Freeside Slips Back Into Green - Wins Second Career Masters In Close Duel

Once a year the patrons of the oldest game get to wake up on a Thursday in April and feel like it's a holiday. The Masters is golf's most sacred tournament and it's history is hallowed. The pristine grounds at Augusta National are manicured to perfection and the course is actually closed all summer so it doesn't get too beat up. After playing 18 one time, Jim Nantz tried to swing back around and play again but was stopped by a member who told him "the course is tired."

Which makes it all the more unbelievable that the First Timers League gets a chance to stake their own claim at August National and crown, or rather jacket, a champion of their own each year. Over the course of the league's history there have been 4 green jacket winners. And now in the league's fifth year the number still remains at 4. The tournament's winner Patrick Reed shot a brilliant 15 under par and has starting to live up to his pompous boasting several years ago. Only 4 teams in the field picked Reed, among them was the 2015 Masters champ Freeside Links. 

Freeside started the tournament out strong and never let his foot off the gas peddle. He had McIlroy as well and was able to watch the final round in complete comfort with little worry of a usurper. But by day's end Eat My Grind would come close and nearly overtook him. But Freeside knew the course. He'd been there before. He navigated his way through Amen Corner and brought his chickens home to roost. Freeside put on a clinic at Augusta and carved out a performance for the record books. In Butler Cabin after all was said and done Talkeetna98 put the green jacket on Freeside and he stared into the camera awkwardly as Jim Nantz played him off. The 2018 Masters is in the books and Freeside Links takes home the year's first major and $35. Congrats Freeside.

Notables

Eat My Grind is having himself quite the year and nearly came away with his first career major last week to add onto his success. He came up just 4 points short though in what was a brilliant Sunday charge at Augusta. He still holds down second place overall and is in third for the Spring segment. He leads the league with 3 wins and has been collecting Top 3s faster than McIlroy can rack up bad memories at Augusta. He's showing no signs of letting up so look for Grind to add more titles to his trophy case before long.

Jose Maria Oblazabong made his first appearance inside the Top 3 all year at Augusta and it was sorely needed. He's been in a bit of a rut to start the season and is languishing in 22nd place overall at the moment. His career has been marked by on-again off-again seasons and he has yet to put together two consecutive solid years. His 2018 season is far from over and he could certainly make a run through the standings to make up ground, even win a segment. Perhaps this 3rd place finish at the year's first major is just the kick start he needed. With the spring segment only two weeks old he's got plenty of time to put together a charge and make play for the segment title.

Whiny Little Pitch has been making waves as of late and just got her 4th Top 10 in a row. She just missed out on her 3rd Top 3 in a row by finishing in 4th place by only 3 points. She's been on the move low these past several weeks and is currently leading the spring segment. There's still 10 weeks left to play and it'll be late June before the dust settles but you can bet your bottom dollar Whiny has her eye on her first segment title.

The hot hand of Halve Ouimet continues to get aces as he snagged his third Top 10 in a row with a 5th place finish at Augusta and he continues to lead the season race. Ouimet has been gaining confidence off the tail end of the winter segment in which he captured in the 11th hour of the final week. He's been making solid picks and has been keeping the wolves at bay thus far. But there's too much talent nipping at his heels to count anything as safe. Grind gained considerable ground and is just 9 points behind him now. He also has yet to win a tournament so that may start to eat at him before long if he doesn't check that off the 2018 to do list.

UP NEXT - the boys head up the coast just a bit to Harbor Town and the RBC Heritage. It's a classical coastal Carolina course with small greens and narrow fairways. The defending champ is none other than V to the O who's clearly hungry for his first win of 2018. There's still plenty of cash to be handed out and teams should start to feel a bit more pressure to budget starts as the next big event isn't until The Players Championship in late May. The real ground to be made up will take place over the next 4 weeks if you can field a full roster with no cuts. Best of luck.