Many things make golf great but one of them is that there’s no limit to what one can dream.  At the same time, that dream does not necessarily have to be Tiger Woods hanging Jack Nicklaus’ poster on his wall and then dreaming of winning more majors than the Golden Bear.  A dream could be someday breaking 80, or winning the father/son tournament at your local club, or playing someday in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, or in Adam Scott’s case, being the first golfer from Australia to win a Green Jacket at The Masters.

Today Adam’s dream came true and it came true in spectacular style as he defeated Angel Cabrera on the 2nd hole of sudden death, winning with a birdie on the 10th after both competitors made par on 18.  He won somewhat surprisingly as well because before holing a once-in-a-lifetime putt not once but TWICE, first a 30-footer on the 72nd hole that he surely thought was the winning stroke, and then the winning 12-footer on 10 in the playoff, he was a walking advertisement for the banishment of the long putter and not because he was making everything.  He couldn’t buy a putt and it is a slight injustice that he didn’t win by two or three shots in regulation because he played that much better than everyone else from tee to green.

Those made putts though certainly registered seismically down under as the golf-mad nation of Australia finally had their Masters Champion.  It looked for much of the back nine that Jason Day would be that champion but he became a bit unnerved on the last three holes, starting with a long pull off the tee at 16 that left him in three-putt territory.

The little-known Marc Leishman had his chance at glory for Australia as well but after his opening 66 he didn’t move much up or down the leaderboard the rest of the way and didn’t make enough happen to make a serious challenge at the title.  Rather, that title went to Adam Scott and that it did so likely had as much to do with that aforementioned dream of his as it did with his great play.  For Adam suffered a defeat last summer at Lytham in the Open Championship that would have left many players reeling for years, four straight bogeys down the stretch to lose by one.  It was the definition of “that word”…

The Open would have been great but the fact that the Championship went to Adam’s good friend Ernie Els eased the sting, and combined with the realization that the Masters Green Jacket was the true career prize left Scott with a reason to bounce back and to do so quickly.  Now that he has won one for Greg Norman and all of the great fans Down Under, anything else that may come is gravy and whether the floodgates now open with major titles or this ends up being it for him, his career is Mission Accomplished.

Adam had to best a most worthy challenger in Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, 2009 Masters Champion and someone who was looking to continue Argentina’s great year (white smoke anyone???).  Cabrera looked every bit the experienced champion as he overcame a shaky stretch of holes from 10 to 15 to deliver clutch birdies on 16 and 18, the last a rare birdie-on-top-of-a-birdie to send things to extra holes.

But it was not meant to be for Cabrera and though he shared a memorable moment with his son on the bag after his birdie at 18, his effort to become the first Grandpa to win at Augusta National was thwarted by just a few blades of grass as he just missed holing a chip on 18 and then a birdie putt of his own on 10 in the playoff.

The closing stretch of this years Masters did a lot to overcome what was until that point a long week at Augusta.  But the tournament eventually overcame the adversity and poor PR that came from the Guan and Woods rulings and the results vindicated the Club.  Guan still made the cut and became Low Amateur, and the slow-play penalty allowed him the opportunity to enhance his reputation as a person.  Woods didn’t win and he didn’t miss the playoff by one or two, and there’s no asterisk on Adam Scott’s victory because Tiger was DQ’d and Adam no longer had to beat him.  It’s also worth noting that had Woods won he would have done so within the current rules.  Whether he should have withdrawn is another story and one that is very much subject to opinion.

Lost in the Woods controversy has been just how bad a break he received on Friday at 15.  In the lead, looking to take control of the tournament, ending up with a bogey that turned into an 8, and a lot of controversy in the process, we’ll never know what might have happened had that shot hopped passed the pin and skidded to a stop leaving a makable birdie putt.

Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer were among the feel-good stories of the week with their strong senior showings but these were just sidebars in the end.  This was Adam Scott’s week, in fact it was a week for all of golf in Australia.  Congratulations to all and only two months until Merion.

Much if not most of the drama today at Augusta was supplied before the first shot was even hit, with the possible disqualification of Tiger Woods sending a veritable earthquake through the 2013 Masters.  Though Tiger Woods clearly had not dropped his ball in the same spot after hitting his hard-luck wedge off the pin and into the pond at 15, tournament officials reviewed the tape prior to his completing the round and it was determined not to be a penalty, presumably because he had intended to drop in the same spot and the difference in location was deemed insignificant.

It was only when Woods revealed in an interview that he intentionally dropped in a different position that the violation of the rules was clear.  Until two years ago, this would have resulted in automatic disqualification because Woods should have been penalized 2 shots and thus he had signed an incorrect scorecard.  However a new Rule, #33-7/4.5, was instituted as a result of the barrage of armchair officials who call in every time a round is televised with accusations of rules breaches.  These phone calls have become such a regular occurrence that it was determined a new rule was needed to protect the players from these calls.  Basically, the “gist” of the rule seems to be the “incorrect scorecard signing” disqualification penalty is no longer automatically subject to potential rules breaches brought to the attention of officials by people off-site calling in.   Or in other words, players no longer need to live in fear of the fans.

