It's a tradition like no other intertwined with one shining moment. In tribute to one of the most glorious sports-watching stretches of the year, we're counting down the five best Final Four/Masters combo years of the past four decades. Today we look back to last year.
MISSED BY THAT MUCH
The rim of a basketball hoop is 18 inches in diameter. Had someone along the way decided to make it just a little bigger, Gordon Hayward would be a folk hero, witnessed by millions in High Definition. His desperation, half-court heave at the buzzer just missed the mark in last year's Final Four championship game, giving Duke a 61-59 victory over hometown hopeful Butler in Indianapolis. To everyone watching, Hayward's shot had the look; one of those shots where you go "yep." Heck, ask the man himself. "Felt good. Looked good," he said that night. But alas, it never hit the net, instead bouncing off the backboard, then off the rim. How close was it? An ESPN Sports Science calculation figured Hayward's shot missed by three inches. We almost crowned Butler, a school of roughly 4,400 students, as a national champion but missed by a fraction. Hayward has moved on to the NBA, but maybe this is the Bulldogs' year.
PHIL WINS THIRD JACKET
Seven weeks after his 13-minute apology/confession for extramarital affairs, Tiger Woods returned to golf from a five-month hiatus last April with hopes of repairing his image. He did that on the course, shooting a personal-best first-round score of 4-under 68. But he was upstaged by a couple of Champions Tour-eligible players early, and by the epitome of a family man late. On Thursday, 50-year-old Fred Couples carded a 66, good for the 18-hole lead. Right behind was 60-year-old Tom Watson with a 67. The two fell back into the pack Friday, just as Phil Mickelson was getting set to rebound from a 1-under 71 heading into the weekend. Mickelson, kicking aside personal emotions, went eagle, eagle, tap-in birdie on 13, 14, 15 to move from five strokes back to a shot out of second place in the blink of an eye. A second consecutive 67 on Sunday clinched his third green jacket. Mickelson won by three, and celebrated on the 18th green with wife Amy, who is battling breast cancer.
BRIAN STENSAAS
