stroke penalty. He could only call the penalty on himself - no one else could.
No doubt as a spectator this weekend he will wish he were out there with the rest of the field, but his integrity has further solidified a most honorable sport.