That means that something brought to the attention of tournament officials from outside the tournament after a scorecard is signed can now be reviewed, with proper penalties assessed, but without automatic disqualification.  For Tiger Woods, he received the 2-shot penalty per the Rules for an incorrect drop after hitting into a yellow hazard, but he avoids the total DQ because the club had already reviewed his situation and decided there was no penalty, before hearing of Woods admission that he intentionally dropped in a different spot.

Fred Ridley, Masters Rule Committee Chairman, was quick to point out the history of integrity at Augusta that dates back to Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and completely dismissed the notion that Tiger received special treatment, insisting rather that they were simply following the rules.  The one-shot penalty assessed to 14-year-old Tianlang Guan after numerous warnings throughout his round, despite the controversy that they surely knew would result from it, would seem to back up this premise.

As for the day on the course Woods started at 1-under rather than 3-under but turned in a solid 70 that included his best back nine in many years, and three straight par saving putts to end the round.  It might have been an even better day had he holed a makable eagle putt at 15, which would have been sweet revenge indeed for the great champion.

Woods heads to the final day at 3-under and is tied with South African Tim Clark who is one of a handful of quality players who have worked their way into contention very quietly, including Matt Kuchar who is at -4 after three rounds. Jim Furyk still finds himself in contention at -2, and Sergio Garcia despite going from the spotlight of the lead to almost no attention at all in the span of just one round is still “there” at -1.

Three Australians will try to win one for Greg Norman and all of the Masters-title-starved golfing fans down under.  Jason Day parred his first 12 holes before birdieing 13 to take the lead at -7.  He however bogeyed the last two, missing a short par putt at 18 which never had a chance, and sits at -5.  He is tied with the thoroughly unknown Marc Leishman who survived a ball in the water at 11 to make just a bogey on his way to a par-72.

A shot further ahead is Adam Scott at -6 who finished with three birdies in the last six holes, putting him in position to wipe away the memory of last year’s collapse at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s where he bogeyed the last four holes to lose by 1 to Ernie Els.  Scott is particularly close to Greg Norman and a victory here at Augusta would likely be even more meaningful than the at Lytham would have been.

Tied for the lead at -7 are the “Duck”, Angel Cabrera, and Brandt Snedeker who went from Masters favorite to Masters longshot in the span of just two months due to injury problems.  He has made the most of being able to fly under the radar and shot a 3-under 69 that included a lucky break on 18 where his drive into the right trees bounced into the middle of the fairway.  Cabrera made six birdies including a snaky putt at 10 and a great closing finish with impressive birdies at 16 and 18.  His round included two bogeys on par 5s so it could have been even better.  2013 has been a good year thus far for his native Argentina (think “white smoke”), and it is ironic that an Argentine would lead a Masters where the world’s #1 player would not be disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.  “Win won for Roberto De Vicenzo” could be his rallying cry on Sunday.

After a birdie on 13 Fred Couples was right there in contention at -5 but a three-putt at 14 set him reeling and a triple on 17 capped a sad finish to his third round which dropped him back to Even.  Couples is no longer even “low senior”, that honor goes to Bernhard Langer who has made it to -2 with hardly a shot on videotape.

Pre-tournament favorites Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson continued their disappointing showings with rounds of 79 and 77 respectively.  Eighth-grade sensation Tianlang Guan struggled to a 77 but is assured his place in the Butler Cabin Green Jacket Presentation ceremony being the only amateur to make the cut.

Sunday at Augusta will dawn with many storylines as usual but the spotlight will also shine as usual on Mr. Woods.  It will be interesting indeed to see the reactions if he is able to overcome a deficit to win a major for the first time and ends up donning his 5th Green Jacket, one he would surely accept without a hint of apology or reservation.

Australia’s Jason Day overcame tougher playing conditions, tricky breezes, and a tee shot into Rae’s Creek on 12 to card a 2nd round 68 and leads the 77th Masters at 6-under at the halfway mark.  Fellow Australian Mark Leishman is a shot back at -5 along with 1992 winner Fred Couples who at age 53 remains very much alive in his quest to become the first senior to win a Major.

2003 US Open Champion Jim Furyk continues his bounce-back from some gut-wrenching finishes in 2012 and is another shot back at -4, tied with 2009 Masters Champion Angel Cabrera along with Brandt Snedeker who is flying under the radar a bit after injuries derailed his hot start to the season.

Tiger Woods sits with six others at -3 and his 3rd shot on 15 was the moment of the day but for all the wrong reasons…the ball hitting the flagstick squarely and bouncing back into the pond.  Despite saving bogey there and then saving par at 16, a 3-putt bogey on 18 caused by his third too-long approach shot of the back nine surely left the great champion lamenting that he was not a few shots lower despite his assurances that he’s playing “great”.

First round leader Sergio Garcia perhaps battled a regripping-relapse and endured a brutal back 9 on his way to a 76.  Garcia found the water at 11, 13, and again at 15 while playing head-turning golf, the kind where you want to turn your head away as it was hard to watch.  At 2-under though Sergio is still in contention for his first major victory.

Ricky Fowler nearly played himself out of the tournament with an untidy back 9 that featured a bounce off a stake or perhaps someone’s head into Rae’s Creek on 13, along with a ball in the water on 16 on his way to a triple bogey.  Fowler sits at level par for the tournament.

Nothing however was more harsh than the ruling that befell Tianlang Guan on 17.  The age-14 phenom was penalized (some would say “singled out”) one shot for slow play despite the 6-hour round played by nearly everybody.  Although this looks wrong on so many levels, Guan’s clutch par at 18 secured his place in Masters history as the youngest player to ever make the cut and the grace and class with which he handled the adversity is sure to only enhance the young man’s reputation as a person and his growing legend as a golfer.

After all, he still made the cut and he’s only 14 so it’s not like he’s going to lose the tournament by a shot…(shhhhhhhhhhh)

A bit of fog and gathering overcast skies set the stage for a very interesting Round 1 of the 2013 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.  Golf’s former (and forever) “Big Three” all acquitted themselves nicely as honorary starters to get things going.  Palmer cut one down the right center, Player’s ageless swing knocked his a bit farther down the fairway, which caused Nicklaus to reach back just a bit more to bust one past Gary (although, slightly left).  Scoring conditions were ideal and Tiger Woods helped set the early tone, posting a 70 that looked easy.   Five straight pars out of the gate eased him into the round before a birdie on 6 got him into red figures.  Then birdies on the next two par-5s put him at 3-under after 13 and it looked like he may end up near the top of the leaderboard.  A bogey on 14 and a missed birdie opportunity at 15 left him at 2-under 70 but only once has Woods broken 70 in the Masters’ first round so he must feel as if he’s in good position.

Phil Mickelson shot a 71 in the afternoon that was the polar opposite of Woods’ round, first with bogeys and wayward shots on the front nine (was that me over there in the middle of the 17th fairway playing a 3rd shot to #7?), followed a birdie barrage on the back 9 to get him to 2-under after 16 and charging.  But a bogey on 17 and a missed birdie putt on 18 left him at 1-under, and surely thinking about missed opportunities and the possibility of going lower in round 2.

Thursday at Augusta always supplies subplots and the pairing of 14-year old Tianlang Guan and 61-year old Ben Crenshaw provided perhaps an unofficial Masters record (47 years between playing partner ages) along with the moment of the day when they both birdied 18.   Guan looked every bit the part of future-phenom with his flattish (for the moment, as he’s hardly full grown) repeating swing combining with his surely-worn-out 5-wood to produce an unstressful 73 that leaves him at one-over and within the cut line.  Guan’s demeanor especially did his native China proud.  Move over “Gentle Ben”, it may be time to make room for Gentle Guan who carried himself with humility and without a hint of celebrity while Twitter was surely exploding over the 14-year-old shooting 73 at The Masters.

Guan’s 73 left him tied at one-over with Scotland’s Sandy Lyle, a mere 41 years his senior at age 55.  Unsurprisingly though the title of “low senior” went to 53-year-old Fred Couples.  Fred Couples’ back routinely turns 30 again every April and his silky smooth swing looked as great as ever on his way to an impressive 68 that was marred only slightly by a bogey on 18 after driving it into the bunker.  The performance belied his age and Fred is showing no sign thus far that he can’t compete well into the weekend, hitting it out there within shouting distance of playing partner Dustin Johnson’s 3-wood every time and sitting just one behind him on the leaderboard.

Ricky Fowler was as easy to spot for his golf as his wardrobe today with a strong 68 despite starting each 9 with a double bogey.  Rory McIlroy went birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey nearly all day and finished at even par 72.  The leaders after round one are Australian Marc Leishman and Spain’s Sergio Garcia who are in the clubhouse with 6-under 66s.  Many were likely surprised at Garcia’s round but he has some recent top-10s in majors and finished a respectable 12th at last year’s Masters.  Sergio also brought a bit of the great Seve Ballesteros with him as his swashbuckling par from the trees on 17 called up memories of the great man, who’s presence will always be missed especially at Augusta National.

Overnight storms threaten to soften up the course some more but the timing of them should work for starting round two on schedule.